For even until the present time gifts of prophecy exist among us, from which fact you yourselves ought to understand that what was of old in your nation has been transferred to us. For just as there were also false prophets in the time of the holy prophets that were among you, so there are among us also many false teachers, of whom our Lord bade us beware beforehand, so that we should never be at a loss, being aware that He foreknew what would happen to us after His resurrection from the dead, and (His) ascent to heaven.
For He said that we must be slain and hated for His name’s sake, and that many false prophets and false Christs would come forward in His name, and would lead many astray. And this is the case.
For many have taught what is godless and blasphemous and wicked, falsely stamping their teaching with His name, and have taught what has been put in their minds by the unclean spirit of the devil, and teach it until now. And we strive to persuade them, as well as you, not to be led astray, knowing, as we do, that everyone who can say what is true and saith it not shall be judged by God, as God solemnly testified by Ezekiel, saying: I have set thee to be a watchman for the house of Judah. If the sinner sin, and thou dost not solemnly testify to him, he indeed shall perish by his sin, but from thee will I require his blood. But if thou solemnly testifiest to him, thou shalt be innocent. So it is that out of fear we endeavour for our part to discourse in accordance with the Scriptures, not from love of money, or of vainglory, or of pleasure. For no one can bring any charge of this kind against our life. For we do not at all wish to live like the rulers of your people, with whom God finds fault, saying: Your rulers are partners with thieves, loving bribes, following after a reward.Isaiah 1:23 But if you do know any such even among us, yet at least do not blaspheme, or try to misinterpret, the Scriptures and Christ because of such men.