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Contending for the Word Q&A, November 17, 2025, Holding Fast to the Truth
Welcome back to Contending for the Word. As we continue our series on discerning true and false revival, we turn to a vital command in Scripture, testing those who teach and what they teach.
Not all who speak in the name of Christ are sent by Him. Not every voice in the church or online leads toward truth. God calls His people to be discerning, not cynical, but careful and grounded in His Word.
How Do Believers Evaluate Teachers and Teachings?
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will
accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.”
2 Timothy 4:3–4
We live in such a time. Many do not want sound doctrine. They prefer affirmation, excitement, emotional uplift, and self-focused spirituality. Feel good messages flourish while truth is softened, and repentance is silenced.
Scripture calls Christians to test every teaching with the Word of God. Truth is not measured by charisma, creativity, emotion, or popularity. Truth is measured by Scripture alone.
What to Look For in Teachers
Faithful teachers will
- Preach the Word clearly and accurately
- Call for repentance and holiness
- Exalt Christ rather than themselves
- Point people to Scripture, not experiences
- Strengthen believers in sound doctrine
- Shepherd with humility and integrity
False or immature teachers often
- Focus on experiences over Scripture
- Avoid confronting sin
- Promote personality driven ministry
- Offer spiritual hype without spiritual depth
- Twist Scripture to support trendy ideas
- Seek applause, influence, or personal platform
Discernment does not reject emotion or passion, but it rejects emotional manipulation and doctrine built on feelings rather than truth.
The True Test, Scripture Alone
Every believer is responsible to test all things by the Word. Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans for examining Scripture daily to confirm what they heard.
This is not suspicion, it is stewardship. It is love for the truth. It is obedience to Christ.
Call to Faithful Watchfulness
Christian, evaluate every message by the Bible. Listen with an open Bible. Weigh every word in light of God’s truth.
True revival produces Christians who think biblically, not only feel deeply. True awakening strengthens discernment, not sensation.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
