Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets/Seeing the truth/Credentials

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Consider the credentials and motives of the authorities and witnesses involved

Of True Of False

Take heed that no man deceive you…

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.

…whosoever shall gather against thee shall fall for thy sake…No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD.

The coppersmith did me much evil:…for he hath greatly withstood our words. At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known.

Ye build the tombs of the prophets… and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers of the blood of the prophets…I send unto you prophets, and wise men…and some of them shall ye kill and crucify.

Refrain from these men, and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

These words spake his parents because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, that he should be put out of the synagogue.

…among the …rulers many believed on him; …but did not confess him…for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

Ye cannot serve God and mammon (mammon = Hebrew for banking.)

…when the young man heard that saying, he was very sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

  • (It could be anything that a person is not willing to give up: social status, power, sex or drug addiction)
  • Also see the special interest rhetoric in the story of the Silversmiths in Acts 19꞉24-27.
  • First a word about economics, then alarm over the growth and influence of the church, then the personal affront to their interests, and finally an appeal to patriotism and religious zeal.
  • The formula still works, as shown during the backlash against the Proposition 8 vote in California.
  • Acts 16꞉19-21

When her master saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul…saying, These men… exceedingly trouble our city. And teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe.