John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
As we observe this so called Civil War in the Church, we notice there are a lot of people shooting from the hip and slinging about the accusation of False Prophet. Unfortunately most of this is totally unjustified. Lets look at the scriptures and see if we can make some sense out of all this.
The Pattern In The Sermon On The Mount
Matthew 6:1-4 tells us to give, but not like the hypocrites do.
Matthew 6:5-15 tells us to pray, but not like the hypocrites do.
Matthew 6:16-18 tells us to fast, but not like the hypocrites do.
The rest of Matthew 6 focuses on trusting God for our provision, serving him alone and seeking the Kingdom and it’s righteousness.
Now on to chapter 7.
Matthew 7:1 tells us to judge not. But whoa there Nellie, John 7:24 tells us to judge.
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
So to judge or not to judge, that is the question. Sorry Shakespeare.
Look at the whole context of Matthew 7
Matthew 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Once you look at the whole context of Matthew 7 you will see it’s following the same pattern as in chapter 6.
Matthew 7:1-5 tells us to judge, but not like the hypocrites do. It’s easier said than done.
Verses 1 and 2 are a warning against unrighteous judgment with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged. If you would judge according to the Law, then you are asking to be judged by the law.
Judging Like The Hypocrites Do
If you recognize a false prophet by a failed prediction, do you want to judge him after the Law of Moses as Jesus accusers did to the woman in John 8?
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
If so don’t forget to include these scriptures in your thinking.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
It’s judging like the hypocrites that puts you in danger of being judged in the same way.
So what is Jesus telling us in Matthew 7? “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.”
Circling back around to John 8 again we read.
John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
So to judge righteous judgment, as we are commanded in John 7:24, we need to be walking in righteousness ourselves. Next we need to recall that God’s judgments are redemptive in purpose.
Isaiah 1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, …
Then the proper way to judge a ‘false prophet’ is to restore them, and to do this in a humble manner, like we read in Galatians 6.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Recognizing The False Prophet
The other issue here is how to recognize a false prophet. Earlier we said, if you recognize a false prophet by a failed prediction then do you want to judge him after the Law of Moses? Deuteronomy 18 says this.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
[If we follow this prescription and lean on our own understanding, we may have to take the book of Jonah out of the bible.]
Or do you want to remember that the letter of the law kills, and that good people make mistakes and fall into sin?
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
False Prophets in the New Testament
So what is the New Testament way of recognizing a false prophet? Try this on for size.
Matthew 7:15-16
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [secretly] shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
It seems according to these verses, that a false prophet must be one who
a. ‘inwardly is a ravening wolf’ or
b. deliberately intends to deceive by bringing in heresies or
c. does not show any fruit of the spirit but only the works of the flesh.
Apply This To The Civil War
We read of great healing evangelists of the past. And we hear of those in the present who were sinners or taught false doctrine. Were any of these ravening wolves inwardly, or deliberately intending to deceive? Or were they just men who fell into sin and became deceived themselves? When these men are accused of being false prophets, are they being judged like the hypocrites judge? Go figure or as they say in Hebrew, selah.
One More Question
Now before we sign off here, there is one other question that comes up. Considering that our title is How To Judge A False Prophet, we need a complete answer to that question.
The Real Deal
We have suggested that there is a New Testament standard of recognizing a false prophet. So what do you do if you run into one of these? What if you discern by the gift of discerning of spirits that someone is inwardly a ravening wolf? Or what if you discover that they deliberately intend to deceive? Or what of you observe that an individual is totally walking in the flesh, with no evidence of Fruit Of The Spirit?
In other words, what do you do when you run into the real deal; a genuine, 24 karat, dyed in the wool, rude dude, false prophet? What about the case where the label false prophet is fully justified? Let me give you a clue: there is no formula or rule to follow in these cases.
First of all, be careful when it comes to making accusations. Recall that even the angels avoid this as it shows in Second Peter 2.
2 Peter 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
Secondly consider the full context here.
2 Peter 2:9-13
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
Note that verse 9 says The Lord knoweth how … to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. This is saying that the Lord will deal with the problem. And especially that the Lord knows how to handle it. We don’t unless he tells us.
The Lord may choose to use you in such a case, or he may not.
If you would judge righteous judgment in this kind of situation, you must be walking in righteousness and wait on the Lord for specific instruction. Acts 13 gives us an example of this. Note that when Paul spoke, he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Don’t do this if you’re in the flesh.
Acts 13:6-11
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Here Paul was led by the Spirit to pronounce judgment [in the sense of punishment]. In contrast the story of Simon the sorcerer as related in Acts 8:9-24, Peter commanded the false prophet to repent.
Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Here is another case.
Acts 16:16-18
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Here Paul knew automatically by the Holy Spirit, what spirit he was dealing with, and when the right time came, he commanded it to leave.
In each case these apostles followed specific instructions from the Holy Ghost. And that’s how you make righteous judgment.
When you start tossing around accusations in the flesh, you’re playing on the wrong team and following the devil’s game plan.
Further Scripture References
Romans 2:1-3
1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Galatians 5:14-18
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)