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It Is a Sin to Receive or Get Together with False Teachers
Do Not Associate with False Teachers
GOD HATES A FALSE TEACHER
Some things God hates. One of them is a false witness, a liar. This would include a false teacher. “the Lord hates... a lying tongue... a false witness who utters lies” (Pr 6:16-19). A false teacher is like a duck decoy. It is a phony bird that is used by a shrewd hunter to attract real birds so that he can shoot to kill them for food or sport. The Devil uses a false teacher like a duck decoy. He lures many unsuspecting people to a person who will misguide them in an important area of truth in order to kill their chances of going to heaven. Understand that, unlike many hunters who hunt as a part time hobby, luring people to a false teacher is the Devil’s full time job. So that you will not become prey for a false teacher, you must learn how to detect and stay clear of one. Good news! John, an apostle, gave us a method to determine who is a false teacher and who is not. It centers on testing teachers in not just one, but in several weighty areas of truth. You may have thought that only teachers were supposed to be the ones to test others. But you, the student, need to learn how to test your teachers, or would-be teachers, for the spirit of truth or error. Put teachers to the test.
Test the Teaching Spirits
Below is an outline from the Bible Study on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Distinguishing Spirits, that is distinguish the teaching spirits. So, this much needed subject of how to test teachers for the spirit of truth or error will not be studied here. For now just review the points as a primer on this subject.
Point 1. Do Not Be Naive & Believe Many Teachers (1 Jn 4:1)
Point 2. Rely Upon the Holy Spirit to Help You (1 Jn 4:4).
Point 3. Test Teachers on What They CONFESS about the PERSON of Jesus Christ (1 Jn 4:1, 2, 3).
Point 4. Test Teachers on the SOURCE of Their Teachings [Where Do they ORIGINATE/Come From] (1 Jn 4:1, 5, 6).
Point 5. Test Teachers on Their OBEDIENCE to the Apostle’s Doctrine (1 Jn 4:1, 6).
AVOID FALSE TEACHERS
John wrote a short letter to a Christian lady and her children to warn them about false teachers, how to identify them and how to treat them. How to identify them is studied in the Bible Study on the Gifts. So this lesson will only focus on how to treat them.
“The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching,do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you” (2 Jn 1-13).
In this letter, John repeats ideas that he established in a previous letter (1 Jn 4:1-6), that there are many false teachers, religious ones, but this time he calls them deceivers who say that Christ was not here on earth as a human being (2 Jn 7). So, in some way, they do not have the proper confession about the person of Jesus Christ. You need to test a religious teacher on what he confesses about the person of Jesus Christ. John also said that these deceivers go too far away from the teachings of Christ and do not abide in them (2 Jn 9). So in some way, they do not obey a significant part of the apostles’ doctrine. You need to test a teacher on his obedience to the apostles’ doctrine. But like his other letter, in overcoming false teachers, John said that some things depend on you. First, whether or not your own walk is focused on obeying the commands of Christ (2 Jn 6). Second, whether or not you keep watch against false teachers (2 Jn 8). You cannot be naive about them. You must keep your guard up against them. Just like the Devil interfered with Eve’s obedience to God’s command in the garden, which caused Eve to lose her rewarding place in paradise, a false teacher will interfere with your obedience to an important command of Christ so that you will lose your reward. John said, “Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward” (1 Jn 8). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor 10:12). You could fall at the hands of a false teacher and lose your reward, the crown of eternal life. So once you identify them, you must not be receptive of them. Instead you must avoid them in two ways.
1. Do Not Offer Them Any Form of Hospitality
“do not receive him into your house” (2 Jn 10)
But Christians are supposed to be hospitable, especially to visitors or strangers, right? We are supposed to give people a drink of water in Jesus name, especially if they know Jesus. You should not be offering or giving any of these kinds of things to false teachers. You have God’s permission to turn them away from your home without giving them a thing, even if they are needy. Why let the sower of weeds and tares into your garden? Will he not sow weeds? Will he not get you to think falsely? God, through John, forbid this Christian lady and her children from letting a false teacher into their home. God prohibits you from letting them through your door. Do not let them past the threshold of your house. So a false teacher must not only be avoided publicly, but privately as well, meaning at home. If you fail to heed this restriction on your home, the results could be devastating to you and your offspring’s future, and it could even bring the wrath of God upon you. Consider the following examples of this.
