The first step in genuine discernment is recognizing a troubling pattern: the groups most insistent on their exclusive correctness, the organizations most certain they alone possess divine truth, are often the ones most disconnected from genuine biblical wisdom.

Jesus warned about this in Matthew 7:15-20: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “By their detailed prophetic timelines you will recognize them.” He doesn’t say, “By their ability to name specific people and dates you will recognize them.” He doesn’t say, “By their claims to exclusive revelation you will recognize them.” He says, “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

This is not a metaphor about doctrinal precision or interpretive sophistication. Jesus is pointing to something far more fundamental: the actual, observable outcomes of following a teaching or teacher. We recognize false prophets not primarily by examining their doctrinal statements or their interpretive frameworks, but by observing the fruit their teaching produces. A false prophet may quote Scripture extensively, may claim divine revelation, may present compelling interpretive systems, but the fruit reveals the root. 

 What kind of people does this interpretation produce? What behaviors does this teaching encourage? What happens to families when someone embraces this group’s understanding? What is the organization’s track record regarding honesty, integrity, and treatment of those who question or leave?

When Jesus spoke of examining fruit, He was establishing a practical, observable test that doesn’t require advanced theological training. Anyone can observe fruit. You don’t need to be a biblical scholar to see whether a teaching produces love or fear, freedom or control, honesty or deception, unity or division.

Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” This is the fruit that should be evident in individuals and organizations genuinely led by God’s Spirit.

In contrast, Galatians 5:19-21 describes the fruit of the flesh: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

When examining Shincheonji’s fruit, we must look beyond their doctrinal claims to their organizational behavior and track record. Multiple investigative reports and former member testimonies have documented concerning patterns:

Deception in recruitment: Shincheonji has been extensively documented using deceptive recruiting practices, hiding their identity while teaching potential converts, and instructing members to lie about their affiliation. In South Korea, numerous media investigations have exposed how Shincheonji operates front organizations with names like “Zion Christian Mission Center” or uses generic Bible study invitations without revealing their connection to Lee Man-hee’s organization.  This systematic deception contradicts Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

Family destruction: Countless families have testified to the devastating impact of Shincheonji membership, with members instructed to distance themselves from family members who oppose the group, to prioritize the organization over family obligations, and in some cases to cut contact entirely with “Babylon” family members. This directly contradicts 1 Timothy 5:8: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Information control: Members are instructed not to read critical information about the organization, not to speak with former members, and to interpret any negative information as Satanic persecution. Hassan identifies this as a key characteristic of destructive mind control: “When a group tells you not to read or listen to anything critical about them, they are engaging in information control. 

Legitimate organizations welcome scrutiny and can defend their practices through open dialogue. Groups that forbid members from accessing outside information are protecting themselves from exposure, not protecting members from falsehood.”

Failed prophecies and shifting interpretations: Like the Jehovah’s Witnesses before them, Shincheonji has made specific prophetic claims that have failed to materialize, yet members are discouraged from questioning these failures or examining the pattern of reinterpretation that follows each failed prediction. When Lee Man-hee’s teachings about the timing of certain prophetic fulfillments didn’t align with reality, the interpretations were quietly adjusted, but members were not encouraged to critically examine this pattern.

Legal and ethical violations: Shincheonji has faced numerous legal challenges in South Korea and internationally, including allegations related to COVID-19 misinformation, obstruction of public health efforts, and violations of religious freedom laws in various countries. In 2020, South Korean authorities filed charges against Lee Man-hee and other Shincheonji leaders for allegedly hindering the government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak by providing incomplete lists of members and failing to cooperate with contact tracing efforts.  

While legal charges don’t automatically indicate spiritual falsehood, a pattern of organizational behavior that consistently conflicts with civil authorities and public welfare raises serious questions about the fruit being produced.

These are not minor imperfections or human failings that exist in every organization. These are systematic patterns that reveal the fundamental character of the organization. When an organization’s fruit consistently contradicts the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, we have strong evidence that the Spirit of God is not the primary force guiding that organization, regardless of how convincing their biblical interpretations may sound.

