Who can I trust?
Flexing your discernment muscle
There’s a tension that I’ve been wrestling with over the last several years of my walk with Christ between studying and discernment.
In the past, I have been completely resistant to listening to teachers of the Bible that I hadn’t “vetted” yet for fear that some inconsistency in their teaching might lead me astray. (I shared a little about my fear of “getting it wrong” here.)
There’s certainly wisdom in being slow to change your mind, but there’s nothing edifying about giving in to these fears that are founded in a misunderstanding of God’s character.
Over time, though, I began to notice a change in my approach to studying about Christianity. As I’ve grown more confident in my faith, more assured of the salvation I have in Christ, I’ve found that I’m a lot less anxious about the way that I study—and as that anxiety shrinks, discernment grows in its place.
So, how do you flex your discernment muscle?
The method I’m going to propose here seems circular, but that’s intentional—it’s a ritual, a practice that, when repeated over and over (and over again) reveals deeper and richer results. To grow in discernment, you must practice. To grow in Christ, you must commit all your “heart, soul, and strength” to following him. None of this is a passive process.
The study of scripture is an essential element of the Christian life, but it’s also a process that requires a great deal of help. After all, the Bible is an ancient document compiled by cultures whose mindsets and worldviews are often impenetrable for modern readers.
But, where can you turn for reliable help and guidance? How can you know who is trustworthy in this all-important task?
To grow in discernment, you need to grow in your knowledge of the Bible…but to grow in your knowledge of the Bible, you need discernment as you seek guidance from other teachers. This is starting to seem like a catch-22.
After several years of trying it for myself, I haven’t found it to be quite so hopeless To show you what I mean, I want to use 1 John as a case study.
“Testing the spirits”
The letter of 1 John was written to address specific false teachings about the nature of Christ’s incarnation, which now we often identify with the teachings of Gnosticism and Docetism. In its most basic form, Gnosticism argues that all physical things are evil and all spiritual things are good. It also depends upon information communicated by special or secret revelation.
Docetism follows closely behind. If physical things are evil, then how could a good God have taken on a human form in Christ? Gnostics and docetists therefore denied the incarnation of Christ, claiming that Jesus’ body was only an illusion and his sufferings were only apparent, not literal.
1 John is not the only New Testament book written against this backdrop—in fact, several of the letters we have in the N.T. address Gnostic and Docetist assumptions. The Gospel of John’s opening lines come to mind: “The word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
So, that’s the backdrop of John’s first letter. In some ways, I see similarities between what the earliest Christians were facing during John’s life and what modern Christians face now. (There’s truly nothing new under the sun.)
Then, the fledgling Jesus movement was trying to establish itself in a world that was pretty hostile to its claims. They were reliant on the power of the Holy Spirit and the teachers, disciples, and apostles who had walked with Jesus and could spread his message to the home churches popping up in and around the Roman Empire.
For those of us in the modern west, Christianity forms the backdrop that our modern worldview depends upon. (If you want to be convinced of this, read Dominion by Tom Holland—one of my favorite reads of 2023.) We have the canon of scripture and 2,000 years of Christian heritage to guide us (in addition to the sure and steady presence of the Holy Spirit). But, we also operate in a contested media environment, an incubator designed to breed false teachers, dishonest “prophets,” and grifters of all kinds.
Enter John’s advice.
Early on, John presents a simple litmus test that his readers can use to separate the wheat from the chaff:
By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:5–6
What does it mean to “walk in the same way in which he walked?” John gets more specific:
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:9–11
John continues to add to the list of things that mark someone as contrary to the Christian movement: those who love the world; those who deny the Son; those who make a practice of sinning.
The rest of the letter confirms that the primary mark of a true believer is love. But there’s a section at the beginning of chapter 4 that I want to draw your attention to, as well:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 John 4:1-6
Just a few quick notes here:
First: don’t get hung up on his use of the term “antichrists” here. This isn’t apocalyptic prophecy, but a pretty literal term to talk about people who oppose the work of Christ. That’s why he says that they are “in the world already,” but not to fear them, for “you are from God and have overcome them,” and “he who is in you is greater.”
Nonetheless, these “Christ opposers” have always been and will always be in the world, at least until the final resurrection occurs. They are the “false prophets” who have gone out into the world. In John’s day, they were denying the physical incarnation of Christ; today, there are still some who claim the same thing, among myriad other false teachings.
Second: It’s our job as believers to “test the spirits.” John doesn’t give step-by-step instructions here, but he gives plenty of places to start. Specifically, analyze their teaching: is what they’re saying consistent with the revelation of scripture? If you’re not sure, that’s an invitation for you to dig deeper into the word.
Then, ask yourself this: Is the claim consistent with the tradition of the church? Here, I don’t just mean the specific body of believers that you’re aligned with, or the conference that they answer to—though those are good places to start. But, what do Christians throughout history have to say about the topic at hand?
It is your responsibility to leverage the resources you have to seek truth with all your heart, mind, and strength. It’s not an easy process. It doesn’t happen quickly. You’ll find blind alleys; you’ll disagree with teachers you trust and respect; you’ll come across teachings that ignite your soul and help you love God more fully. As you continue to study, you’ll also find that you don’t feel swayed by any one teacher’s interpretation of doctrine or theology; instead, you’ll gain the confidence to sift through their words and better understand the truth.
I am confident that through prayer, study, and communion with the Holy Spirit, God will guide you into truth. It’s a lifelong commitment, and it is worth every second.
I could write about 1 John for the rest of the night, but for your sake and mine I’ll cut myself off here. Give the letter of 1 John a read (or listen to it on audio using your favorite Bible app or a YouTube video) sometime this week. You won’t regret it!
Now, LMK:
Do you have a process for “testing the spirits” when you’re trying to discern what is true? Tell me about it in the comments!
And a recommendation:
Speaking of Jesus’ physical body, I really enjoyed this Truth Unites video about Jesus’ resurrection body. Give it a watch below: