Discern

diakrinō

Today we come to the actual word discern, as it is used in Scripture. Most people are aware of the old adage, “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailor’s delight.” That is actually based on Matthew 16:2–3. The occasion was when the Pharisees tempted Jesus to perform a sign from heaven. But He turned it around on them and said, “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” In other words, they could discern a simple natural phenomenon, but they had no spiritual discernment of who Jesus really was.

The Greek is diakrinō (1252), one of several similar words that speak of judgment and discernment. It literally means “to make a distinction,” something the Pharisees could not do and something many Christians today will not do.

This word also appears in the context of the regulations for tongues (see June 25) and other sign gifts in 1 Corinthians 14:29: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge [diakrinō].” That “safety valve” guarded against false doctrine; others listened to what was being taught and “made a distinction.”

A graphic picture of discernment appears in Acts 17:11. After leaving Thessalonica because of much bitter treatment from Jews there, Paul and Silas headed for Berea, about forty-five miles away. Upon entering the synagogue, they found a group of new believers who “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” While many in Thessalonica had “received the word of God which [they] heard” (1 Thess. 2:13), the Bereans were totally dedicated to the study of Scripture to see if what Paul said was true.

That is discernment and is what we need today. We must listen to every word a teacher speaks and every word an author writes. May I also interject that this most certainly includes what you’re reading right now. What I write must be compared to Scripture and Scripture alone. It has been well said, “Truth says, ‘Examine me,’ while tolerance says, ‘Leave me alone.’”

Scriptures for Study: Read the following passages on discernment: Acts 20:28–31; 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13–15.