James Marshall, the first to discover gold in California in 1848, and the “forty-niners” who followed him, used the term eureka, meaning “I have found it”. Other would-be prospectors quickly learned that not everything that appeared to be gold actually was. Riverbeds and rock quarries could be full of golden specks that were nevertheless entirely worthless. This “fool’s gold” was iron pyrite, and miners had to be careful to distinguish it from the real thing. Their very livelihood depended on it. Experienced miners could usually distinguish pyrite from gold simply by looking at it. But, in some cases, the distinction was not quite so clear. So, they developed tests to discern what was genuine from what was not. One test involved biting the rock in question. Real gold is softer than the human tooth, whereas fool’s gold is harder. A second test involved scraping the rock on a piece of white stone, such as ceramic. True gold leaves a yellow streak, whereas the residue left by fool’s gold is greenish black. In either case, a miner relied on tests to authenticate his finds—both his fortune and his future depended on the results.
Spiritually speaking, Christians often find themselves in a similar position to the California gold rushers of the mid-1800s. When confronted with various doctrines and religious teachings, all of which claim to be true, believers must be able to tell those that are biblically sound from those that are not. As was true in the gold rush, just because something glitters doesn’t mean it’s good. Christians need to be equally wary of spiritual “fool’s gold.” They must not accept something as true without first testing it to see if it meets with God’s approval. If it fails the test, Christians should discard it as false and warn others also. But if it passes the test, in keeping with the truth of God’s Word, believers can embrace and endorse it wholeheartedly.
If they fail to be discerning, Christians will not only be confused and unable to discern for themselves, but they will also be unable to accurately convey the truth to others. Thus, they must guard the truth (1 Tim. 6:20–21; 2 Tim. 1:13–14; Jude 3; cf. Acts 20:28; Prov. 23:23) by knowing it, firmly holding to it as a conviction (cf. Luke 1:4; John 8:32; 19:35; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:15), and distinguishing it from that which is false (cf. Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:8). By being faithful to sound doctrine, they will be able to teach others also (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2). But discernment only comes with practice. Discernment requires thinking. Only those Christians who know their Bible and can think critically will be able to recognize false teachers and their teachings. This cannot occur without personal study of the Scriptures (Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 4:6). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.).
The apostle John knew that his readers were under attack from false teachers. As a safeguard, he 1) commanded them to test those who claim to teach the truth (1 John 4:1a). He gave them 2) reasons that such testing is crucial (1 John 4:1b), and 3) guidelines for how it should be conducted (1 John 4:2-6). In so doing, he laid out a strategy all Christians can use for distinguishing between true spiritual riches and doctrinal “fool’s gold.” California gold prospectors would cry “Eureka!” only when they found true gold. When it comes to spiritual things, Christians should be careful to do the same.
1) A Command to Test (1 John 4:1a)
1 John 4:1a 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) (ESV)
Having just discussed the abiding work of the Holy Spirit in true believers (3:24), John makes the transition to the work of unholy spirits in false teachers and their false teachings. Because these ancient, supernatural spirits are experts in deception, Christians must be careful to closely examine every spiritual message they encounter (cf. Matt. 10:16; 1 Thess. 5:21–22). John is not referring here to demon possession, but to teachers who promote error (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (1 Jn 4:1). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Please turn to 1 Thessalonians 5 (p.988)
The imperative form of the verb believe, with the negative particle not, could literally be translated “stop believing.” John’s phrase indicates the forbidding of an action already under way. If any of his readers were uncritically accepting the message of false teachers, they were to stop doing so immediately. They needed to exercise biblical discernment, like the Bereans of whom Luke wrote, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
1 Thessalonians 5:12–22 12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. (ESV)
• You will notice that believers are to respect (v12) and esteem (v.13) those who instruct. Even if a false teacher is determined, we are not to repay evil for evil (v.15) but in doing good, we proclaim the truth to them. We must be in prayer (v.17) that we may not fall into error and discern the truth. To determine genuine truth, we must test what we read and hear (v21). Tests presumably include the prophecy’s conformity with authoritative revelation, its value for edification, and its evaluation by those with spiritual discernment (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2311). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Unbelievers, “being darkened in their understanding” (Eph. 4:18), have no basis on which to evaluate various teachings that claim divine origin (1 Cor. 2:14). Consequently they are highly susceptible to aberrant doctrine and can easily be led astray into error. But believers, who have the Word of truth and the Spirit of truth, must test what they hear with what they know to be true, as revealed in the Scriptures (1 Thess. 5:21–22).
