Verse 1.— But there were false prophets among the people. In paying heed to prophets, I meant, of course, true prophets— prophets of God. I now to you say that there were among the people of Israel false prophets. While that was true in the past as to prophets, I say to you that there shall be also false teachers among you Christian people, who will stealthily bring to your attention, and insist upon the acceptance thereof by you, heresies that are destructive. A heresy, being a schism, produces parties, and hence divi­sions. They will even go so far in their false teaching as to deny the Lord, that bought them. They will deny that he is God's Son, and that he died for them; that he shed his blood to perfect the scheme of redemption, whereby we are to be saved; that he died for our sins, or that by his stripes we are healed. These false teachers will only bring on them­selves certain and sudden destruction.