37 Bible Verses about Warnings Against Apostasy

For it is not possible that they which were once lighted, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were become partakers of the holy ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the world to come; if they fall away, should be renewed again unto repentance: Forasmuch as they have, as concerning themselves, crucified the son of God afresh, making a mock of him.read more.
For that earth which drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them that dress it, receiveth blessing of God: but that ground, which beareth thorns and briars, is reproved, and is nigh unto cursing: whose end is to be burned.

But he that was sown in the stony ground, is he which heareth the word of God, and anon with joy receiveth it, yet hath no roots in himself, and therefore dureth but a season: for as soon as tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he falleth.

And likewise, they that are sown on the stony ground: which when they have heard the word, at once they receive it with gladness; yet have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: and anon, as soon as any trouble and persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they fall.

They on the stones, are they which, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no roots, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation go away.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" And they appointed unto him thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away unto the high priests, to betray him unto them. When they heard that, they were glad, and promised that they would give him money. And he sought, how he might conveniently betray him.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one the other. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall have the upper hand, the love of many shall abate.

For if we sin willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins: but a fearful looking for judgment, and violent fire, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despiseth Moses' law, dieth without mercy under two or three witnesses.read more.
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be counted worthy, which treadeth underfoot the son of God: and counteth the blood of the testament as an unholy thing, wherewith he was sanctified, and doth dishonour to the spirit of grace. For we know him that hath said, "Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." And again, "the Lord shall judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that called you in the grace of Christ, unto another gospel:

Then entered Satan into Judas, whose surname was Iscariot, which was of the number of the twelve: and he went his way, and communed with the high priests and officers, how he might betray him to them. And they were glad: and promised to give him money.read more.
And he consented, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them, when the people were away.

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven.

Then shall ye begin to say, 'We have eaten, and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.' And he shall say, 'I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.'

Let no man deceive you by any means, for the Lord cometh not, except there come a departing first, and that that sinful man be opened, the son of perdition;

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, among this adulterous and sinful generation: of him shall the son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels."

For the time will come, when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine: but after their own lusts shall they whose ears itch get them a heap of teachers, and shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be given unto fables:

And he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.

The spirit speaketh evidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall give heed unto spirits of error,

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered: and men gather it and cast it into the fire, and it burneth.

They went out of us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But that fortuned, that it might appear that they were not of us.

If we be patient, we shall also reign with him; If we deny him, he also shall deny us;

Take heed, brethren, that there be in none of you an evil heart, in unbelief, that he should depart from the living God:

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know it beforehand: Beware, lest ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own steadfastness;

If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and give thee a sign or a wonder - and that sign or wonder which he hath said come to pass - and then say, 'Let us go after strange gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them': hearken not unto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams. For the LORD thy God tempteth you, to wete whether ye love the LORD your God with all your hearts and with all your souls.read more.
For ye must walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and hearken unto his voice and serve him and cleave unto him. And that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall die for it, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt and delivered you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in: and so thou shalt put evil away from thee. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thine own son or thy daughter or the wife that lieth in thy bosom or thy friend which is as thine own soul unto thee, entice thee secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve strange gods which thou hast not known nor yet thy fathers, of the gods of the people which are round about thee, whether they be nigh unto thee or far off from thee, from the one end of the land unto the other': see thou consent not unto him nor hearken unto him. No, let not thine eye pity him nor have compassion on him, nor keep him secret, but cause him to be slain. Thine hand shall be first upon him to kill him; and then the hands of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, because he hath gone about to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God which brought thee out of Egypt, the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more, and such wickedness as this is, among them.

But my mercy will I not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put down before thee.