Illustration: John Norstad, a Northwestern University systems engineer and computer guru …once discovered the source of many of the computer viruses. He went to a conference in Europe in 1992 and met most of my counterparts in the PC anti-viral community. One fellow was a Bulgarian who told us about the Bulgarian virus-writing factory. Evidently, during the Communist heyday, the KGB trained and paid PC programmers to break Western copy-protection schemes. It was an official piracy program. Then, when the government fell in Bulgaria, all these people were out of work and bitter. So they formed virus-writing clubs and set about infecting the PC community worldwide. A significant percentage of the PC viruses came out of a group of disaffected hackers who had formerly worked for the Communists.
Computer viruses are a lot like false teachings about God and morality: they destroy what is valuable. Many of these false teachings come from a group of malicious spirits called demons. They intentionally pump error into the world to deceive and destroy people (Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (pp. 163–164). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
2) A Reason to Test
1 John 4:1b (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. (ESV)
The term translated test is a present imperative form of the verb dokimazō. The term was used to refer to a metallurgist’s assaying of metals to test their purity and value. John’s use of the present tense indicates that believers are to continually test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Contrary to the view of some, this command has nothing to do with personally confronting demons or performing exorcisms. Instead, Christians are to continually evaluate what they see, hear (cf. 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21), and read to determine if it originated from the Spirit of God or, alternatively, from demons. True prophets receive direct revelation from God and communicate it accurately. Thus the tests of Deut 13:1–5 and 18:20–22 still apply today. False prophets claim to receive revelation. However, their predictions fail to be fulfilled and their instruction proves contrary to God’s revelation and will. (Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 4:1). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
The only reliable way to test any teaching is to measure it against what God has revealed in His infallible, written Word (Isa. 8:20; cf. Prov. 6:23; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). As the perfect standard of truth (John 17:17) and the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), the Word of God provides believers with their primary defense against error (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–5; Heb. 4:12).
Please turn to Matthew 7 (p.812)
The urgency of John’s command resides in the fact that not a few but many false prophets have gone out into the world. Satan does not merely want to oppose the church (cf. Acts 5:3; 13:8–10; 16:16–23; 1 Thess. 2:18); he wants to deceive her (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14). In keeping with his fraudulent schemes, his minions have infiltrated denominations, churches, and other Christian schools, institutions, and organizations, resulting in compromise and error (cf. Jude 4). By saying that these people ‘have gone out into the world’ the author alludes not only to the fact that they had seceded from his community, but also to their affinity with the unbelieving world (Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (p. 145). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.).
For this reason, Jesus Himself warned of false prophets:
Matt. 7:15–20 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.(ESV) (cf. Mark 13:21–23; 2 Peter 2:1–2)
• Maintaining the earlier balance of not judging (vv. 1–5) yet not being naively accepting (v. 6), Jesus teaches his disciples that they must be wisely discerning when professed prophets come into their midst. A Prophet would wear a wool cloak, described here as sheep’s clothing. Therefore, even though they outwardly seem like an orthodox prophet, they must be tested.
• The life of the prophet and the results of his influence on others are the fruits that will indicate whether or not his message is consistent with the kingdom life of righteousness. The only thing bad trees are good for is firewood, a striking metaphor of the future judgment for false prophets (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1834). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Christians who ignore the Lord’s warning do so to their own harm. There are many powerful voices clamoring for attention within the church. Thus it is imperative that believers practice biblical discernment (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12–13; Eph. 6:17; 2 Tim. 1:13; 3:15–17).
Illustration: Fire ants have virtually taken over the south since they were accidentally transported here a few decades ago. They are amazingly adaptable, fiercely aggressive, and multiply seemingly overnight. Worst of all, insecticide sprays generally can’t destroy the mound’s inhabitants. Like a mighty army they have marched in, impervious to brute force. Scientists have now found a rather crafty way to wipe out whole colonies. Pellets of the ants’ favorite food are tainted with a special tasteless, odorless poison and sprinkled around the mound. The worker ants immediately begin gathering up the tainted treasure and take it down into the heart of the colony. Then they unwittingly feed the poisoned pellets to their queen, slowly killing her! When the queen dies, no more workers are produced, and so in a couple of weeks the entire colony starves to death. How ironic! Food that looked so good caused their starvation.
That is how it is with false doctrine. Those who lack discernment import it into the heart of the church, thinking it is harmless and in fact quite good. If any wise “ant” smells the poison and protests, he is ridiculed! And in the end the next generation starves to death spiritually (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (pp. 112–113). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
3) Guidelines for How to Test (1 John 4:2-6)
John sets forth three familiar tests for determining whether a teacher and his message reflect the Spirit of God or the spirit of Satan. These tests are theological (Does the person confess Jesus Christ?), behavioral (Does the person manifest evidence of the fruit of righteousness?), and presuppositional (Is the person committed to the Word of God?). True teachers are thus characterized by a confession of the divine Lord, a possession of the divine life, and a profession of the divine law. Those who fail to exhibit these traits prove that they are not from God.
a) The Theological Test: The Confession of the divine lord (1 John 4:2-3)
1 John 4:2-3 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 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 (ESV)
The first test is theological, or more specifically, christological. It asks the question: What does this person teach about Jesus Christ? The verb rendered confesses is a present tense form of the verb homologeō, which points to a continuing profession, not a past affirmation of faith (Utley, R. J. (1999). The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John (Vol. Volume 4, p. 229). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.)
