Beloved, believe not every spirit
The apostle having mentioned the word "spirit" in the latter part
of the preceding chapter, takes an occasion from thence to return
to what he had been suggesting in the "second" chapter,
concerning the many antichrists that then were, and whom he
points out, and here cautions against. By "every spirit" he
means, either every doctrine that is pretended to come from the
Spirit of God, or every teacher, who professes to be qualified
and sent by him, and to have his light, knowledge, and doctrine
from him. Every true minister of the Gospel has the Spirit, and
the gifts of the Spirit, more or less, to qualify him for his
work; he is separated, and called to it by him, and receives his
spiritual light find knowledge from him; it is he that teaches
him sound doctrine, and leads him into all truth, as it is in
Jesus, and brings every necessary truth to his remembrance; and
who succeeds his ministrations to the good of souls: but there
are some who call themselves the ministers of the Gospel, who,
though they may have some natural abilities, and a share of human
learning, and a notional knowledge of things, yet have never
received either grace or gifts from the Spirit; nor have they
been ever called by him; nor are their ministrations according to
that divine word which is inspired by him, nor attended with his
demonstration and power; wherefore, though some professing to
have the Spirit of Christ are to be believed, yet not everyone;
and though the Spirit is not to be quenched in any, nor
prophesying to be despised, yet care should be taken what is
heard and received: some persons are so obstinate and incredulous
as not to believe anything that is declared, be the evidence what
it will; as the Jews would not believe Christ and his apostles,
though what they said agreed with Moses and the prophets, and was
confirmed by miracles; and others are too credulous; at once
receive every teacher, and embrace every upstart doctrine: this
they should not do,
but try the spirits whether they are of God;
not by human reason, especially as carnal and unsanctified; for
though the doctrines of the Gospel are not contrary to true
reason, they are above it, and not to be judged of by it, and are
disapproved of and rejected by carnal reason; but by the word of
God, which is the standard of all doctrine; and whatever agrees
with that is to be received, and what does not should be
rejected. And so to do is very commendable, as appears from the
instance of the Beraeans, who on this account are said to be more
noble than those of Thessalonica, ( Acts 17:11 ) ; and from
the commendation of the church at Ephesus, ( Revelation
2:2 ) . And this is what every believer, every private
Christian should do; to them it belongs to read and search the
Scriptures, and prove all things, and judge for themselves of the
truth of doctrine; and to such a probation or trial of the
spirits, spiritual light, knowledge, judgment, sense, experience,
and divine guidance are necessary, which should be asked of God,
and an increase thereof; and all such diligent searchers, and
humble inquirers, are capable of making judgment of persons and
doctrines, whether they are from the Spirit of God or not, for
the Spirit of God never speaks contrary to his word: and the
reason why such a trial should be made is,
because many false prophets are gone out into the
world:
such who pretended either to a revelation of future things, and
to foretell things to come; or rather to a gift of prophesying,
or preaching in Christ's name, to be "prophets" and spiritual
men, and ministers of the word, but were "false" ones; who either
predicted what did not come to pass, or rather preached false
doctrine, by corrupting the word, and handling it deceitfully,
and so imposed upon and ruined the souls of others, as well as
deceived their own: and there were not only one, or two, or a few
of these, but "many", as our Lord had foretold, ( Matthew
24:11 Matthew
24:24 ) ; and which makes the reason the stronger for not
believing every spirit, but trying them; and the rather, since
they were not sent of God, hot called out by his churches, but
were "gone out" of themselves; of their own heads, and without
any mission from God or man: and "into the world" too; they were
in every part of it, and especially where there were any churches
of Christ; into which they first crept in privily, and at
unawares, but afterwards became public preachers of the word, and
then separating from them, set up openly in the world for
themselves.