Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
There are teachers whose words are smooth, whose character seems to be magnetic. It feels altogether natural to trust such a one. But it is entirely possible for the superficial appearance to mislead and conceal selfish motives.
By their fruits you will know them.
We are called to look a little deeper than the surface to see whether we are dealing with good trees or rather with thornbushes and thistles. This means that we can't simply base our assessment on whether the person in question has an appealing personality. It may well be that many false teachers put on a good show. And there may be some genuine saints who come across to others as porcupines, as was said about Saint Jerome. Indeed such harsh personalities can actually in some ways be an asset when truth is in dispute.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Saint Jerome bore good fruit for the kingdom in spite of how he came across to others. Arius bore rotten fruit in spite of how charismatic a character he may have been. When we are trying to make a determination about what sort of tree a teacher is the primary fruit on which they must be judged is the fruit the bear for the Kingdom. How do they stand with what Jesus himself taught, as understood by the Church in her living Tradition? Is it bringing about renewal in that which is most essential? Or does it seem rather to be a meandering distraction from that teaching or a watering down of it?
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
Kingdom fruit can be difficult to assess because the results are not often immediate. It grows under the soil before it pierces through to the sunlight. And the success of such fruit is not guaranteed. This is why it is so essential to us to not only use our intellect and to make our best guess but also, before, during, and after using our minds, relying on the gift of discernment that the Holy Spirit gives.
On the one hand, the threat is real:
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (see Second Corinthians 11:14-15).
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (see Matthew 24:24).
On the other, the fundamental test is very simple. It is one which Arius failed but Jermoe passed:
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit (see First Corinthians 12:3).
We need not uproot the trees in an effort to make our determination about them. We are not called to know the unknowable, but to entrust our best judgment to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we trust more in God's promise to us than in our own abilities we can have peace in him.
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
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