Judging Angels Is The Same As Trying Spirits
Posted June 16, 2010
Hi Mike,
A brother here shared with me about the judging of the spirits in 1Co 6:3.
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life.Knowing that angels are messengers (good or evil) sent from God, he asked me whether this judging of angels is also the same as to the trying of the spirits of false prophets now.
1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.I thought that it makes perfect sense that to try the spirits and to judge angels involves the teaching of righteousness in both cases which can only be found in and done by the Word of God:
Psa 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments& endureth forever.Are we in line with scriptures here?
Psa 119:123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.
Psa 119:172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
We are truly finding the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem to be hard work and yet so fulfilling.
Love,
L____
Hi L,
You ask if you are in line with the scriptures in seeing the judging of angels and the trying of spirits as one and the same thing? The answer is, yes, that is exactly what is being said in both 1Co 6:3 and in 1Jn 4:1.
Here they are together so we can see just how alike they are.
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
In 1Co 6:3 Paul is telling the Corinthians that they should never look to the outside world to settle internal disputes, because "we shall judge angels, how much more the things that pertain to this life?" Our internal disputes within the body of Christ, whether they concern spiritual or more mundane and earthly matters, will all be decided and settled by the principles which are revealed in the Word of God. Likewise all of our decisions concerning false spirits brought into our midst will be decided and settled by the Word of God.
So you are exactly in line with the Word of God. Every time we dispel a false doctrine, we are judging and dispelling a false spirit, and our judgments must be based upon the Words of God, which all those verses you have listed show to be "the word of righteousness".
Thanks again for your input, and give my words of gratitude and my greetings in Christ to our brothers there.
Mike