Developing Discernment – 1 Thessalonians 5:21

But examine everything carefully (1 Thessalonians 5:21 NASB)

If one reads the New Testament carefully, studying it as we are instructed to do, it will not take a person long to realize that a major portion of it is written to warn against false teachers and false teaching.

This false teaching is twofold in that it comes from without and from within the church. In other words, a part of the false teaching that threatened the church came from outside influences, while another part, even larger, actually came from within the church itself.

And all of this was written and passed down to us to warn us of just what we would be facing in the very day in which we live.

It doesn’t take the discerning Christian long to determine, just by looking around and listening, how relevant God’s Word is regarding this matter. The only trouble is… there are so few “discerning Christians” in the church today!

I submit to you that we, the church, are being bombarded on every side by false teachers and their teaching. From the Emerging Church Movement to the New Perspective; from liberal theology to written agreements with cults and ism’s to further social agendas, the church, “the pillar and support of the truth” (I Tim.3:15),  is under attack.

What is unfortunate is that if recent polling is even partially accurate, the church is losing the war in holding on to that “truth.” And what is needed, biblical discernment, is sadly nowhere to be found. If the church is going to be able to defend the “truth” and “earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to” it (Jude 3), she is going to need to be discerning . . . . she is going to have to “examine everything carefully.”

That is what our text from 1 Thessalonians tells us to do.

It is a command! The verb is in the present tense, in the imperative mood, thus a command to do something on a continuing basis. We are to continually “examine everything carefully.”

We, the church . . . . born again believers, are to develop discernment. Why? Because the “truth” is going to be attacked, just as it is happening this very day. And the church, true believers, are the ones God desires to use to thwart false teachers and their teaching.

Our text is not written just to pastors and elders; it is written to every church member.  That said, it is every believer’s responsibility to hear the Word and respond to it.

Does Scripture tell us how to be discerning? It certainly does!

Judge Everything

• Note all the exhortations given to the church in the context of I Thessalonians 5:12-22 and note that to “examine everything carefully” is right in the midst of all the scriptural commands. Discernment is a duty of the Christian. Verse 21 is a call to discernment. Not only are elders commanded to be discerning, but so is every Christian.

Note that this command comes right after the call to “not despise prophetic utterances” (V-20), which refers to the teaching of the Word. Paul is saying, “Do not despise the teaching of the word and test carefully everything against it.”

The word “examine” is the Greek word dokimazo. It is a familiar New Testament word. Elsewhere it is translated “analyze,” “test,” or “prove.” “It refers to the process of testing something to reveal its genuineness” (MacArthur). Paul is calling for Christians to scrutinize everything as to whether it is true or false, good or evil. He is saying, “Test everything . . . Judge everything!” And he is commanding them to do this. Thus the command of Scripture to us.

The call here is to have doctrinal discernment.

Cling to What is Good

• As one discerns they are to “hold fast to that which is good”  (cf. Rom.12:9). Embrace the truth of God’s Word, let it rule the way you think. And they are to . . . . . .

Shun What is Evil

• On the other side of that: “abstain from every form of evil” (v. 22). In our context this refers primarily to false teaching, false doctrine. “Having examined everything in light of God’s Word, when you identify something that does not measure up – something that is evil, untrue, erroneous, or contrary to sound doctrine – shun it!”

Our enemy is evil, he is subtle, he “disguises himself as an angel of light” (II Cor.11:14). He will mix truth with lies to draw away believers from the truth, just as is being done today, right in the midst of many church building walls. This is obviously taking place as we hear the responses of so many evangelicals to questions regarding essential doctrinal truths.

Many things these days seem to be drawing us away from our commitment to Bible study, from our commitment to become discerning Christians, from a commitment to obey God’s commands given to us in His Word. An obsession with politics and social matters, leisurely living, indifference, the pursuit of riches, the cares of this world, these are just some of the things that have brought the church to that same place that the writer of the book of Hebrews addressed:

Hebrews 5:11-14 (NASB)

“Concerning Him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

The danger of this describing the evangelical church of our day should cause us great concern. Oh how we need to pray for one another, how we need to move ourselves to be “workmen” who are “approved of God” (II Tim.2:15) who are “always ready to make a defense to everyone who asks (us) to give an account for the hope that is in (us)” (I Pet.3:15). Oh how we need, in this very day in which you and I live, to be discerning Christians!

“For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:3-5, NASB)

“. . . this is pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and discernment.” (Philippians1:9, NASB)