I observed a recent social media interaction that I think you’ll find interesting. On social media, Pastor #1 posted a video clip of Pastor #2’s sermon. On the video Pastor #2 said this, “If you call yourself a Christian and then behave in an unchristlike manner, you are misusing God’s name.” Agreed.
In response to the video, however, Pastor #3 commented one single word, “Ironic.”
That jumped out at me. What did Pastor #3 mean when he said, “Ironic” about Pastor #2? Pastor #3 was accusing Pastor #2 of not practicing what they were preaching.
To accuse a pastor of not practicing what they preach is not a small accusation.
Like Pastor #3 was doing to Pastor #2, it is appropriate to test your pastor. Just as it is appropriate to evaluate the YouTube preacher, the blogger, or anyone doing Scriptural or theological teaching. But how do we evaluate them? In this post, we’re going to learn three ways to test or evaluate any preacher or teacher.
Jesus’s disciple John wrote about the first two tests in his letter, 1 John chapter 4, verse 1, “Dear friends, 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.”
Sounds very similar to what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:20–22, right? When John writes, “test the spirits,” he is using figurative language to describe teachers. Test the teachers. The prophets he calls them in verse 1.
What are we to do? Be like the Bereans in Acts 17. Test the preacher. Evaluate them. Just like Paul said we should in 1 Thessalonians 5:20–22.
Why do we test them? John tells us why in the second half of verse 1, “to see whether they are from God, because there are many false prophets.”
We want to see if the teachers, preachers, authors, and anyone else who is teaching the Bible and theology is from God. “From God” does not mean that they are some kind of heavenly angel that God sent from heaven. “From God” means that the teacher is in line with God. “From God” means that the teacher is faithfully representing God.
We test the teacher’s teaching to see if they are faithfully representing God.
John proposes two tests.
First, in verses 2–3, John tells us about the first test we are to use: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.”
This is the Christological Test or the Incarnation Test. In other words, does the teacher affirm that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God who took on flesh? Another way of putting it, does the teacher believe that Jesus is 100% God and 100% human?
There have been and there are now people who believe that Jesus is human, but not God. And there have been and there are now people who believe that Jesus is God, but not human. Neither of those views are in line with Scripture.
That is the first test, the Christology Test.
The second test is the Apostolic Test, which John writes about in verse 6, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”
See that phrase, “Whoever knows God listens to us.” Who is the “us” that John is talking about? At the very least, John is referring to a group of which he is a part. It could be the church, all Christians, or the apostles. The apostles were the caretakers of the teaching of Jesus. The apostles were responsible for making sure that the Christian church was grounded in teaching that was in line with what Jesus taught. They had walked with Jesus. They were taught directly by Jesus himself.
The apostles had that special role in the early church. Some of them wrote about the teaching of Jesus: Matthew, John, and Peter. Luke was not a disciple of Jesus, but he interviewed the apostles. James was the brother of Jesus. Paul was not a disciple of Jesus, but he learned from the apostles. Put it all together, what we are saying is this: Does the preacher, teacher, writer, agree with apostolic teaching? Is the preacher’s preaching, is the teacher’s teaching, is the writer’s writing in line with the doctrine of the New Testament? That’s the second test, the Apostolic Test.
John has given us two tests: The Christology test and the Apostolic test. We use those tests to evaluate the teaching we encounter.
As Paul says back in 1st Thessalonians 5:20–22, we keep the good, and we reject the evil.
We are not gullible. Even if the person we are listening to or reading has what appears to be a large ministry, even if they speak with authority, even if they are utterly confident, we do not automatically accept their teaching. We test their teaching.
That brings me to the third test: the Lifestyle Test. When Paul talks about good and evil in 1 Thessalonians 5:20–22, he is bringing up morality. Teaching can be good and evil. As can life choices.
Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Rome, chapter two writes, “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”
In other words, does the preacher practice what they preach? If you test a preacher’s preaching, and you find that the preaching content is in line with God, but that preacher’s life choices are not in line with God, then there is a problem. Actions truly do speak louder than words.
I started this post be mentioning a social media interaction I observed. Pastor #3 commented the word “Ironic” about Pastor #3’s correct teaching that Christians should practice what they preach.
I know the pastor who commented that single word, “Ironic.” I wrote him and asked why he felt there was an irony, why he felt that the pastor in the video was not practicing what he preached. Pastor #3 said that he knows of ways in which Pastor #2 has not represented Jesus well. Pastor #3 was examining Pastor #2. Pastor #3 believed that Pastor #2’s sermon did not match his personal life. That kind of examination is important.
I am not saying that we have to be perfect in order to serve in ministry or write books or teach. But I am saying that we need to be people who are quick to admit our faults, be humble, self-aware, and teachable.
That goes for all Christians, not just those in ministry. And if you are listening to, watching, or reading Christian teaching, be it scriptural or theological, test it. Use the three tests: Christological, Apostolic, and Lifestyle. If you find that a teacher or preacher doesn’t pass muster, speak the truth in love to them.
Engaging Scripture 
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