The word “discern” or “discernment” in English Bible Translations comes from several different Hebrew and Greek words and their derivatives. Generally speaking, these words have meaning such as, to distinguish between, to judge, to separate out by careful evaluation and to have perception. Each particular context will determine what is being discerned. This article will narrow down to the kind of discernment that is obtained by diligently dividing the word of truth so as to earnestly contend for the Christian faith against dangers that threaten such faith (2 Timothy 2:15; Jude 3).
What is Discernment?
While there was a miraculous gift of discerning between spirits in the Apostolic era, that was limited and unique to that age (1 Corinthians 12:10). Today, all Christians should be discerning. They have the capacity, by the indwelling Spirit, to carefully distinguish between what is true biblically and what is false. They have the obligation to know what God has said about a particular subject in order to deflect teaching that runs contrary. Discernment in the Bible is the spiritual characteristic of sound judgment and sound reasoning for perceiving the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error. The spiritually wise Christian is able to precisely distinguish the difference between truth and almost truth and express this for the benefit of the church. Discernment is often mistaken by Christians to mean something different. There is a school of thought that understands discernment like it is a heightened sense of intuition, like a spider sense. Those who view it this way believe they have the ability to judge someone else’s motive or they feel they can perceive when someone is doing something sinister, even if on the surface they are not. This can be really damaging to the body of Christ. Judging a person to have ulterior motives without any hard evidence is akin to sinful judgmentalism, which causes division. This should have no place in the life of a believer.
The Responsibility of the Believer
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 communicates that it is a believers responsibility to be discerning,
21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.1 John 4:1 issues a similar warning, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Biblical discernment is one of the greatest needs in the church today. Christians should emulate the Bereans who checked out what the Apostle Paul taught against the Word of God (Acts 17:11). This cuts the other way also, meaning you have to be careful who you listen to and what you expose yourself to. A believer who has a healthy level of discernment can listen to a preacher and know pretty quick if they are on track or not. Unfortunately, discerning Christians have a negative reputation in the broader church world because they call out popular teachers and expose false teaching for what it is. They are viewed as negative and divisive. While there are those who go too far in calling out petty issues in a hyper-critic fashion, they are the exception. When done right and in love, discerning Christians are a necessary and advantageous asset to the cause of Christ.
Pray for the Church
There is no question that discernment is essential to protect believers from spiritual deception and to live genuine holy lives as God intends. The Apostle Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9 is apropos, “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” Christians should pray the same prayer for one another so that we can learn to be aware of those who look to trap us with empty words (Colossians 2:8).
Scripture Reference
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
22 abstain from every form of evil.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
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