So if detailed prophetic claims and confident assertions aren’t reliable guides, what is? The biblical answer is wisdom—but not the kind of wisdom that comes from human cleverness or interpretive sophistication.

James 3:13-18 provides a crucial test for distinguishing genuine spiritual wisdom from counterfeit versions: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Notice the characteristics of heavenly wisdom:

• Pure: Not mixed with deception, manipulation, or hidden agendas
• Peace-loving: Produces reconciliation, not division
• Considerate: Takes others’ perspectives and welfare into account
• Submissive: Willing to be corrected and to admit error
• Full of mercy: Shows compassion rather than harsh judgment
• Full of good fruit: Produces observable positive outcomes
• Impartial: Treats all people fairly, without favoritism
• Sincere: Genuine, without pretense or hidden motives

In contrast, James identifies false wisdom by its characteristics:

• Bitter envy: Resentment toward those who question or leave
• Selfish ambition: Prioritizing organizational growth and leader’s status over members’ welfare
• Disorder: Chaos in families, relationships, and personal lives
• Every evil practice: Systematic patterns of deception, manipulation, and harm

This is the biblical test for discerning correct interpretation: Does the teaching and the organization that promotes it demonstrate heavenly wisdom or earthly, demonic wisdom? Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh?

Proverbs 9:10 establishes the foundation: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” True wisdom begins not with claims to exclusive revelation but with humble reverence for God—a reverence that recognizes our human limitations and our susceptibility to self-deception.

Proverbs 3:5-7 warns against the very thing many groups demand: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” When a group insists that their leader alone has the correct understanding, that their interpretation alone is divinely revealed, they are asking you to lean on human understanding—specifically, their leader’s understanding—rather than trusting God to guide you personally through His Spirit and His Word.

Genuine biblical interpretation must demonstrate consistency with the whole counsel of Scripture, not just isolated verses taken out of context. 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Correctly handling the word of truth requires understanding context—historical, cultural, literary, and theological. It requires reading passages in light of their surrounding verses, their original audience, and their place in the biblical narrative. It requires comparing Scripture with Scripture, allowing clear passages to illuminate difficult ones.

One fundamental principle for rightly handling Scripture is allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. When we encounter a difficult passage, we don’t impose our own interpretive framework or accept someone else’s creative interpretation without verification. Instead, we examine how the Bible itself explains its symbols, metaphors, and prophecies. Clear passages illuminate obscure ones. The whole counsel of Scripture provides the context for understanding individual verses.

Groups that isolate verses, create elaborate symbolic systems that require insider knowledge to understand, or claim that traditional interpretations are all wrong and only they have discovered the true meaning should raise immediate red flags. 2 Peter 1:20-21 warns: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

If the apostles and prophets themselves didn’t invent their own private interpretations, why should we trust modern teachers who claim to have discovered meanings that were hidden from two thousand years of Christian scholarship? This doesn’t mean traditional interpretations are always correct, but it does mean we should be extremely cautious about interpretive systems that require us to reject the understanding of Scripture held by faithful believers throughout church history.

Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Notice that even the Apostle Paul’s teaching was subject to verification against Scripture. The Bereans didn’t simply accept Paul’s authority—they tested his teaching against God’s written Word.

If Paul’s teaching could be tested, why should any modern teacher’s interpretation be exempt from examination? Yet many groups discourage this kind of independent verification, insisting that questioning the leader’s interpretation demonstrates lack of faith or spiritual rebellion.

One of the most challenging aspects of discernment is distinguishing between the genuine witness of the Holy Spirit and the psychological pressure created by group dynamics, emotional manipulation, and information control.

Romans 8:16 promises: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” This internal witness is real and important. But how do we distinguish it from other internal experiences?

Hassan explains how groups create powerful emotional experiences that members interpret as spiritual confirmation: “Cults are masters at creating peak emotional experiences—through intensive study, sleep deprivation, repetitive singing, group pressure, and isolation from outside influences. Members interpret these emotional highs as confirmation that they’ve found the truth. But these same emotional experiences can be created in any high-control group, regardless of whether their teachings are true.”

