I'm sure you have heard it said before, "Don't believe everything you read." Well, this is certainly true for the most part, but it in no way applies to the Bible. Because of the promise of 2 Timothy 3:16, that "all Scripture is God-breathed," we don't have to read the Scriptures with a cynical eye. Every word of the Bible is inspired by God, which means every word of it is true. However, according to 1 John 4:1-3, we do have to be careful about what we hear. Not every minister or teacher preaches correct theology 100% of the time. They are human, and they make errors. John warns us that there are many "false prophets" that we must beware of (v.1).
Jesus speaks of these false teachers in Matthew 7:15, when He says, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." This verse tells us that these false teachers are in "sheep's clothing," which means they are going to look just like other Christians. Their disguise will deceive others. In reality, they are ferocious wolves. This means that when we see a preacher on TV, on the radio, or in person, or we read theological books or sermons, we are to be watchful of false teachers.
You may be thinking, well, I go to Northwest Bible Church, and there aren't any false teachers there. Therefore, this verse doesn't apply to me. I don't think we have any false teachers at NWBC. We do not tolerate unbiblical teaching in this church. However, this doesn't mean you aren't to test the spirits as John says. Though we aren't false teachers at NWBC, we are human teachers. Unlike God's inerrant (without error) Word, our words are fallible (mortal and imperfect). Take John's words in 1 John 4 as a sober warning. Don't blindly write down and follow every thing you ever hear about the Lord, but make sure the preacher's or teacher's words are always in line with Scripture.
I remember seeing a point in a sermon outline a few years back that didn't sound quite right. I went to a Bible-preaching Baptist church, but that one point stood out to me as different than what I had been taught before. Later, I looked up the passage that had been listed as proof of that point, and I found that this Bible verse had nothing to do with the point my pastor had made. I tell you this to warn you to make sure that you have solid biblical support for the messages that you hear. If you hear something that sounds strange, look it up, and then ask someone you can trust. We have spiritual leaders and mentors in our lives to help us in instances like this.
I will close with some wise words by Charles Swindoll in his book "Growing Deep" on this same passage in 1 John:
"I certainly do not want to imply that all of us must become detectives, looking for clues of wrongdoing in another's life or teaching. It's one thing to be suspicious people who question everything we hear...and another thing entirely to be discerning, alert, and perceptive. There is a very real need on our part every time we hear the Word proclaimed, that we listen closely, think it through, sift it out, compare it with other Scriptures and other material we've been taught" (47).Know what the Scriptures say by studying them in depth yourself, and be watchful for false teaching. This will come especially essential when you reach college and hear many new ideas for the first time. Test the Spirits, stay firmly rooted in God's Word, and do not tolerate false teaching in your life!
