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Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7.15-20).

False prophets are not purveyors of truth; they are promoters of error! Truth is one thing; error is the opposite. That is the principle behind questions that are legitimately designed to be answered true or false. If a question is phrased properly, it can be answered one way or the other on a True or False test. Truth and error are opposites just like True and False are opposites. Truth cannot be error; False cannot be True! Jesus believed and operated on these principles. He loved truth and hated error. He hated error because it is at the root of sin and condemnation. Jesus was like the Psalmist in as much as He hated “every false way.” (Psalm 119.104; Psalm 119.128).

Jesus knew that false prophets could be detected! False motives may be hidden, but false messages cannot (at least not in the spiritual arena). Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits.” When truth is compared properly with error, error can be detected. When the standard is right, a counterfeit can be found. Claims of the false prophet are not the means to detection; comparing known truth (God’s word) with the message of a man is THE way to detect error. It isn’t how smoothly he speaks, how charismatic his personality is, how convincing he is, how educated he is, how many people agree with him; it is none of these things! The only way to detect spiritual error is by comparing that which is claimed (a prophet/preachers message) against that which is confirmed (the Bible).

Jesus freely used the terms good and bad and distinctly taught the eternal fate of those who teach that which is bad! Again, Jesus plainly said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” The penalty for spiritual error is not a slap on the wrist, or an opportunity for a second chance. Such errors, if not forsaken through repentance, lead to eternal destruction and separation from God. Such errors CANNOT be overlooked by any lover of truth any more than Jesus overlooked the condemning errors of His contemporaries. Jesus was loving, likable, pleasant, nice, smart, wise, compassionate, and helpful, but He refused to ignore error or treat it as if it were truth. Likewise, He saw to it that His disciples were equipped to discern good and evil, truth and error. He taught His followers the consequences of error as well as the blessings of truth!

A genuine love for the truth is not difficult to spot. It stands out like a sparkling diamond displayed against black velvet! The love for the truth is never apathetic; it cannot be! Show me a man who is apathetic toward error and I will show you a man that is not like Jesus. Show me a man who is apathetic toward error and I will show you a man who does not love the truth!

Questions:

1. For what purpose did Jesus talk about false prophets? Was it merely an academic exercise or was there some practical value to be had by His hearers? If yes, what was it?

2. Can a false prophet be detected? If so, how? What standard of truth is required?

3. What will be the eternal end of false prophets who fail to repent of their error?

4. Why can a person who has a real love of the truth not be apathetic toward error? Was Jesus apathetic toward error? Why or why not?

"The Way" from Kevin Pauley

A World of One