The verb “confess/acknowledges” (homologei) means “to say the same thing.” It indicates an unwavering confession and “denotes not mere verbal acknowledgment but an open and forthright declaration of the message as one’s own position.” It is the outward expression of inner faith. The content of the expression is crucial, and it must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (en sarki). (Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 172). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Every spirit (human teacher) who agrees with Scripture that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is therefore from God, confessing a truth taught by the Holy Spirit—that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Jesus Christ proceeded from God the Father as the living Word of God (John 1:1–2) who became flesh (Luke 1:31; John 1:14; cf. Col. 2:9). He is one with the Father (John 10:30, 38; 14:7–10), manifested to humanity as the second person of the Trinity (a correct understanding of Christology will inevitably be Trinitarian), the Son of God (Isa. 9:6; John 3:16; cf. John 1:18; Heb. 1:5, 8). According to the plan of God, Jesus came in the flesh so that He might die a substitutionary death as a man for the sins of His people. That is the only way He could redeem all who would believe (Gal. 4:4–5; Heb. 2:17; cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1–2). John repeatedly emphasizes the deity of Christ and teaches the massive truth with vast implications—that no one can honor the Father without honoring the Son (2:22–23; John 5:23; 2 John 3, 7, 9) because they share the same divine, perfect nature (3:21–23; 5:6, 20). To be saved, one must believe that Jesus is eternal deity, the second person of the Godhead who became a man. He is not merely a created being (contrary to what ancient false teachers taught and the modern-day sects, such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, teach). But mere intellectual assent to that truth saves no one (cf. James 2:19); to be saved one must also acknowledge Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9–10). The PERFECT TENSE affirms that Jesus’ humanity was not temporary, but permanent…Jesus is truly one with humanity and one with God (Utley, R. J. (1999). The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John (Vol. Volume 4, p. 229). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).
Every spirit, as verse 3 indicates, propagating any religion or philosophy that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Such teaching is erroneous, heretical, and a rejection of Christ (2 Peter 2:1; cf. Gal. 1:8–9). Every true teacher places this sacred truth at the center. All non-Christian cults deny it, and thus they betray themselves as carriers of the disease of the spirit of antichrist. Believers have heard that the final Antichrist is coming (2 Thess. 2:3–4, 8–9), but the spirit of the antichrist, which evidences itself in false religion and aberrant doctrine, is in the world already. The true nature of Jesus Christ is inevitably denied by false teachers and the systems they promote (Jude 4; cf. Acts 3:14). However, those who rightly understand Jesus Christ and portray Him and His work accurately prove they possess the Spirit of truth. Spiritual activity is not necessarily Godly activity. We must be discerning. We must listen and evaluate carefully the message and messenger against the infallible authority of Scripture. (Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 171). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Illustration: In the 300s and 400s, most of Christendom was plunged into terrible conflict. A strain of anti-Christian virus called Arianism, which denied Jesus’ full divine nature, swept through many of the eastern churches. It was to combat this virus that heroes of faith composed the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, which exist for one great purpose: to confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
The religious scene today is overrun with false spirits that deny the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, and the incarnation. Obviously the non-Christian philosophies of Buddhism and Hinduism want nothing to do with the biblical Christ, and neither do Judaism, Islam, the Unitarian/Universalists, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Most university theology and philosophy departments are hostile to the idea that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. John’s point is that there is great risk if we let these people teach us about God. Recognize them and avoid them as your spiritual teachers (Jeske, M. A. (2002). James, Peter, John, Jude (p. 248). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
b) The Behavioural Test: The Possession of the Divine Life (1 John 4:4-5)
1 John 4:4-5 4 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. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. (ESV)
In the incarnation, God became a partaker of human nature (Phil. 2:7–8; Heb. 2:14, 17; 4:15). Through regeneration, on the other hand, human beings become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). John’s statement, Little Children, you are from God, and have overcome them; for/because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, is primarily an affirmation of the believer’s security against the false teachers (cf. 2:20, 24, 27). The term “world” (kosmos) is probably to be understood in two ways: as a system of thought antithetical to Christian belief and as a description of those members of the community who were led astray by the false teachers. That some members of the community were easily persuaded to forsake the truth of the gospel should not bewilder the faithful. Although these members appeared to belong to the community, their willingness to hear and follow the false teachers showed their true colors. (Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 341). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 2 (p.953)
