Beware False Prophets
1 Beware of those false prophets who would suggest any other gate. Jesus is the gate. Anyone who preaches a different gate would be a false prophet - a bad tree - which produces a very different kind of fruit.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV
or more accurately from the Greek
Beware of false prophets, such as come to you in garments of sheep, but within they are rapacious wolves.* From their fruits you shall recognize them. Do people gather ripe grapes from briars, or figs from thistles? Thus every good tree produces excellent fruits, but every worthless tree produces wicked fruits. A good tree cannot produce wicked fruits, nor a worthless tree produce excellent fruits. Every tree not producing excellent fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire. Therefore from their fruits you will recognize them. Matthew 7:15-20
* "rapacious" means they are never satisfied no matter how much killing and wounding (rending and tearing), they do.
2 Jesus preached these same doctrines more than once. This same warning against false prophets occurs in Luke 6:44 with this added explanation of "fruits."
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
"Fruits" in this case has to mean doctrine (teachings).
3 "Fruits" cannot mean conduct since these false prophets are wolves in sheep's clothing - they act holy - even pretending the fruits of the Spirit.* But their bad and false doctrines (wicked fruits) rend and tear the flock like predator's fangs. This is a warning to all those who think that doctrine is not important. We will know them by their doctrines, and the result of those doctrines. Once again we judge ourselves needy of the Holy Spirit because He is the one who will show us.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. I John 4:1-3a
*True prophets, on the other hand, often have visible flaws. In their humility - they do not hide their flaws. Rather, they want their weaknesses exposed - so they can be corrected!
note: Actually it is the root that needs to be judged. A bad tree, with bad roots, will produce bad fruit. The ax has to be laid to the root of the tree. False doctrine comes from the heart, and that is the root of the matter.
4 A prophet is someone who tells forth God's word - either by teaching the written word - or by declaring "Thus says the Lord." False prophets tell forth God's word falsely. There is enough discernment in the body of Christ to recognize them. Since even the worst false prophets always say they are forth telling God's word - let that be the standard by which they are judged.
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20
5 Jesus is talking about different kinds of trees - not the condition of the trees. Good trees bear good fruit - bad trees bear bad fruit. This is not a rotten tree compared to a healthy one. This is a bad tree compared to a good one: An apple tree compared to a poison vine - apple trees bear good (excellent) fruit, while poison vines bear bad (wicked) fruit. Men do not gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles.
6 False prophets are the kind of men who preach false (wicked) doctrines. They are cunning, deceiving, and controlling - preaching a different gate - while claiming to preach the truth of Christ! Their doctrines destroy (rend and tear), the flock. And yet they pretend to be better, and more holy, than the true prophets!
7 Jesus said of them,
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
This is a solemn warning to us. If we follow the false prophets who preach a different gate, we will suffer their same fate.
8 Therefore by their fruits (doctrines) you will know them.
9 But now let us compare good trees with good trees. Some trees are better than others. Some apple trees produce delicious apples - others produce apples that are only fit for making apple sauce. Jesus would call both kinds good. They produce excellent fruit - fit to be eaten. Everyone knows that some ministers are better than others - but Jesus calls them all good, if they preach the narrow gate, and the narrow way.
10 What about the prophet who preaches the narrow gate and the narrow way and yet makes mistakes? His doctrine is not vicious, but only bad in part. His fate is found in I Corinthians 3:12-15
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw; each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. I Corinthians 3:12-15
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