Matthew 7:15 Cross References - AUV

¹⁵ “Look out for deceiving prophets, who approach you wearing sheep’s clothing, but who are [actually] starving wolves in their hearts.

¹⁷ But, watch out for people, for they will turn you over to the [Jewish] councils [for judgment] and will have you flogged in their synagogues.

⁶ Jesus said to them, “Pay attention and watch out for the leavening [effect] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

¹¹ How is it that you do not understand that I was not speaking to you about [physical] bread? But [rather I meant] watch out for the yeast [i.e., the influence] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Pay attention so that no one leads you astray [from the truth]. ⁵ For many [false teachers] will come, claiming to be me, and saying, ‘I am the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one]’ and they will lead many people away [from the truth].

¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people away [from the truth].

²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform great [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray even the elect [i.e., God’s people], if possible. ²⁵ You see, I have told you [all this] ahead of time.

³⁸ In His teaching Jesus said, “Look out for the experts in the law of Moses, who like to walk around in long [flowing] robes and to receive special greetings at the open shopping markets ³⁹ and to occupy the principal seats in the synagogues and the head places at dinner tables. ⁴⁰ They consume widows’ houses [i.e., by foreclosing on them] and [then] cover it up by offering lengthy prayers. These people will receive a more severe judgment.”

²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray [even] the elect, if possible. ²³ But pay attention, for I have told you [all this] ahead of time.

²⁶ It is too bad for you people when everyone speaks well about you, because the forefathers said the same thing about the false prophets.

¹⁵ And [then] He said to them, “Be careful and guard yourselves against [practicing] all forms of greed, for a person’s life does not consist of having a lot of possessions.”

¹² The person who is [only] a hired hand, and not the shepherd, [and] who does not own the sheep [himself], sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. So, the wolf attacks the flock and scatters [the sheep].

⁶ When they had traveled across the whole island they came to Paphos [a town on the island of Cyprus]; [there] they met a certain magician named Bar-Jesus, who was a Jewish false prophet.

⁴⁰ Beware that what was spoken by the prophets does not happen to you:

²⁹ [Because] I know that after I am gone [from here] there will be vicious wolves [i.e., ravaging false teachers] who will come in among you, and they will not spare the flock [i.e., the congregation]. ³⁰ [Indeed, even] from among your own selves [i.e., the body of elders there in Ephesus] some men will arise and, by speaking false things, they will lead away the disciples, [influencing them] to follow them. ³¹ So, be very watchful, and remember that for three years I never stopped warning every one of you [about such matters] both night and day with tears [in my eyes].

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brothers, watch out for those who are causing divisions and occasions for falling [away from God over matters] contrary to the teaching you have learned, and withdraw from them [i.e., stop listening to their false teaching]. ¹⁸ For such men are not serving our Lord Christ but their own [unspiritual] appetites. They are deceiving the minds of innocent people by their smooth talk and flattering words.

¹³ For such men are false apostles; they are deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as [true] apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And it is no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light [i.e., someone pure and righteous]. ¹⁵ Therefore, it should not be surprising for Satan’s ministers to disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their [final] end will be what they deserve for such actions.

⁴ For [certain] false brothers, who were secretly brought in to observe us practicing our liberty in Christ Jesus [i.e., by not having Titus circumcised], attempted to place us [back] under the bondage [of Mosaic law keeping].

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be [spiritual] babies, tossed back and forth [by waves], and blown around by every wind of [false] teaching, [deceived] by the clever trickery of people using deceptive schemes.

⁶ Do not let anyone deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, the wrath of God will fall upon people who are disobedient [to Him].

² Watch out for the “dogs!” [Note: “Dogs” were viewed with disgust by the ancient Jews (Deut. 23:18; II Kings 8:13; Rev. 22:15), so the term is used here derogatorily for Jewish Christians who were trying to impose on the church the requirements of the law of Moses]. Watch out for the evil workers! Watch out for those who mutilate the body meaninglessly! [Note: Paul here alludes, in a derogatory wordplay, to the Jewish practice of circumcision].

⁸ Pay attention so that no one takes you [spiritually] captive through his philosophy and empty deception based on human tradition, according to the principles of the world and not according to Christ.