It may look sometimes as though true Christians are few. Imagine how Christians in India, China, and Japan must feel, surrounded by millions of people who are devoted to Buddha, Krishna, or the spirits of their ancestors. It may be very lonely to be a biblical Christian in a secular university classroom where there are no absolutes, where all truth and morality are relative. You may feel very isolated to be the only biblical Christian in your extended family. John has words of hope: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them.” The Word of God is mightier than the mightiest Ph.D. dissertation and ultimately more influential than the most popular talk show host. What can give fearful Christians such confidence? “Because the one who is in you [the Holy Spirit] is greater than the one who is in the world [Satan].” We are more than conquerors, as Paul tells us (Romans 8:37). Satan’s power is broken; his evil head was crushed on Calvary once and for all, and we are safe in our Savior’s arms (Jeske, M. A. (2002). James, Peter, John, Jude (p. 250). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
As Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 2:12–16 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (ESV)
• Believers may be unsure about secondary, peripheral matters, but not about the foundational truths of the gospel, such as the person and work of Christ (cf. John 3:14–16; Rom. 1:16–17; 3:24–26; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9; 2 Tim. 1:9). They will not be fooled when false teachers invariably devalue the work of Christ by championing some form of salvation by works (cf. Gal. 4:9–11; Col. 2:20–23).
On the other hand, false teachers and their followers cling to worldly ideas (see 2:15–17 and 1 Cor. 2:14) because, as verse 5 states, they are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. Through what they say and how they live, false teachers demonstrate that they are anything but genuine servants of Christ. All false teaching is drawn from sources other than the apostles, whether from pagan philosophies, mysticism, astrology, popular mythologies, rationalism, or “scientific investigation.” Every cult draws its ideas and message from some human source and bases its authority on the say-so of some human being, whether Cerinthus, Montanus, Origen, Arius, Thomas Muentzer, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Judge Rutherford, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, or Reverend Sun Myung Moon (Jeske, M. A. (2002). James, Peter, John, Jude (p. 249). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
True believers, however, resist worldly ideas because they have overcome the world, as verse 4 states (cf. John 16:33).
Illustration: Union General George McClellan always seemed fearful that the enemy had superior forces; so he never attacked Robert E. Lee in the early days of the Civil War. At Richmond he sent a spy, Allan Pinkerton, to assess the Confederate forces. Pinkerton assumed there were more Confederates than he could see, so he inflated the numbers. As a result McClellan did not attack. That is often the way we Christians are. We overestimate the power of the enemy, and we underestimate the power of our God (Jerry Vines, Spirit Works (Nashville: B&H, 1999), p. 144.).
c) The Presuppositional Test: The Profession of the Divine Law (1 John 4:6)
1 John 4:6 6 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. (ESV)
In contrast to the demonic purveyors of falsehood (Acts 13:10; Gal. 1:7; cf. John 8:44), teachers who are from God proclaim His revealed Word as the source of truth (cf. 2 Cor. 6:7; 1 Tim. 2:7; Titus 1:3). The pronoun we primarily refers to John and the other writers of Scripture. Like them, all true teachers accurately proclaim the Word of God, and Whoever knows God listens to them (cf. John 8:47; 10:4–5, 16, 26–27; 14:26; 18:37). This is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE. The true believers continue to listen and respond to Apostolic truth! Believers can recognize true preachers/teachers by both the content of their message and who hears and responds to them (Utley, R. J. (1999). The Beloved Disciple’s Memoirs and Letters: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John (Vol. Volume 4, p. 230). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).
By contrast, anyone who is not from God does not listen to their teachings. The completed, written revelation of the Old and New Testaments is therefore the sole authority by which Christians must test all spiritual ideologies. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17, NKJV). It is “more sure” than human experiences or senses (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). It endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). It is trustworthy in every jot and tittle (Matt. 5:18). It is unchanging and eternal (Isa. 40:8); Jesus Himself said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35, NKJV). It is the standard of truth (John 17:17). And it is by that standard, with the help of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), that believers know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
In a world rife with demonic false teaching, believers must constantly test the spirits to discern what is from God and what is not. Using the tests that John has outlined here, they can discern true spiritual gems from doctrinal “fool’s gold.” Like the noble Bereans, today’s saints are called to compare every spiritual message they encounter to the revealed standard of Scripture (Acts 17:11). Only then can they obey Jude’s admonition to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). By faithfully guarding the truth in the present, believers will preserve it in purity both for themselves and for future generations.
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (2007). 1, 2, 3 John (pp. 151–160). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
