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NASB | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. |
Bible Question: How does one identify a false prophet? How would I know? I just can't imagine that a false prophet would make it evident to all that he or she is. It just doesn't seem to be the nature of deception to be evident or easily recognized. |
Bible Answer: Hello, John the Beloved provides the answer to your inquiry. How do you know a false prophet from a true prophet? Test them. In 1 John 4: 1-3 tells us to first not believe every person claiming to be sent of God, but to test them. He continues on to say how you will know them. If they confess Christ has come from in the flesh. If they do not confess that Christ is from God, or confess that Christ is not from God, then they are false prophets. The basic idea here is to test everyone who claims to be from God. Test what they say according to scripture. Just like the Bereans of Acts 17:10, we only know truth by examining the scriptures daily. A friend of mine, now deceased, told me a story once. He used to work in a bank as a teller. One time, he and a few co-workers had a unique opportunity to go to a federal reserve. They were only there to do one single thing. Count the money as it comes off the press. They handled several hundred thousand dollars during their stay, just counting it. When they returned to their bank, my friend was counting a customer's money. He raised his hand, and told his supervisor that the money he was handling was fake. When asked how he knew, My friend said that it didn't "feel" like the actual thing he had spent so long counting at the federal reserve. The customer turned out to be a counterfitter, and was arrested. The point to this is to know the Bible so well, that when a false prophet, or false teacher comes along, you'll know it. You'll know it not because you know where they are wrong, but because you'll know it doesn't "feel" like the truth you've been studying. Jesus Loves You! Jesusman |