53 Bible Verses about False Teachings

Yet I have a few things against thee, that thou hast there some who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to lay a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat of idol sacrifices, and to commit whoredom. Thou hast also some who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I abhor.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and teach men so, he shall be accounted the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall practise, and teach them, he shall be reckoned great in the kingdom of heaven.

NOW we entreat you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him: that ye be not hastily agitated with apprehension, nor troubled, neither by spirit, nor by discourse, nor by letter, as coming from us, as though the day of the Lord was instantly approaching.

NOW the Spirit speaketh expresly, that in the latter days some will apostatise from the faith, giving heed to spirits of delusion, and doctrines of devils; men who teach lies with hypocrisy; and have their own consciences cauterised; prohibiting marriage, and enjoining abstinence from particular meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and those who acknowledge the truth.

Yet I have a few things against thee, because thou hast suffered that woman Jezabel, calling herself a prophetess, to teach, and to lead my servants into error, to commit whoredom, and eat the idol sacrifices.

But in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men.

Now vainly do they worship me, while teaching doctrines the commandments of men."

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things, the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught, eat not, nor talk, nor touch, (all which things tend to corruption by abuse) according to the injunctions and doctrines of men?read more.
Which things indeed hold forth an appearance of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and bodily mortification, [though] not of any value, [but] a gratification to the flesh.

As I exhorted thee to abide at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest enjoin certain persons to introduce no different doctrine, nor to attend to fables and endless genealogies, which give occasion to disputes rather than godly edification, which is by faith; [so do]. For the end of the commandment is love out of a clean heart, and good conscience, and faith unfeigned:read more.
from which some, having swerved, have turned aside to vain babbling; affecting to be doctors of the law, though they underhand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

BUT there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers also among you, who wickedly introduce damnable heresies, and deny the sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.

Take heed then of false prophets, who come to you in the garb of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

For this I know, that after my departure there will come among you grievous wolves, not sparing the flock: Yea, from among yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverting doctrines, to draw away disciples after them.

For there are many disorderly persons vainly talkative, and under a spirit of delusion, especially some of the circumcised; whose mouths ought to be muzzled, who pervert whole families, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of base gain.

Yea, from among yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverting doctrines, to draw away disciples after them.

that we should be no longer infants, floating on the waves, and carried about with every wind of novel doctrine, by the juggling of men, by their craftiness after the delusive wiles of error;

O Timothy, guard the sacred deposit, avoiding profane trifling talk, and antitheses of misnamed science: which some affecting have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee.??men.

Be not tossed about by various and strange doctrines: for it is good to have the heart firmly established by grace, not by meats, in which observances they who have walked have found no manner of advantage.

having eyes full of adultery, and insatiable of sin; ensnaring souls of no stability; having a heart practised in all the wiles of covetousness; children for a curse: who forsaking the strait road are gone out of the way, following the path of Balaam the son of Bosor who loved the wages of iniquity.

These things have I written unto you concerning those who are leading you astray.

And many will go out of the way after their fatal errors; by means of whom the way of truth will be injuriously reviled.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Beware that no man deceive you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah; and shall deceive multitudes.

Then Jesus answering them, began to say, Beware that no man deceive you: for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah; and shall deceive many.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own inclinations will set up a herd of teachers for themselves, having the itch of hearing;

Uttering pompous discourses of inanity, ensnaring by the lusts of the flesh, by lascivious impurities, those who had truly escaped from such as live in a course of delusion. Preaching liberty to them, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whatever a man is overcome, by that also he is enslaved.

BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world. By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in the flesh, is from God. And every spirit who confesseth not that Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world.read more.
Ye are of God, my dear children, and have overcome them; because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.

for false Messiahs and false prophets shall arise, and give out great signs and wonders; so as to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect.

For many false Messiahs and false prophets shall arise, and shall propose signs and wonders to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect.

whose appearing is known by fanatical energy, displayed in all power, and signs, and lying miracles, and in every unrighteous delusion among those who perish: in consequence of which things they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And I saw another beast rising up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, though he spake as the dragon. And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth, and those who inhabit therein, to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. And he performeth great signs, so that he even causeth fire to come down from heaven to the earth, in the sight of men,read more.
and deceiveth the inhabitants of the earth by the signs, which he is enabled to perform before the beast, saying to the dwellers upon the earth, that they should make an image for the beast who had the stroke of the sword, and survived. And he is enabled to impart life to the image of the beast that even the image of the beast should speak, and cause as many as will not worship the image of the beast to be put to death.