(A) King Hezekiah Received The Wrong Men and It Led to Captivity
“At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, ‘What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?’ And Hezekiah said, ‘They have come from a far country, from Babylon.’ He said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ So Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.’ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the LORD. ‘Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon’ ’ ” (2 Ki 20:12-18).
Hezekiah listened to men that he should not have listened to. He brought men into his house that he should not have brought in. He was friendly and hospitable to men he should not have been friendly and hospitable toward. He was not prudent with whom he received. This led to devastating results for his offspring. They would become captives. Likewise, when you listen to false teachers and let them into your home, it will lead to devastating results. It will lead you or your family in to the captivity of sin and falsehood. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). Hezekiah and his kingdom were robbed of their glory and taken captive by thieves who came only to steal, kill, and destroy. But the thief Jesus was talking about is a bad shepherd, not a good one. Now shepherd means pastor. So beware of false pastors.
Note: False teachers take people captive with the traditions of men. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:8, 9). Determine whether a teacher is bringing you the tradition of men or the tradition of God; the first teachings of the world, or the first teachings about the Christ. What is the source of his teachings?
(B) False Teachers Enter Weak Households
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women” (2 Tim 3:1-6).
For selfish reasons, for ungodly reasons, false teachers will seek to captivate, lead astray spiritually weak women and their households. So women especially have to be on their guard against false teachers. In the garden, this is whom Satan first went after, the woman. He captivated her with his teaching. Ladies, beware!
(C) False Teachers Ruin Entire Households
“For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain” (Titus 1:10, 11).
Rebellious is the nature of a false teacher. He is marked by his contrariness to a significant command of Christ. Here Paul specifically refers to teachers who try to impose Moses’ Law on disciples, like circumcision for salvation. These and other types of deceptive teachers upset or ruin entire families or households. And this they do primarily for money. They are greedy for gain. Some will teach whatever others want just so they can get paid for it. They want the income not the financial consequences of teaching accurately.
(D) Open Minded Home or Empty Headed?
Are you open minded to the point that you are empty headed? Jesus told the story about a house that was swept clean of evil spiritual influence, but later it was filled with even more of the same. It seems to me that this house was open minded but empty headed.
“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation” (Mt 12:43-45).
At one time this house, this person, was freed from an evil influence. But later there was plenty of room, vacancy, or hospitality to bring even more evil spiritual influence to live there. When he has opportunity, a false teacher will do the same. He will bring even more powerful false teachers with him to your house. Why invite messengers of Satan into your home? Do you want to encourage demons? False teaching is demonic. Our house must become occupied, or filled with the Holy Spirit of Truth to the point that we have the ability to resist, avoid, and turn away bad spiritual influence, such as false teachers. When you let in the Devil and his ministers, persuasive temptations will intensify and the spirit of evil will try to indwell you mightily.
Conclusion
John did not want this Christian lady and her children to lose their reward. So he forbid them from receiving false teachers into their home. This would include any form of hospitality, such as inviting them in, giving them food or drink, giving them a seat to rest on, etc. Likewise, in order for you to stay in the truth, you must not permit them to step into your home. You must not encourage false teachers by strengthening their deceptive hearts with hospitality or by any other means, such as financially contributing to their causes. This may seem unloving. But in the next point you will see the reason why it is so very necessary that you do not help them in any word or deed. Why aid and abet the enemy of God? If you do, God will consider you His enemy. He will consider you a participant with evil workers.
2. Do Not Give Them Any Form of Greeting
“and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 Jn 10, 11)
But Christians are supposed to be polite to everybody, correct? When a false teacher comes to your home to visit, you might be wise enough to keep him out of your house. That is good.
But did you greet him? You must not give a greeting to a false teacher. Do you believe that? The reason you should believe this is because the apostle said it makes you a participant in his evil deeds. Do you want to be charged by the apostle for participating in evil deeds, even deeds which captivate and lead others astray through false teachings?
