How can Isaiah 8:20 guide us in discerning false teachings today? Verse in Focus “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.” (Isaiah 8:20) Why This Line Was First Spoken - Judah’s people were listening to mediums and spiritists (Isaiah 8:19). - God answered: return to “the law and the testimony”—the written Word and the prophetic witness already given. - Anything that contradicted those writings was darkness, no matter how impressive it sounded. The Timeless Principle Scripture is the single, sufficient, non-negotiable measuring stick for truth. When a teaching clashes with “the law and the testimony,” it is exposed as counterfeit. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Acts 17:11, and 1 John 4:1 echo the same standard. Four Practical Tests Drawn from Isaiah 8:20 1. Source Test—Does the message appeal to extra-biblical voices (dreams, visions, cultural experts) instead of—or over—Scripture? 2. Consistency Test—Does it align with the whole counsel of God, not just a verse pulled out of context? (Galatians 1:8) 3. Light Test—Does it lead people into clearer understanding of Christ, holiness, and obedience, or into confusion and moral fog? (Psalm 119:105) 4. Fruit Test—Over time, does it produce godly character or spiritual decay? (Matthew 7:15-16) Everyday Discernment Steps - Read the passage being cited in its context—before and after. - Compare the teaching with parallel Scriptures; allow clear passages to interpret the obscure. - Look for the gospel’s core truths: the deity of Christ, His atoning death, bodily resurrection, salvation by grace through faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9). - Identify any addition to, subtraction from, or distortion of those core truths (Revelation 22:18-19). - Ask whether the teaching motivates repentance, love, and godliness (Titus 2:11-14). - Seek counsel from mature believers and historic orthodox voices; falsehood often isolates (Proverbs 11:14). - Pray for the Spirit’s illumination, trusting He never contradicts the Word He inspired (John 16:13). Common Modern Messages Exposed by the Standard - “Jesus was merely a great teacher.” Fails the Source and Consistency Tests (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9). - “God wants everyone to be rich and never suffer.” Contradicts the testimony of Christ and the apostles (Luke 9:23, 2 Timothy 3:12). - “Love means affirming any lifestyle.” Ignores biblical definitions of holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). - “New revelations override earlier Scripture.” Violates the sufficiency of the canon (Jude 3). - “All religions lead to God.” Denied by Jesus Himself (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Encouraging Results of Staying Anchored - Assurance: confidence that our faith rests on solid, unchanging truth (1 Thessalonians 5:21). - Clarity: freedom from fads, speculation, and fear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). - Unity: shared submission to one ultimate authority knits believers together (Ephesians 4:14-15). - Witness: a life illuminated by God’s Word attracts those still wandering in darkness (Philippians 2:15-16). Isaiah 8:20 remains a bright line: if a teaching fails to match God’s written Word, it has “no light of dawn.” Hold everything up to that light, and falsehood will be seen for what it is. |
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