NOW the Spirit speaketh expresly, that in the latter days some will apostatise from the faith, giving heed to spirits of delusion, and doctrines of devils; men who teach lies with hypocrisy; and have their own consciences cauterised;

But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which belongs to Christ. For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him.

BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world. By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in the flesh, is from God. And every spirit who confesseth not that Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are the spirits of demons doing wonders, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole habitable globe, to gather them together unto the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

And with plausible speeches will they avariciously make gain of you whose condemnation from of old lingereth not, and their perdition doth not slumber.

Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ:

By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in the flesh, is from God. And every spirit who confesseth not that Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world.

Wherefore I advertise you, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God, call Jesus anathema: and no man can say, Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost.

though ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things. I have not written to you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Messiah? This man is the antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son.read more.
Every one that denieth the Son, neither doth he hold the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son, holdeth the Father also.

Take heed then of false prophets, who come to you in the garb of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather a bunch of grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree beareth good fruits; but every bad tree in kind, produceth bad fruits.read more.
A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, neither can a tree bad in kind produce good fruits. Every tree that beareth not good fruit, is cut down, and cast into the fire. Well then! by their fruits ye shall know them.

For ye bear if a man enslave you, if a man eat you up, if a man receive from you, if a man is insolent, if a man smite you on the face.

My dear children, let no man deceive you: he who doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that practises sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil sinneth. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Every one who is born of God, doth not practise sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.read more.
By this the children of God are manifestly seen, and the children of the devil. Every one that doth not practise righteousness, is not of God, and he that loveth not his brother.

If any man teach another doctrine, and attend not to the sound words, which are those of Jesus Christ our Lord, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is conceited, knowing nothing, but delirious with disputes and quarrels about words, from whence come wrath, contentions, evil speakings, wrong suspicions, perverse wranglings of men corrupt in mind, and destitute of truth, who think to make gain of godliness; depart from such men.

As I exhorted thee to abide at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest enjoin certain persons to introduce no different doctrine, nor to attend to fables and endless genealogies, which give occasion to disputes rather than godly edification, which is by faith; [so do].

But profane vain bablings avoid: for they will proceed to greater lengths of impiety. And their discourse will eat like as a gangrene; of whom are Hymeneus and Philetus; who with respect to the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection hath been already; and pervert the faith of some.

Let that abide in you therefore which ye have heard from the beginning. If that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning, ye also shall abide in the Son and in the Father.

I marvel that ye are so quickly departed from him that called you, by the grace of Christ into another gospel which is not another; but there are certain persons who trouble you, and desire to pervert the gospel of Christ. But though even we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you another gospel, different from that which we have preached to you, let him be an anathema.read more.
As we have before spoken, and I now repeat it again, If any man preach a gospel different from that ye have received, let him be anathema.

This commandment, son Timothy, I give thee, according to the prophecies which were before delivered concerning thee, that by them thou mightest war a good warfare; holding faith and a good conscience, which some having renounced, as touching the faith, have been shipwrecked: of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over unto Satan, that they may be corrected, so as to blaspheme no more.

Model thy teaching according to the pattern of the sound discourses, which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The glorious deposit committed to thy trust, guard by the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in us.

Now I beseech you, brethren, keep a sharp eye over those who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine ye have learned, and turn away from them. For such are not servants to our Lord Jesus Christ, but to their own belly; and by smooth speeches and flattering commendations deceive the hearts of the guileless.

BUT this know, that in the last days distressing times will come. For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, vainglorious, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unnatural, implacable, slanderers, intemperate, inhuman, averse to goodness,read more.
treacherous, wilful, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; holding the form of godliness, but denying the power of it: from these men turn with aversion. For such are they who insinuate themselves into houses, and captivate weak women laden with accumulated sins, and actuated by a variety of passions, always learning, yet never able to attain unto the knowledge of truth. But in the same manner as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also set themselves in opposition to the truth; men corrupt in mind, reprobate respecting the faith. But they shall not proceed to the uttermost; for their infatuation shall be evident to all men, as theirs also was.

But foolish disquisitions, and genealogies, and disputes, and contentions about the law avoid; for they are unprofitable and vain. An heretical person after a first and second admonition reject; knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.

Every one that transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, this man holdeth both the Father and the Son. If any person come unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into the house, nor say to him, Welcome. He that biddeth him welcome, takes part in his wicked works.