01 – How to Hear the Voice of Truth – Part 1

Episode 1: Two Minutes with the Truth – Joel B Groat

Many voices, many teachers, many prophets, many claiming to provide spiritual guidance.  How do we know which voice is speaking truth to us? There is only one source for reliable, spiritual truth – the Bible.  Jesus said in John 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth. Your Word is truth.

Jesus also said in John 8:31-32 – “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The Apostle Paul taught Timothy in 2 Tim 3:16-17 –“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We therefore know that someone is speaking with a voice of truth if everything they are saying is based on the clear teaching of Scripture.

So when we listen to those who would teach us we follow the example of the noble Bereans in Acts 17:11.  The Apostle Paul said these believers in Jesus were more noble because “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

They not only listened, but whenever they heard something new, they checked the Scriptures to make sure what they were being taught was the truth.   They did this even when they were taught by the Apostle Paul.  And Paul was not offended that they checked his teachings and compared them with Scripture, he was glad and called the Bereans more noble.

We learn from this that it is noble, and it is honorable to take any teaching we hear and compare it to what the Bible says.   Any true and good teacher, pastor, bishop, or spiritual leader will be like the Apostle Paul and will be glad when his listeners do this.

Next time we will see why it is so important to be careful, and why Jesus and the writers of the New Testament gave many, many warnings about false prophets and false teachers and how to recognize them.