(A) Do Not Participate in Unfruitful Deeds
In another place, we are taught: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Eph 5:11). Therefore once you know who is a false teacher, expose their errors if you must and tell them where they are wrong, but do not participate in their unfruitful work by greeting them.
(B) Leading Men Are Warned Not to Share Responsibility for the Sins of Others
Paul told Timothy to: “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). So Timothy was primarily an evangelist by calling. In another place, Paul warned this evangelist, saying, “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim 5:22).
Note: Timothy had hands laid on him to set him apart for a work (1 Tim 4:14). Paul and Barnabas had hands laid on them to set them apart for a work (Ac 13:2, 3). Likewise, Paul was warning Timothy about the problem of laying hands on others to set them apart for a work when they were not qualified for it because of significant sin. In the earlier part of his letter, Paul charged Timothy to single out and select qualified older men for the highest and most weighty calling in a church, to oversee and pastor it (1 Tim 3:1-7). He also gave Timothy specific qualifications for the lesser responsibility of the work of a deacon (1 Tim 3:8-13). [Deacon work is simply task work. They are not in charge of the church, like pastors are supposed to be. They are just in charge of a particular task, such as the ones selected and appointed in Acts 6. Deacons are not pastors.] These two types of appointments, selecting elders to pastor the church and deacons to take care of task work, are the likely reasons why Paul, later in this same letter, told this evangelist to not lay hands on anyone too hastily, suddenly, or quickly. He would be naive if he did so. It would make him an accomplice in the sins of others. So even an evangelist can make the mistake of participating in the sins of others, if he acts too quickly to set apart others for various ministries. Even leading men, like Timothy, must not participate in the sins of others. Those who are selected for a work must first be proven, tested, and qualified by the word of God.
(C) Forms of Greetings and Salutations
Below are some forms of greetings and salutations that you should not say, give, or do to a false guide or else you will be guilty of sharing in his sins.
• Saying, “Greetings,” “Hi,” or “Hello” • Shaking hands or waving hello or goodbye • Saying, “Welcome” • Giving a holy kiss or embracing • Saying, “God bless you” • Saying, “The Lord be with you” • Saying, “Peace be with you,” or • Saying, “Godspeed” • To salute, hail, or commend • To wish well, success, joy, or happiness • To say, ‘Thank you’ • To wish health, prosperity, or well-being • To bid farewell or good day or bye • To receive joyfully • What are other forms of greetings or salutations? • How do you greet people or send them off?
Conclusion
You have God’s permission, command, and blessing to ignore a false teacher in any social graces, such as greetings. Does your culture expect you to greet everyone who calls on you? God’s culture does not expect you to greet everyone who calls on you. We must not bless a false teacher’s efforts by offering greetings to him. If we did, we would be aiding and abetting his efforts to mislead others, we would be participating in his evil deeds. And moreover, if we did greet a false teacher, it would tend to cause all who hear our greeting to think favorably of him. Therefore, by words that lack any form of receptivity, we must reject a false teacher. As one person said, Christians are defined not only by what they accept, but also by what they reject. Once you know who is a false teacher, reject him in word and deed. Now if it is true that we are participating in a false teacher’s work when we even so much as give him a greeting, then why send him away or leave him with a farewell, good bye, so long, come back, see you later, bye bye, etc.? If we are not to receive a false teacher in a manner worthy of the gospel, then we must not send them off in a manner worthy of the gospel. They are not worthy!
“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves... of their own appetites” (Ro 16:17, 18).
