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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>Topical Bible: Testing and Proving Truth</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/topical/t/testing_and_proving_truth.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newtopical.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/topical/vmenus/1_thessalonians/5-21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcde/t/testing.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/topical/">Topical</a> > Testing and Proving Truth</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/topical/t/testing_and_proving_israel.htm" title="Testing and Proving Israel">◄</a> Testing and Proving Truth <a href="/topical/t/testing_and_provision.htm" title="Testing and Provision">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Jump to: <a href="#sub" title="Subtopics">Subtopics</a> • <a href="#rel" title="Related Terms">Terms</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><a name="te" id="te"></a><div class="vheading2">Topical Encyclopedia</div>In the Christian faith, the concepts of testing and proving truth are integral to discerning the will of God and ensuring adherence to sound doctrine. The Bible provides numerous instructions and examples on how believers are to test and prove what is true, emphasizing the importance of aligning with God's truth.<br><br><b>Biblical Foundation</b><br><br>The Berean Standard Bible offers several passages that highlight the necessity of testing and proving truth. One foundational verse is <a href="/1_thessalonians/5-21.htm">1 Thessalonians 5:21</a>, which instructs believers to "test all things; hold fast to what is good." This directive underscores the responsibility of Christians to examine teachings, prophecies, and practices to ensure they align with biblical truth.<br><br>Another key passage is found in 1 <a href="/john/4.htm">John 4:1</a>, which warns, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." This verse highlights the presence of false teachings and the need for discernment through testing.<br><br><b>Role of Scripture</b><br><br>Scripture serves as the ultimate standard for testing truth. In <a href="/acts/17-11.htm">Acts 17:11</a>, the Bereans are commended for their noble character because they "received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true." This example illustrates the importance of comparing teachings with the Word of God to verify their authenticity.<br><br>The Apostle Paul, in <a href="/2_timothy/3-16.htm">2 Timothy 3:16-17</a>, affirms the sufficiency of Scripture for discerning truth: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work." This passage emphasizes that Scripture is the authoritative guide for testing and proving truth.<br><br><b>Discernment and Wisdom</b><br><br>The Bible encourages believers to seek wisdom and discernment in their pursuit of truth. <a href="/james/1-5.htm">James 1:5</a> assures that "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." This promise highlights the availability of divine wisdom to aid in discerning truth.<br><br><a href="/proverbs/3-5.htm">Proverbs 3:5-6</a> further instructs believers to "trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This passage underscores the importance of relying on God's guidance rather than human reasoning alone.<br><br><b>Role of the Holy Spirit</b><br><br>The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding believers into all truth. Jesus promised in <a href="/john/16-13.htm">John 16:13</a>, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth." The Holy Spirit aids in understanding and applying Scripture, providing believers with the discernment needed to test and prove truth.<br><br><b>Community and Accountability</b><br><br>The Christian community also serves as a means of testing and proving truth. <a href="/ephesians/4-14.htm">Ephesians 4:14-15</a> encourages believers to "no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head." This passage highlights the role of the church in fostering maturity and discernment through mutual accountability and love.<br><br><b>Conclusion</b><br><br>The Bible provides a comprehensive framework for testing and proving truth, emphasizing the importance of Scripture, discernment, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian community. Believers are called to diligently examine all things, holding fast to what is good and true, in order to faithfully follow God's will.</div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="sub" id="sub"></a><div class="vheading2">Subtopics</div><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/testing.htm">Testing</a></p><a name="rel" id="rel"></a><div class="vheading2">Related Terms</div><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/t/tests.htm">Tests (10 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/t/testing.htm">Testing (46 Occurrences)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/topical/t/testing_and_proving_israel.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Testing and Proving Israel"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Testing and Proving Israel" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/topical/t/testing_and_provision.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Testing and Provision"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Testing and Provision" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"><script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div></td></tr></table></div></div></div> <br /><br /> <div align="center"> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>