I want to jump into Acts 17 and introduce you to the Bereans, because they show us a very simple way to practice spiritual discernment. They give us a couple of tests that you and I can incorporate into our everyday lives so we can recognize what is true, what is from God, and what is manipulative or misleading.
In Acts 17, the apostle Paul had been in Thessalonica. He was teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel, and many people believed. But many others became jealous of his ministry and what God was doing. That jealousy turned into opposition. They formed a mob, and they chased Paul and Silas out of Thessalonica. Paul and Silas basically escaped under the cover of darkness and went to a place called Berea.
When they got to Berea, Paul did what he always did. He went into the synagogues and began to preach the gospel message again. But this time, the response was different.
Meeting The Bereans
In Acts 17:11, we read:
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Scripture says the Bereans were of a more noble character, and then it tells us why. They received the message with great eagerness, and they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Paul preached the gospel to them. He showed how the Torah and the prophets foretold the coming of Jesus. He told them the story of the birth of the Messiah, the life that Jesus lived, the miracles, and the healings. He talked about the crucifixion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus, and his appearance to the apostles after the resurrection. He laid out the whole story of Jesus to the Bereans.
And here is how they responded. They were eager to learn from Paul. They leaned in. They listened. But they did not just leave it there. After the teaching, they went home and opened their scrolls. They opened up the Word of God. They studied the Torah. They looked at the Psalms. They asked questions like:
“Did Moses really say that?”
“Did the prophets really point to the Messiah, to Jesus in that way?”
They tested what Paul said with the Word of God. Then they would come back the next day, ask more questions, listen again, and then go back home to the Scriptures and test it again.
Listen to the rhythm.
They heard Paul teach the gospel.
They went to Scripture.
They tested what he said.
They came back with questions.
They returned to Scripture again.
They never blindly assumed that what Paul said was true just because it sounded good, or because he was gifted, or because he was influential. That is where the first test shows up.
Test One: The Source Test
The first test is what we can call the source test.
The question is: Where is this ultimately leading me to place my trust?
The Bereans listened eagerly to the apostle Paul, but their ultimate source of truth was still the Word of God. They honored his teaching, but they held it up against Scripture. They knew that if what Paul said did not line up with the Word of God, then what he was teaching was false doctrine and false teaching, no matter how compelling it sounded.
With eager hearts, they received his messages, but they tested everything with the Word of God.
Paul was a well-known church planter, evangelist, preacher, and leader. One of the most influential followers of Jesus the world has ever known. You could say he was like an older, wiser spiritual voice, with more experience, more stories, having been more places and seen more things. Yet even with Paul, the Bereans did not suspend their discernment. They still asked, “Is this in accordance with the Word of God?”
If the Bereans did this with the apostle Paul, how much more important is it for us to do this with the voices that speak into our lives today?
How much more important is it that we do this with:
- Politicians who quote Scripture or speak the language of Christianity
- Viral social media videos from people we have never met, but who sound spiritual and persuasive
- Articles, podcasts, or influencers who claim to speak for Jesus
And yes, how much more important is it to do this with tools like ChatGPT, or any other artificial intelligence? These systems can sound confident. They can string together information well. But they are known to make things up and can only give out what has been put in.
If we are not practicing the source test, if we are not testing everything with the inspired, living Word of God, then we are vulnerable. We become easy to manipulate. We can be twisted by half-truths and distorted messages that sound Christian but are not rooted in Scripture.
The Bible describes the Word of God as the sword of the Spirit. It is the offensive part of our spiritual armor. It is powerful. It is what we fight with. But in the wrong hands, this same Word can be twisted and used for deception and manipulation.
That is why the source test matters so much. Everything must be tested by Scripture.
Test Two: The Fruit Test
The second test the Bereans point us toward is the fruit test.
The question here is: What is this producing in me, and what is it producing in others?
In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus says:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus by their fruit you will recognize them.”
To oversimplify what Jesus is saying: a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.
So when there is someone in your life, in your circle, or in your digital world who is trying to influence you spiritually, you need to ask: What fruit is their life producing?
If a person is shaping your understanding of Christianity, if they are speaking into what your faith should look like, and their life is not producing good fruit, you need to reevaluate how much weight you give their spiritual advice and influence.
Look back at Acts 17. Verse 12 describes what happened as a result of the Bereans testing what Paul taught. It says:
“As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.”
There was visible fruit. It was not just about Paul. There was fruit in his life, yes, but there was also fruit in the lives of the Bereans, and even among prominent Greek women and many Greek men. People were coming to faith. Lives were being changed.
The fruit lined up with what Scripture calls spiritual fruit. Galatians describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Scripture says this is what spiritual fruit looks like. This is what good fruit looks like.
The Word of God and the Holy Spirit will never lead you to produce fruit that is opposite of this. He will not lead you into hatred, constant polarization, enemy-making, or a lifestyle of simmering anger. He leads toward love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
If the teaching or influence in your life is not producing that kind of fruit, something is off.
How To Practice The Fruit Test: A Fruit Audit
This is actually a very simple test to implement. You can do what we might call a fruit audit.
A fruit audit looks like this:
Take an honest look at your social media feed, your news feed, your regular podcasts, your favorite YouTube channels, and the voices you learn from spiritually. Then ask:
- What fruit is this producing in me?
- What fruit is this producing in the people around me?
When you consume your usual news source, however you get it, ask yourself:
- Do I walk away angry every time?
- Do I walk away feeling upset, suspicious, or full of new enemies in my mind?
- Is this shaping me toward the fruit of the Spirit, or away from it?
If you realize that the outcome is not love, not joy, not peace, not patience, not kindness, not goodness, not faithfulness, not gentleness, and not self-control, then something needs to change.
That might mean you unfollow certain voices. It might mean you limit or stop consuming certain content. It might mean you intentionally lean into things that stir up good fruit in your heart rather than bad fruit.
And here is the hard part. If you are not willing to make those changes, then you have to be honest about what you are really committed to.
Because if you cannot pull back from that news source, that commentator, that feed, or that voice, even though you know it is not producing good fruit, then you are not as committed to righteousness, faithfulness, and holiness as you might think. You are more committed to whatever that content is producing in you than you are to the holiness that God has called you to.
Learning From The Bereans In Our Battle Today
The Bereans model two very simple but powerful tests for us.
First, the source test.
Test everything with Scripture. Ask, “Where is this leading me to place my trust? Is this aligned with the Word of God?”
Second, the fruit test.
Ask, “What is this producing in me and in others? Is this producing the fruit of the Spirit, or something else?”
These two tests help you discern what is truly from God and what is spiritual manipulation. They help you step into the very real spiritual battle that is taking place in you and around you.
Because make no mistake, John 10:10 tells us that “the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” That is his objective. He will gladly use false teaching, half-truths, twisted Scripture, and even good-sounding spiritual language to pull you away from the truth.
The good news is that you are not helpless. You have the Word of God. You have the Holy Spirit. You have the example of the Bereans.
Receive teaching with eagerness. Celebrate what God is doing. But then, like the Bereans, always come back to Scripture. Test everything with the Word of God. Look for the fruit. And choose to lean into the voices and practices that lead you toward love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
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