3 ^mFor the time is coming when people will not endure ⁿsound¹ teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

9 He must ^whold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in ^xsound¹ doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Teach Sound Doctrine

1 But as for you, teach what accords with ^psound¹ doctrine.

Test the Spirits

1 Beloved, ^tdo not believe every spirit, but ^utest the spirits to see whether they are from God, for ^vmany ^wfalse prophets ^xhave gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: ^yevery spirit that confesses that ^zJesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit ^athat does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and ^bnow is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for ^che who is in you is greater than ^dhe who is in the world. 5 ^eThey are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and ^fthe world listens to them. 6 We are from God. ^gWhoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know ^hthe Spirit of truth and ⁱthe spirit of error.