“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. ¹ 

You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered ¹  from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? ² 

like the accounts ¹  passed on ²  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ³  from the beginning. ⁴ 

and he sent ¹  them out to proclaim ²  the kingdom of God ³  and to heal the sick. ⁴ 

Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ¹ 

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ¹  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ²  the word of the Lord. ³ 

In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.

Whether then it was I or they, this is the way we preach and this is the way you believed.

For such people are false apostles, deceitful ¹  workers, disguising themselves ²  as apostles of Christ.

Now ¹  I want you to know, brothers and sisters, ²  that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. ³ 

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion! Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem! ¹  Shout, don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”

Also some of the Epicurean ¹  and Stoic ²  philosophers were conversing ³  with him, and some were asking, ⁴  “What does this foolish babbler ⁵  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁶  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁷ 

They ¹  say to the visionaries, “See no more visions!” and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us about what is right! ²  Tell us nice things, relate deceptive messages. ³ 

I am determined to do so because the people of Israel and Judah have made me angry with all their wickedness – they, their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, and especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem ¹  have done this wickedness. ² 

‘Don’t preach with such impassioned rhetoric,’ they say excitedly. ¹  ‘These prophets should not preach of such things; we will not be overtaken by humiliation.’ ² 

The people ¹  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ²  – and now, ³  something greater than Jonah is here!

For false messiahs ¹  and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ¹  “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, ² 

He ¹  appointed twelve (whom he named apostles ² ), ³  so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach