Do Not Trust Every Inspiration

 "My beloved, do not trust every inspiration.  Test the spirits, to see, whether they come from GOD, because many false prophets are now in the world.

How will you recognize the Spirit of GOD?  Any spirit recognizing JESUS as the CHRIST, who has taken our flesh, is of GOD.  But any spirit that does not recognize JESUS, is not from GOD, it is the spirit of the antichrist.  You have heard of his coming, and even, now, he is in the world.

They are of the world and the world inspires them, and those of the world listen to them.

We are of GOD, and those who know GOD, listen to us, but those who are not of GOD, ignore us.  This is how we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of falsehood as well." - 1 John 4:1-6

(John underlined the role of the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth, but now he is dealing with the case of the prophets who do not speak according to the faith received from the apostles through the Church.

There have always been conflicts between those in authority and those who speak freely.  It should  be clear that no inspired person would ever be able to speak against the traditional faith of the Church.  What if it deals with ways of being or doing in the Church?  Must we always support the people in charge in all circumstances?  That would be to forget that the Gospel forms free people.  We must never blindly follow the opinion of the pope, or the bishop, or the majority.  It is our responsibility to think for ourselves and to evaluate according to the criteria of the Gospel.

Can we then favor those who seem to be guided by the Spirit?  If the Holy Spirit really inspires them, however much they may criticize what must be criticized, they will never attempt to divide the Church.  The community may expel them, but they will not become responsible for the break.  Even when the local community rejects them, they will never be willing to separate themselves from the universal communion of the Church, which, with time, always recognizes true prophets.)

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