¹ Now the Holy Spirit specifically says that in later times [Note: “Later times” in the New Testament usually refers to the period following the first coming of Christ and the establishment of the church], some people will fall away from the faith [i.e., the true teaching of Christianity]. They will pay attention to deceitful spirits [i.e., lying people] and the teaching of evil spirits. ² [Such teaching will be spread] by hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared over as with a hot iron [i.e., making them insensitive to their guilt]. ³ They forbid people to get married and require them to avoid [eating] certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and [fully] know the truth.

⁵ [These people] maintain an appearance of being godly, but they have denied its power; [you should] turn away from such people. ⁶ They are the kind of people who enter homes and influence [morally] weak-willed women, loaded down with sins, [and] led on by all kinds of evil desires. ⁷ They are constantly learning and [yet] never able to arrive at a [full] knowledge of the truth. ⁸ These people oppose the truth just like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have corrupt minds and are worthless as far as the faith is concerned. ⁹ But they will not advance any farther [in their sin] because their foolish ways will become obvious to everyone, just as those of Jannes and Jambres were.

¹³ But evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse [in their behavior], deceiving people and being deceived by them.

³ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching, but will assemble to themselves teachers who will satisfy what their “itching ears” want to hear.

¹ But just as there were false prophets among the people before, there will also be false teachers among you [Christians]. They will privately teach harmful doctrines that destroy people [spiritually], by even denying [that Jesus is] the Master, [and thereby] destroying themselves quickly. ² And many people will follow their unrestrained, indecent conduct, which will result in the true way [of God] being spoken against. ³ And through greedy desires and deceptive words they will exploit you [for evil purposes]. But the judgment that they have had coming for a long time, will not delay, but will eventually awaken [i.e., arrive] to bring destruction upon them.

¹⁸ [Although] their talk is big, what they say is worthless, and by [offering people] fleshly desires [i.e., sexual gratification], they lead people astray, who are barely escaping from the error of the world. ¹⁹ [Although] these people promise “liberty,” they themselves are slaves to corrupting influences, for people are slaves to whatever controls them.

¹⁷ Therefore, dearly loved ones, since you know about these things ahead of time, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of lawless people, and [thus] fall from your own stability [i.e., your safe or secure position in Christ].

¹ Loved ones, do not believe [the message of] every spirit [i.e., every person claiming to be a teacher], but test the spirits [i.e., require proof that they and their message are genuine] to see whether they represent God [or not], because many false prophets have begun circulating throughout the world.

⁴ For certain men have secretly infiltrated [your ranks]; they are men who had been written about long ago that they should be judged [and condemned] for perverting the unearned favor of our God into [a license for] living unrestrained, indecent lives, and who deny [the identity and work of] our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

¹¹ Then I saw another [i.e., a second] beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹² And he exercises all the authority of the first beast [See verse 1] in his presence [or, “on his behalf”]. And he forced the earth and those who lived on it to worship the first beast, whose [apparently] fatal wound had healed. ¹³ And he [i.e., this second beast] performs great [miraculous] signs, including making fire come down from heaven to earth in [full] view of people. ¹⁴ [And] by being given [power] to perform these signs in the sight of the [first] beast, he deceived the people on earth. He told them to make a statue to [honor] the [first] beast, who had been wounded by a sword and yet lived [through it]. ¹⁵ Now the [second] beast was given [the power] to give breath to the statue of the [first] beast, so that it could both speak and cause all those who refused to worship the statue of the [first] beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And this second beast forced everyone to be branded with a mark on their right hand and on their forehead --- insignificant and important people, rich and poor people, and free people and slaves --- ¹⁷ so that no one would be able to buy or sell things without having the mark, either the name of the [first] beast or the number of his name.

¹³ And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; [one was] coming out of the mouth of the dragon, [one] out of the mouth of the beast, and [one] out of the mouth of the false prophet.

⁶ And I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of God’s holy people and on the blood of those [who were killed] witnessing about Jesus. And when I saw her I was greatly amazed.

²⁰ But the beast was captured, along with the false prophet [See 16:13], who performed [supernatural] signs in his presence. [He had performed these signs] to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his statue. [See 13:15-16]. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.