1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God… I. WHAT RULES THEY HAD IN THE APOSTLES' DAYS TO TRY THE SPIRITS, AND TO DISTINGUISH THE FALSE PROPHETS OR TEACHERS FROM THE TRUE. 1. The miraculous gifts which were then bestowed upon the true prophets or teachers. 2. Their obedience and subjection to the apostles of our Blessed Saviour, as the great directors of their ministry. 3. The agreement of their doctrine with the doctrines taught by Christ and His apostles. II. WHAT RULES THERE ARE IN OUR DAYS, TO KNOW AND DISTINGUISH THEM so as that the honest and well-meaning Christians may not be imposed upon by false prophets or teachers. 1. If men pretend to come to us with an extraordinary message from God, or boast of an extraordinary inspiration, such as the apostles had, we may justly require of them to give the same, or the like extraordinary proof of it. 2. If they pretend to no more than a common and ordinary assistance of God's Holy Spirit, such as any good man may lay claim to, then are they subject to Christ and His apostles, and obey those orders and injunctions they have left us in the New Testament. 3. If anyone, though never so regularly called to the office of the ministry, should preach a doctrine contrary to the doctrine of the gospel, such a teacher is not to be heard — his spirit cannot be from God.Conclusion: 1. From what has been said we may learn to make a true judgment of those who take upon them the office of preachers. 2. We should take care that the wild notions and practices of these men do not create a prejudice in us, and possess us with a less esteem for religion in general, or any particular doctrines of Christianity; for there is nothing so good but may be mistaken or abused, and an ill use made of it. 3. That God assists good men, both in the knowledge and practice of their duty, by the secret operation of His Holy Spirit, is a plain and certain doctrine of Christianity; but that the motions of the Holy Spirit are to be distinguished from the natural workings of our own minds, or the suggestions of the evil spirit by anything to be felt in these motions themselves, does not appear from Holy Scripture. The only way we have to distinguish them is to bring them to the standard of truth, and those rules of right and wrong, of good and evil, which are fixed and certain. (Chas. Peters, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. |
    |