Almost as long as there has been the genuine, there has been the counterfeit. Whether art or money, authentic products or original publications, education or religion, phonies have been around. Such deception can lead to financial loss—as well as to destroyed lives. Any act of fraudulence is hurtful, but none is more hurtful than false prophets and phony teachers who present their lives behind religious masks. War stories abound of those who have fallen to these deceivers! To the surprise of many, the Bible reserves some of its severest words for those who act as though they are true but are indeed false...And the first three verses of 2 Peter 2 is a classic case in point.

2 Corinthians 11:1–3, 13–15; 2 Peter 2:1–3

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