By their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:16)?

Question

This one is for Christians.

"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 thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." Matthew 7:15-16

I think you know this passage. Could you outline a few principal points you would use to tell false prophets from true ones? Please do not use tautalogies like "The ones which speak of One True God". Muhammed also said he's speaking of One True God, and every single false messiah did.

Judge by their fruit, not by their deceptive words.

Many thanks, jivesucka! Never thought there's a whole article in Wikipedia on this issue :)
However, individual opinions are valued.

"The ones who do not spread hatred, who spend their time helping others." - not accepted. There are many Buddhists, atheists, etc who act and preach this way. E.g. I do.

"Only when they preach right exactly from the Bible" - not accepted. They wouldn't be prophets then.

Answer 1

First and foremost a false prophet will not teach the truth in Jesus Christ. He will do it for his own glory not Gods. He will not teach peace in the name of God but war.

Answer 2

Well to understand Matt.7:16; you got to go back a little to Matt.7:13 which says: "Enter ye at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go thereat:"

Now to understand Matt.7:13; you have to know what doctrines the majority believes.
*Catholic Church believes in Trinity, Going to Heaven, Jesus's Death Friday and Resurrection Sunday, Pagan Days, Worshipping Sunday and etc.
*Protestant Sunday Churches: they seem they have these too.
*Protestant Sabbath (Sat. Churches) also have 1 or more of the Catholic Doctrines.
*SDA Church believes in Trinity, Jesus's Death Friday and Resurrection Sunday, Going to heaven.
*Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus Death Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

So from here; we already know these are all false prophets because it doesn't hold up with the Bible.
Rember the saying of "the foolish man built his house upon the Sand" = Matt.7:26-27.
Also the Bible tells you that the "mother church" will have "daughter churches" that will be following her" = Rev.17:5.
Other clues that tell about the false prophets (1John 2:4; 4:2-3; 2John 1:7,9).
Another clue:
It also tells us that the "mother church" will (Dan.7:25)"change times and laws" as (Dan.8:12)"cast the truth to the ground."
****I believe from here, we narrowed all the false prophets.******



Now the good tree will be not following the Catholic Church teachings; it will be different from the rest(Eph.5:27).
It will teach you the good and the evil (Heb.5:12-14; 1John 4:6). It will actually follow Jesus(1Peter 2:21; Col.2:6; Rev.14:12) and the Apostles (Eph.2:20). It will be (Rev.12:17)persecuted at the end.

If you really want to know the true from the false; please see these sites--it goes much in detail. If you can't get to them--please use this site which will go to the pictures.
http://community.webshots.com/user/morrisonmcdf1

Answer 3

Only when they preach right exactly from the Bible. Also if they do anything or say anything that you have a sense, somethings wrong, example, Dan Brown, says Jesus ignored the deciples to be with Mary, this is so wrong, Jesus came to be a sacrifice on the cross so that we can be forgiven for our sins, Jesus was here to teach the deciple through an example, which in example would be to be free of sin, we know the word because of these deciples that carried out Jesus Christs plan.
Joseph Smith tried to change the Bible into the Book of Mormon, and later was caught on many false tellings.
The fruit should be recognizable by the example they set of being like Christ.

Answer 4

-Are they surrounded by pawns or competant equals?

-Do they teach people how to be Adults or Children that need to be spanked from time to time?

-Do any of their plans to save the world invilve killing an entire race or elevating a single race among many to a level not unlike Godhood?

-Do they ask for money as soon as they get there (as opposed to suggesting some ways to pool and manage your 'monies' that would be benificial to your community)?

-Does their woman look like their equal (or does she just look refined and sinless)?

-Does this person come from a family full of powerful evil people that need a puppet to help them get the last few votes?

-Do they bash the Bible?

-Do they condemn all that do not worship the Bible?

-Do they call GOD a woman?

-Is their #1 suggestion to ensure world peace the Pot, Sex, and Laziness Technique?

-Do they have to be superior to you before they are willing to talk to you?

-Do they have a low opinion of Honor?

-Do they hate ******, or do they aknowledge the fact that most appear to be the victims of sabotage?

-Do they think that women should be treated like property?

-Do they think that women are perfect, innocent, Goddesses and men should be rounded up, forced to fix all of the problems, and then despermed and killed systematically?

-(No sense in beating around the bush, eh?) ARE THEY A HIPPIE???

-Based on what they've said, do you want to join forces with them?

These are just a few questions you can ask to help you weed out all of the false prophets. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 5

Matthew's Jesus declares: "Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorns, nor figs from thistles, are they? Thus, every good tree bears good fruit, but the rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-20; see also Luke 6:43-45).

In these verses, Jesus vigorously affirms his opinion that what is good cannot possibly produce evil, and conversely, that what is evil cannot possibly produce good: "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit." Viewed from this New Testament all or nothing perspective, Christianity cannot be considered good since so many wrongs have issued from it since its inception.

To argue, as many Christian apologists do, that the evils resulting to the world in the wake of Christianity are not really of Christian origin is tantamount to claiming that the bad fruit growing on a tree were not produced by the tree. No amount of explaining can absolve Christianity from the innumerable wrongs stemming from the hegemony it has exercised over vast areas and peoples in the course of it tortuous history.

Matthew also records Jesus as saying: "Not everyone who says to me: 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father who is in the heavens. Many will say to me on that day: 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform powerful works?' And then I will declare to them: 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus' above statements do not equivocate. It's all or nothing. How does this apply to Christianity, which has spoken in the name of Jesus and in his name "performed powerful works?" Could Jesus possibly accept any group or individual that claims to be Christian? To be true to his own dictum that bad fruit can never be produced by a good tree, Jesus would disown and reject Christianity for all the evil it has perpetrated in his name. No Christian group or individual is exempt for all are the fruit of a bad tree. That is because many of the horrors Christians have subjected the world to are the direct result of Jesus' teachings as found in the Gospels.

Answer 6

Actions speak louder than words........By having a personal relationship with God, through prayer and reading his word, a person should change their views on the world and become a humble, loving person who follows God's way and not our own selfish, human desires.

Answer 7

yes, You can see that mohammad is a false prophet because of his bad fruit. (no offense to muslims) He has spawned a violent religion that kills inorder to convert. the jewish prophets spoke of love for god and man even though future christian kings killed to convert, yet they weren't prophets, but normal people.

Answer 8

The ones who do not spread hatred, who spend their time helping others.

Answer 9

Not if they are fruits from grafted branches. Some people pretend to be of one religion when they are really of another.

Answer 10

Baa