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Test Everything
by Charles and Jean Fowler
"But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thess. 5:21-22 NASB).
Indeed, the biblical pattern and expectation is clear, as Paul commanded the church in Thessalonica: "Test everything." It is the clear teaching of scripture, that everything must be proved.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.Whether we are talking about a sermon, a book, a doctrine or a prophetic word, the scripture is very clear: "It must be tested."
(Rev. 2:1-2 NIV)
The Greek word here is translated in various versions as: prove, test, try, scrutinize, and examine. It is one of Paul's favorite words: dokimazo. It is to test with the expectation of approving. It is the word used to test coins to see whether they are real or counterfeit. And in this context it means to test preaching, teaching and prophecy.
In fact it means to test anything and "everything" that would affect or influence the Christian life.
Biblical Safeguards
We live in a day when we are literally flooded with information. Now more than ever, materials are being distributed in rapid pace, especially in the religious arena. And there has never been a broader stream of theological and religious information.
Teachings sweep the globe instantly by satellite television. Prophetic words are spread far and wide by massive email technology. And yet where does spiritual discernment come into play? Where are the safeguards and tests in place to insure that unbiblical teachings do not thrive in this fertile or prolific atmosphere?
In the context of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul is saying...instead of quenching the gifts of the Holy Spirit, instead of negating prophetic utterance, examine them carefully.
What a balanced teacher Paul is. He doesn't throw the baby out with the bath water. He tests everything. He is very discerning. He "eats the hay and disregards the sticks."
Everything in the church must be tested and proved by the Word of God. I don't care if it is a popular praise song, a cutting edge teaching or a powerfully anointed prophetic word. All must be tested and proved by the Word of God.
If it is not scriptural, Paul says: "Abstain (avoid or hold back) from it."
Only Two Possible Outcomes
Any test will have one of two results. It is either good, or it is bad. It is either scriptural, or it is not. Paul says: "Hold fast to the good and hold off from the bad." These two simple concepts complete Paul's command to "Test everything."
There it is: you hold fast to the good thing. Keep a firm grip on the Word of God. And you do the exact opposite when the thing fails the test of scripture. When it fails the test of God's Word, you resist it; you keep away from it.
Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.The ministry of the Holy Spirit is compared here to fire. A Holy Fire that must not be quenched. You see, that is the tendency when you see something that appears out of control— that has some impurities in it. You want to quench the whole thing.
(1 Thess. 5:19-22 NASB)
But actually, the Fire of the Holy Spirit is precisely what we need to purify the gold of its dross. "Quench not the Spirit."
Timothy is directed to rekindle the fire: to "stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands" (2 Tim. 1:6). John baptized with water, but spoke of One Mightier who shall "baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3:11).
Test And Balance
Paul is so balanced here, "quench not the Spirit." Do not throw out the baby with the bath water. But "test everything" instead! We need all the gifts of the Spirit, all of His precious manifestations, and all of His miraculous operations. Don't quench His holy operations, but rather "test everything" and balance it with scripture.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good," (v. 21). Error is never so dangerous as when it is mixed with truth. Pure error may easily be detected and avoided. But error mixed with truth gets introduced where otherwise it would never have gone.
Remember that rat poison is 98 percent wheat, otherwise the rat would never take the pure poison. As the goldsmith tests the gold for impurities, so we must test everything with the Word of God.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.The bible even teaches that apostles must be tested. Even those who claim to be Apostles of the Lord, "messengers set by God" must also be proved. Jesus commended the Church of Ephesus because,
(1 John 4:1 KJV)
You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.Yes, even apostles must be tested. Nothing can be allowed to go beyond the scrutiny of Holy Scripture.
(Rev. 2:1-2 NIV)
A Biblical Balance Is Key
Now we are not talking about becoming critical and judging everybody. We are all in process. Thank the Lord that He is still working on each one of us. We are not finished products. None of us is perfect.
But we are talking about a biblical balance between "quenching the Spirit" and complete gullibility—a balance between "Negating all prophecy" and believing everyone who comes along saying "Thus saith the Lord."
We are talking about having some discernment about things. Realizing that there is usually some flesh stirred into the mix somewhere. God holds us individually responsible to "study in order to show ourselves approved unto God." Even the Apostle Paul said: "We know in part and we prophesy in part" (1 Cor. 13:9 KJV).
So let me express it this way: We can show grace to the speaker, without buying in to everything he is saying. We can love the teacher, realizing that not everything being taught is absolute truth. In fact, many times it can be quite garbled and immature.
It is up to God to test our motives and look at our hearts, but Jesus also commanded us to "Beware of false prophets" and be discerning. But we can show grace to the person, realizing that God is still at work in their lives. All the while activating our spiritual discernment and proving the teaching or the prophetic word, to insure it passes the test of scripture.
Let us pray:
Dear God, we need discerning shepherds today. We pray for the Leaders in our churches today, to continue to grow in the Word of grace and in spiritual understanding and discernment. Give each individual believing the spiritual discernment needed today, in order to be unhindered in his growth in the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. We believe and we expect miracles today. Amen.
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