The Author’s “Open Minded” Mistake I know of an elder brother, a pastor who would let false teachers in to his house. Citing a redemptive attitude, and being a teacher, he would let false teachers, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, into his home to discuss the truth with them [I do not think that he gave them food or drink]. I began to follow that example of letting false teachers in my home, but I regret that I did so. For example, in the early 1990’s, when two young Mormon men came to the door of my home seeking to teach us, I told them that I was open to discuss the truth, even though I knew they were false teachers. That was my first mistake, telling them that I was open, because it encouraged them and it led me to invite them into my home. It seems at that time, I did not yet fully know the apostles’ doctrine on keeping false teachers out of one’s home or I simply thought I had a higher and better motive, like it seemed the elder brother had. Perhaps I thought that I was above that command. I do not know. Then I made another mistake, which I did not realize at that time. We may have been eating when they arrived, so I invited them to sit down and have some food; home made biscuits and soup. I fed the enemy! We discussed truth and error for a while. Then they asked if they could come back another time. So I agreed. Now I was not being misled. I knew their mistakes and was pointing them out to them. I was discussing the truth with them in order to help them; a redemptive attitude. But in hindsight, I was weak in how to treat a false teacher. I was open minded and a bit empty headed. I sinned by letting them in my house and feeding them. After the second visit, they asked if they could bring someone else with them the next time. I agreed. So for the third visit, they brought an even more powerful false teacher with them, someone they called a high priest. He began to describe to me his initial prayer about the book of Mormon. Smashing his fist on my dining room table, with the other two Mormons looking on, he cursed Jesus to the fire of hell if the book of Mormon was not true. After he did that, and after he tried to defend his title of high priest by twisting some Scripture, I was not so subtle in my opposition, but flat out opposed and disagreed with his conclusion. So this so called high priest indicated that they should leave. So they left. On another day, the two came back again, without the high priest. So I refuted them to the point that they left for good. But as they left I told them that they would burn in hell for their folly. After this, for some days, I felt like Satan was after me. For example, when I took a walk along the east side of the river walk in Harrisburg, PA, there was an older woman sitting on one of the benches on the northern part of the walk. She seemed demon possessed, like she had a familiar spirit. She kept talking out loud, angrily, and in a raspy voice. She seemed to be fuming a bit. It was very unusual. When I walked by her, for it was very close by, just a couple of feet, she repeated the exact same phrase that I left those two Mormons with. She kept repeating, “Burn in hell. Burn in hell. Burn in hell.” Maybe she even sort of satanically chuckled a bit about it. Demonic pressure was after me. Satan was toying with me. I am telling you this so that you will not make the same mistake as I. Be wiser than I was. Do not tell a false teacher that you are open minded. From that time on, and because I felt like Satan was after me, I do not invite false teachers into my home. I do not feed them, or give them a drink. Nor do I permit my wife or children to do so. Anyway, I am convinced that what I did was against the apostles’ doctrine regarding false teachers. It gave them a foothold. You would be better off doing what Jesus told His followers to do in regards to bad teachers, “Let them alone” (Mt 15:14). Do not entertain them in your home for a moment. What about you who think you can correct a false teacher? When one knocks on the door of your home, do you think that you are the exception and so you invite him in to try to teach him a thing or two? Why not just teach him out on the sidewalk of your home instead? Expose them on the outside, not the inside of your home. Obey the apostles’ doctrine. Take a stand against false teachers. Prove it by not permitting them into your home.
PUBLICLY OPPOSE HYPOCRITICAL SEPARATORS
When it comes to turning away from others, some have taken things too far and turned away from people whom they should not have. Diotrephes is a perfect of example of this. He was a hypocritical separator. He withdrew from teachers of the Bible and other people he should have instead received, greeted, and been hospitable towards. He rejected the wrong people and he strongly influenced others to do the same. In other words, he did not receive the right teachers, including the apostles, and he would not let others receive them. John publicly exposed, opposed, and dealt with Diotrephes for this form of hypocrisy.
“The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words, and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true” (3 Jn 1-12).
First, John praised Gaius for walking in the truth of the gospel, because he was accepting of brethren, even when they were strangers (3 Jn 3-6).
Second, John encouraged Gaius to help support the visiting brethren who were evangelistic, because they went out to spread the gospel (3 Jn 6-8).
Third, John previously wrote to this church, instructing them to accept the brethren, but Diotrephes who loves to be first among the church, did not accept the “we”, the apostles’ instruction (3 Jn 9). Rejecting the apostles’ teaching is one of the criteria used to identify a false teacher. Diotrephes did not accept the authority that God set up, the apostles. He wanted to be over them in authority. He liked to have the final say in church matters. How proud he must have been, incorrectly assessing his own self and position in the church. He had an overly high opinion of himself so he put himself out in front, first. He was selfish. He loved to be first, in charge when he was not even called or qualified to be in charge of that church.
