Defining Discernment - by John MacArthur

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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We cannot figure out why people think Dr. MacArthur is a stellar teacher. We have rarely read anything written by him that would indicate this. 

Today's article is another sorry example of Bad Bible Teaching. 

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In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. (No Bible verse quoted. 

Discernment is actually a spiritual gift, i.e. a supernatural empowerment. The ability to decide between truth and error, however, is nothing more than training in facts. Learning and knowledge isn't discernment.)

Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically.

First Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." (Let's quote a larger part of the passage:

1Th. 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;

1Th. 5:20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.

1Th. 5:21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.

1Th. 5:22 Avoid every kind of evil.

We find here that Paul was telling the Thessalonian church about spiritual things, not to increase themselves in factual knowledge. The Greek word for test is dokimazo, to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing be genuine or not), as metals... Paul wanted this church to examine prophecies, separate the good and avoid the bad.

This requires spiritual insight from the Holy Spirit. Thus, we must not put out His fire.)

The apostle John issues a similar warning when he says, "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" (1 John 4:1). (This is also dokimazo.)

According to the New Testament, discernment is not optional for the believer-it is required. ("According to the New Testament..." Ok, where is this described as a requirement for every believer? The Bible may indeed say this, but Dr. MacArthur is a supposed Bible teacher. Tell us where in the Bible this is.)

The key to living an uncompromising life lies in one's ability to exercise discernment in every area of his or her life. (Undocumented statement.)

For example, failure to distinguish between truth and error leaves the Christian subject to all manner of false teaching. False teaching then leads to an unbiblical mindset, which results in unfruitful and disobedient living-a certain recipe for compromise. (We have met a fair number of people who have acquired a lot of factual Bible knowledge. Generally, we have not found them to be fruitful.)

Unfortunately, discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God's Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior. In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that face them throughout their day. (Again Dr. MacArthur reduces discernment to assembling facts. However, perfect doctrine is not an indicator of spiritual maturity.)

Discernment intersects the Christian life at every point. And God's Word provides us with the needed discernment about every issue of life. According to Peter, God "has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3). (Now Dr. MacArthur lies to us. This is the way we must characterize this. 2 Peter 1:3 is not about "God's Word." Read it for yourself:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

Clearly Peter refers to "His divine power," not "God's Word." Dr. MacArthur dishonestly omits "divine power" from his quote.)

You see, it is through the "true knowledge of Him," that we have been given everything we need to live a Christian life in this fallen world. And how else do we have true knowledge of God but through the pages of His Word, the Bible? In fact, Peter goes on to say that such knowledge comes through God's granting "to us His precious and magnificent promises" (2 Peter 1:4). (Let's quote more of the verse:

...by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

So there's a connection between the two verses we need to ascertain. Let's put the two verses back together: 

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature...

There's a premise in verse three, from which Peter derives a conclusion. Something "by which" He has granted us His promises. That something is His own glory and excellence. This is the basis by which He has granted us His promises. 

Let's parse it out:

• His divine power gives us many things
• This occurred via coming to a knowledge of Him
• By His glory and excellence He gave us His promises
• The result is that we are partakers of His divine nature

We are mystified what any of this has to do with discernment.)

Discernment—the ability to think biblically about all areas of life—is indispensable to an uncompromising life. (He repeats his undocumented claim.)

It is incumbent upon the Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His precious truth! (??? God provides discernment by means of "His precious truth?" What does this mean? How does it work? Where does it say this in the Bible?)

Without it, Christians are at risk of being "tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14).  (Oh, my. Dr. MacArthur misquotes and misapplies yet another verse. Let's quote a larger part of it:

11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

As the reader can see, Paul was not discussing discernment, he was describing the role of the five-fold ministry in raising up the saint to maturity of faith.

So what exactly is discernment? As mentioned it is a spiritual gift, that is, a supernatural empowerment from the Holy Spirit:

1Co. 12:8-10 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits...

"Distinguishing" is diakrisis, a thorough judgment, i.e. a discernment (conclusion) which distinguishes "look-alikes," i.e. things that appear to be the same. Discernment requires spiritual insight, the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

Dr. MacArthur did not mention this passage, likely because he doesn't believe half of what is written in it. It would bring up uncomfortable questions about spiritual gifts, and would also refute his idea that discernment comes from Bible knowledge.)