Footnote

b Both Jesus and the apostles warned that the Christian congregation would be overrun by men who taught apostate doctrine. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18) Those statements came true when the church, or congregation, of the second century began adopting pagan customs and blending Biblical doctrine with Greek philosophy.