And in his greatness his heart arose, that he was marred: and transgressed against the LORD his God. For he went into the temple of the LORD to burn cense upon the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him with four score priests of the LORD that were bold men. And they stepped to Uzziah the king and said to him, "It pertaineth not to thee, Uzziah, to burn cense unto the LORD; but to the priests the children of Aaron that are consecrated for to burn incense. Come out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed, and it shall be no worship to thee before the LORD God."read more.
And Uzziah was wroth and had cense in his hand to offer, and in his indignation against the priest, the leprosy sprang in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, even beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest with all the other priests looked upon him: and behold he was a leper in his forehead, and they vexed him thence. And thereto he was fain to go out, because the LORD had plagued him. And Uzziah the king continued a leper unto the day of his death and dwelt in a house at liberty: howbeit, he was cast out of the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son had the governance of the king's house and judged the people of the land.

From that time, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept away part of the price, his wife also being of counsel: and brought a certain part, and laid it down at the apostles' feet. Then said Peter, "Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart, that thou shouldest lie unto the holy ghost, and keep away part of the price of the livelihood:read more.
Pertained it not unto thee only? And after it was sold, was not the price in thine own power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that these things heard. And the young men rose up, and put him apart, and carried him out, and buried him. And it fortuned as it were about the space of three hours after, that his wife came in, ignorant of that which was done. And Peter said unto her, "Tell me, gave ye the land for so much?" And she said, "Yea, for so much." Then Peter said unto her, "Why have ye agreed together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out." Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her by her husband. And great fear came on all the congregation; and on as many as heard it.

having faith and good conscience, which some have put away from them, and as concerning faith have made shipwreck. Of whose number is Hymenaeus, and Alexander, which I have delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

They confess that they know God: but with the deeds they deny him and are abominable, and disobedient, and unto all good works discommendable.

For Demas hath left me, and hath loved this present world, and is departed into Thessalonica. Crescens is gone to Galatia, and Titus unto Dalmatia.

There were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you: which privily shall bring in damnable sects, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. And many shall follow their damnable ways, by which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of; and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment is not far off, and their damnation sleepeth not.

namely, them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise the rulers. Presumptuous are they, and stubborn, and fear not to speak evil of them that are in authority; when the angels, which are greater both in power and might, receive not of the Lord railing judgment against them. But these, as brute beasts, naturally made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of that they know not, and shall perish through their own destruction,read more.
and receive the reward of unrighteousness. They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots they are, and filthiness, living at pleasure, and in deceitful ways feasting with you: having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls. Hearts they have exercised with covetousness. They are cursed children, and have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, which loved the reward of unrighteousness:

For if they, after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world through the knowledge of the Lord, and of the saviour Jesus Christ, they are yet tangled again therein and overcome: then is the latter end worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them, not to have known the way of righteousness, then after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them. It is happened unto them according to the true proverb, "The dog is turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed, is returned to her wallowing in the mire."

For there are certain craftily crept in, of which it was written aforetime unto such judgement. They are ungodly, and turn the grace of our Lord God unto wantonness; And deny God the only Lord, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Likewise these dreamers defile the flesh, despise rulers, and speak evil of them that are in authority. Yet Michael the archangel, when he strove against the devil, and disputed the body of Moses, durst not give railing sentence, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." But these speak evil of those things which they know not. In those things which they know naturally - as beasts which are without reason - they corrupt themselves.read more.
Woe be unto them, for they have followed the way of Cain, and are utterly given to the error of Balaam for lucre's sake, and are cast away in the treason of Korah. These are spots which of your kindness feast together, without fear, feeding themselves. Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds: and trees without fruit at gathering time, twice dead, and plucked up by the roots. They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever. Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied before of such saying, "Behold, the Lord shall come with thousands of saints, to give judgment against all men, and to rebuke all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their cruel speakings, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, whose mouths speak proud things. They have men in great reverence because of advantage.

Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, that thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which called herself a prophetess to teach and to deceive my servants, to make them commit fornication, and to eat meats offered up unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit fornication with her into great adversity, except they turn from their deeds.

"It repenteth me that I have made Saul king. For he is turned from me and hath not performed my commandments." Wherefore Samuel was evil apaid and cried unto the LORD all night.