Should Christians judge the teachings of their leaders?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible shows that believers are to use discernment in all areas of life, including evaluating leaders’ teachings. In Old Testament times, God warned the Israelites against false prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1–5; 18:22; Jeremiah 23). The New Testament teaches that Christians are called to engage with God with the fullness of their minds (Mark 12:30). This includes using critical thinking to evaluate the words of our leaders and teachers, just as the Berean Jews were commended for doing (Acts 17:11). Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians instructed them to do the same (1 Thessalonians 5:21). John warned against false prophets (1 John 4:1), which implies that believers should evaluate the truth of what those prophets say. Christians should be so familiar with the truth that they can recognize when a leader is telling a lie.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God warned the Israelites of false prophets tempting them into idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:1–5).
• The Lord gave His people a standard by which to judge prophets: “when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken” (Deuteronomy 18:22).
• Jeremiah 23 warned against the prophets who were lying about receiving a word from God. Such leaders existed then, and still exist now.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Acts 17:11 describes the Berean Jews as “more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Though the Bereans undoubtedly esteemed Paul, they confirmed for themselves that his teachings aligned with the truth. Christians should do the same today.
• Paul instructed Timothy, "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy 4:16). Leaders are responsible for what they teach (cf. James 3:1).
• We must search the Scriptures for ourselves and attune our spiritual ears to discern the Holy Spirit that we might "test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
• False teachers are a reality (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1–3), so we need to be alert to what we are being taught and confident that it lines up with the truth of God (1 Timothy 4:13; 1 John 4:1).
• Even respectable teachers who are genuinely following God sometimes misinterpret Scripture, or we sometimes misunderstand what they are teaching. As believers, we all need to be regularly seeking God in His Word, relying on His Spirit, and learning in community so that we do not stray from truth (James 5:19–20; Hebrews 10:19–25).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Mark Twain famously defined an expert as someone who “knows more and more about less and less.” Believers expect their Christian leaders to be experts in God’s Word. But the only way we’ll know they are is if we are so familiar with the truth that we recognize a lie when we hear it.

Christians should not be defensive or combative with our leaders (Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17). We can and should be open to learning new ways to understand uncertain passages. But we should never accept teachings that contradict the Word of God. Nor should we automatically accept everything our leaders say. We must search the Scriptures for ourselves, attune our spiritual ears to discern the Holy Spirit, and pray for wisdom.

Leaders deserve respect but not blind following (1 Timothy 5:17–20). A true Christian leader will be like the apostle Paul and encourage those under his leadership to know God’s Word (1 Timothy 3:1–7; 2 Timothy 2:1–7, 15; 1 Peter 5:1–3). Our leaders have a responsibility to tell the truth, and believers have a responsibility to recognize it.

UNDERSTAND

• Christians are called to use discernment and engage their minds to evaluate all teachings.
• The Bible warns against false prophets and calls us to test teachings against Scripture.
• Believers are not called to blindly follow anyone.

REFLECT

• How do you test the teachings you hear against Scripture?
• Are there any leaders or teachers you tend to trust without question? How can you balance respect with biblical discernment?
• How are you actively growing in your understanding of God’s Word so you can recognize truth from error?

ENGAGE

• Why does Scripture emphasize the need to examine teachings, even from trusted leaders?
• What dangers can arise in a church community when believers stop discerning and start blindly following leaders?
• How can Christian communities encourage both accountability among leaders and discernment among members without causing division?