JEFF TURNER
Matthew 7’s well-known phrase about knowing people by their fruit is frequently applied to believers as a way of testing whether someone’s faith is genuine, but I believe that reading misses the actual point Jesus was making. Rather than a not a tool for sizing up fellow Christians, isn’t this a warning about false prophets who are skilled at looking like the real thing while leading people astray? I believe Jesus was telling his listeners how to spot a deceiver, not how to audit a believer.
The fruit he was pointing to includes things like moral character, lifestyle choices, and the kind of people who follow and surround the teacher in question.
A false prophet may sound convincing, but a close look at how he lives and who he attracts will reveal the truth.
So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:20
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