37 Bible Verses about Warnings Against Apostasy
Most Relevant Verses
Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the age to come, if they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. This is because they personally impale the Son of God again, and expose him to public shame.read more.
The earth that drinks in the rain that comes upon it, and brings forth vegetation for those by whom it was cultivated, receives blessing from God. That which bears thorns and briars is rejected, and is near to being cursed. It ends up being burned.
Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away.
The same is so of the word sown upon the rocky places. When they have heard the word and receive it with joy, they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. They stumble when tribulation or persecution arise.
Those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy. These have no root. They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests. He asked them: What are you willing to give me to deliver him to you? They paid him thirty pieces of silver. He continued to seek opportunity to turn him over to them.
Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests, that he might betray Jesus to them. They were glad to hear it and promised to give him money. He looked for ways how he might conveniently deliver Jesus to them.
Many will stumble and betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Wickedness and lawlessness will increase. The love of many will grow cold.
If we continue to (practice) (deliberately persist in) sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. But there remains a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation, which will devour God's enemies. He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.read more.
What about those who despise the Son of God? Those who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant that purified them from sin? Those who insult the Spirit of grace? Think how much worse the punishment they deserve will be! We know who said: Vengeance is mine; I will repay; and who also said, Jehovah will judge his people. (Deuteronomy 32:35) It is a dreadful (terrible) thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
I am amazed that you so quickly turned away from the One who called you by the grace of Christ. You turned to different good news.
Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot. He was one of the twelve. He went away to discuss with the chief priests and captains, how he might deliver Jesus to them. They were glad, and pledged to give him money.read more.
He consented and looked for a way to deliver him to them in the absence of the crowd.
Then you will answer, we ate and drank with you. You taught in our town! Again he will say: 'I do not know where you come from. Get away from me, you wicked people!'
Do not let anyone deceive you about this in any way. That day will not come unless apostasy (a falling away from truth) takes place first, and the man of lawlessness (sin), the man of destruction, is revealed. (2 Timothy 4:3)
For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine. Having their ears tickled, they will accumulate teachers who follow after their own lusts. They will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths (fiction).
He who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
The Spirit explicitly says that some will fall away from the faith (truth) in later times. Spirits and doctrines of demons will seduce them,
If a man does not remain with me, he is removed as a branch, and withers. They gather them and throw them into the fire where they are burned (destroyed) (consumed).
They went out from us, but they were not of us. If they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it made it plain that they all are not of us.
Be careful, brothers and sisters, that none of you develop a wicked heart lacking faith and turning away (departing) from the living God.
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, avoid being carried away with the error of the wicked and falling from your own steadfastness.
If a prophet or an interpreter of dreams appears among you and gives you a sign or a wonder (portent) (omen) (forecast of the future), in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before, and even if what they promise comes true, do not listen to them. Jehovah your God is allowing them to test you. He will then know that you love Jehovah with all your heart.read more.
Follow Jehovah and respect him. Obey him and keep his commandments. Worship him and be faithful to him (stick to him) (stay close to him) (cleave, cling to him). Put to death any interpreters of dreams or prophets that tell you to rebel against Jehovah. For he (Jehovah) rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Such people are evil and are trying to lead you away from the life that Jehovah has commanded you to live. They must be put to death, in order to get rid of this evil. If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your very best friend tries to secretly entice you, saying: 'Let us go and serve other gods, gods neither you nor your fathers have known, the gods of the people who are around you from one end of the earth to the other end.' Do not yield to him or listen to him. Your eye should not have pity on him. You should not spare or conceal him. You must kill him! Your hand should be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Stone him to death because he has sought to draw you away from Jehovah your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. All Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
I will never put an end to my agreement with him. I put an end to my agreement with Saul when he was king before you.
However when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to Jehovah his God. He went into Jehovah's Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty of Jehovah's courageous priests. They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him: Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to Jehovah. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron's descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. Jehovah God will not honor you for this.read more.
Uzziah held an incense burner in his hand. He became angry. As his anger with the priests grew, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. This happened in front of the priests in Jehovah's Temple as Uzziah was at the incense altar. When the chief priest Azariah and all the priests turned toward him, a skin disease was on his forehead. They rushed him away. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out because Jehovah had inflicted him with the disease. King Uzziah had a skin disease until the day he died. Since he had a skin disease, he lived in a separate house and was barred from Jehovah's Temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the royal palace and governed the country.
After this many of his disciples returned to their old ways. They did not walk with him anymore.
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. They kept back part of the money. His wife was also knowledgeable of the transaction. They brought part of the funds to the apostles. Peter said: Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the money from the land sale?read more.
While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your power? Why did you conceive this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. Hearing these words Ananias fell down and died. Great fear came over all those who heard these things. The young men arose, covered him up, and carried him out, and buried him. About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. Peter said to her: Tell me whether you sold the land for such a price? And she said: Yes, we did. Then Peter said: How is it that you have agreed together to put Jehovah's Spirit to the test? Look, those who buried your husband are at the door to carry you out. Then she fell down at his feet and died. The young men came in, and found her dead. They carried her out to be buried by her husband. Great fear came upon the entire congregation who heard these things.
Keep the faith and maintain a good conscience! Some have rejected these things and have suffered shipwreck to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I handed them over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
They profess that they know God; but deny him by their works! They are detestable, disobedient, and not approved for any good work.
For Demas forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
There arose false prophets among the people. There will be false teachers among you! They will privately bring in destructive heresies (contrary doctrines), denying even the Master who bought them. They bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their lascivious (filthy sensual) deeds. The way of the truth will be maligned. They speak evil words about you because of their extreme greed. They will exploit you with false evil words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle. Their destruction will not delay.
This is primarily for those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively. Angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring an accusation of abusive judgment against them before Jehovah. But these are creatures without reason. They were born mere animals to be taken and destroyed! They speak abusively in matters of which they are ignorant. They suffer destruction in their own course of destruction.read more.
They suffer wrong as their reward for wrongdoing. They are men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin! They entice unsteady persons. Their hearts are full of covetousness. They are children of cursing. They went astray, forsaking the right way. They followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing.
After they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome; the last state is worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. It happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.
Certain men crept in unnoticed. They were appointed long ago for this condemnation. These ungodly men turned the grace of our God into loose conduct. They deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
In like manner these men also in their dreams defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of glorious ones. Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil disputed about the body of Moses. He did not speak evil judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: Jehovah rebukes you. (Zechariah 3:2) These men speak abusively about things they do not know. What they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, they corrupt themselves.read more.
Woe to them! They went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the rebellious talk of Korah. These men are hidden rocks in your love feasts when they feast (entertain) with you. They are shepherds that without fear feed themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by winds. They are autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, for which the black darkness has been reserved forever. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these, saying: Behold, Jehovah came with many thousands of his holy ones. They execute judgment upon all. They convict all the ungodly of all their wicked behavior, deeds that they have committed in an irreverent way, and of all the hard things those detestable sinners have spoken against him. These murmur, complain, and walk after their lusts, they speak arrogantly, flattering people to gain advantage.
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads my servants astray so that they commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Watch this! I am going to throw her into a sickbed. Those who commit sexual sins with her will also suffer much trouble, unless they repent and turn away from what she is doing.
I am sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands. Samuel was angry. All night long he pleaded with Jehovah.