Fourth, when he had opportunity, John planned to visit this church to publicly call attention to the hypocrisy of Diotrephes (3 Jn 10). Diotrephes unjustly slandered, bad-mouthed, and accused John and others with wicked words. Hypocritical separators can be overly critical of others in an unjust, unfair way. But they are the ones that somebody walking in the truth needs to be critical of. Diotrephes was causing division by rejecting visiting brethren. And if anyone around him did receive visiting brethren, he would put them out of the church, giving them the highest form of church punishment when they did not deserve any punishment at all. Instead Diotrephes should have praised his own fellow brethren for offering hospitality to the faithful visitors, like John did. This kind of behavior actually happens today. For example, I discovered a Diotrephes type attitude in a church nearby. The church withdrew from a man they thought was wrong. After they did this, a sister from their church visited him one time to investigate the charges. When the church found out what she did, they put her out of the church. They withdrew from her. She was not permitted to come to church. When I found out about this (because she came to me over it), I immediately called a brother in the church whom I knew, and who was responsible for this and opposed him, charging him with wrongdoing. They should not have withdrawn from her. Hypocritical separators believe that everyone is rejected, guilty, and worthy of withdrawing from until they prove to follow everything the hypocritical separator wants. They are overbearing and lord it over others. Diotrephes was lording himself over the church that he was attending. Can you imagine the kind of pressure that existed in the church which Diotrephes was controlling? From whom is he going to withdraw this week? He would threaten his own godly brothers in the church with removal if they did not listen to him and stay away from someone he errantly marked to avoid. Who is it that Scripture commands to be removed from the church? Is it not the unrepentant wicked church member (1 Cor 5:11-13)? There is no command to remove those who are not wicked. Yet, the Diotrephes type does not care about that. He just wants his critical, misguided, unfair will to be obeyed. Hypocritical separators are twisted and extremely unbalanced when it comes to church matters. They destroy God’s people. They have no business ruling over a church because their judgment is based on pride, the highest esteem for themselves, immaturity, and hypocrisy.
Fifth, John warned the church not to imitate or copy-cat the evil example Diotrephes was setting (3 Jn 11), because John concluded that Diotrephes was not from God. Sixth, John praised another brother, Demetrius (3 Jn 12), pointing out three things that bore witness of his good behavior: the truth, the church, and the apostles. Wow! What a commendation. What a brother. He, like Gaius, was a disciple that the church could imitate or copy-cat in the faith, unlike Diotrephes.
Conclusion
If leading people in the church today are acting unjustly like Diotrephes by refusing to accept, go to church with, or eat with believers, or take the Lord’s Supper with them, then these people deserve a sharp rebuke, a scolding for their behavior in front of the whole church. Diotrephes types must change and get into the habit of receiving, being hospitable, and gathering together with believers. What are you accomplishing for the brethren? Are you in the habit of withdrawing from them or ministering to them with your talents? The Diotrephes-type treats acceptable believers worse than an unbeliever and a dog. This evil treatment can show itself in the form of the highest punishment the church is allowed to give. The Diotrephes-type is plagued with a withdrawal sickness that he cannot get well from, unless he repents. Many times, it just keeps getting worse and worse. He might remove a Christian woman from church who has not fully developed “agape” love in her actions. He might avoid an evangelist, and restrict others from meeting with him, because he is not evangelizing as much as he should be. He might withdraw from you if you don’t withdraw from someone he withdraws from. He might separate from someone who is not spiritually mature, though at one time he was spiritually immature and is still. The list goes on and on, and it is not made up. These are real present day examples that I listed for your consideration. Hypocritical separators proudly want to be regarded as the authority in the church. That is why they use the highest form of church punishment in a wrongful imbalanced way. They know that people will fear them if they rule over them in this way.
Now if Paul and John had to oppose hypocritical separators, even ones who were leading others, what makes you think that in your ministry to spread the gospel you will not run into this problem? Do you think that you will not encounter it? Mistakes are common in the kingdom of God. What are you going to do about it? May God give you the courage to do His will.
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