1 John 4:1-3 provides a crucial test: “Dear friends, 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. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

The test isn’t just doctrinal—it’s relational and practical. Does this teaching and this group point you toward Jesus Christ as He is revealed in Scripture, or do they ultimately point you toward their organization, their leader, and their exclusive interpretation? Does the teaching produce the character of Christ in followers, or does it produce fear, elitism, and separation from others who love Jesus?

The ultimate test for any biblical interpretation is whether it points people to Jesus Christ or points them to something or someone else. John 5:39-40 records Jesus’s words to religious leaders who studied Scripture extensively but missed its central message: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” 

It’s possible to study Scripture, develop elaborate interpretive systems, and claim divine revelation while missing the entire point—Jesus Himself. When an interpretation of Revelation results in people following a human leader rather than following Christ, when it creates dependence on an organization rather than dependence on God, when it produces loyalty to a teacher rather than devotion to Jesus, it has failed the ultimate test regardless of how many Bible verses support it.

1 Corinthians 14:33 establishes a key principle: “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” If your involvement in a group is creating disorder in your family, chaos in your relationships, and turmoil in your life, this is strong evidence that God’s Spirit is not the primary force at work, regardless of how much the group claims divine authority.

Perhaps the most reliable test of genuine spiritual authority is humility—specifically, the willingness to admit error, accept correction, and acknowledge limitations.

James 4:6 declares: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” If God opposes the proud, we should be extremely cautious about following teachers who demonstrate pride—especially the pride of claiming exclusive access to truth.

Proverbs 11:2 warns: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Notice the connection: humility and wisdom go together. Pride and disgrace go together.

Organizations that cannot admit when they’ve made mistakes, that rewrite their history to hide failed prophecies, that punish members who ask honest questions, and that insist their leader’s interpretation is beyond question are demonstrating pride, not humility. This pride is evidence that they lack the wisdom that comes from God.

In contrast, genuine spiritual authority demonstrates humility. It welcomes questions. It admits limitations. It acknowledges that human understanding is partial and imperfect. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 reminds us: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Paul, an apostle who received direct revelation from Christ, acknowledged that his knowledge was partial. He saw dimly, as in a mirror. He knew in part. If Paul admitted the limitations of his understanding, what should we think of modern teachers who claim to have complete, perfect understanding of all biblical prophecy?

Given these biblical principles, how do we practically discern which interpretation to trust?

First, we pray for wisdom as James instructs, asking God to reveal truth and expose deception. We don’t rely solely on our own analytical abilities or intellectual capacity—we depend on God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit. James 1:5 provides our starting point: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Notice the source—wisdom comes from God, not from human interpretive systems, not from organizational frameworks, not from charismatic teachers.

Second, examine the fruit systematically and honestly. Don’t just look at the positive testimonies the group provides. Seek out former members. Read critical analyses. Investigate the organization’s track record. Look for patterns, not just isolated incidents. Ask: Does this organization demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh? Does it produce the wisdom from above or earthly, demonic wisdom? 

Third, test the interpretation against the whole counsel of Scripture. Don’t accept interpretations based on isolated verses or elaborate symbolic systems. Read passages in context. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Be especially cautious of interpretations that require you to reject two thousand years of Christian understanding without compelling biblical reasons.

Fourth, verify claims independently. Don’t accept the group’s word about their history, their prophecies, or their leader’s qualifications. Research independently. Check facts. Look for documentation. The Bereans examined Paul’s teaching against Scripture—you should examine any teacher’s claims against verifiable evidence. 

Fifth, assess the role of fear and pressure. Is your belief based on genuine conviction or on fear of consequences for questioning? Are you free to disagree, to ask hard questions, to take time to think? Or is there pressure to decide quickly, to commit fully, to cut off outside influences? Hassan notes: “Legitimate organizations don’t need to pressure people into quick decisions. They don’t need to isolate people from family and friends. They don’t need to control information. Truth can withstand scrutiny. Deception requires pressure, isolation, and information control to maintain itself.” 

Sixth, seek counsel from mature believers outside the group. Proverbs 15:22 advises: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” If a group discourages you from seeking outside counsel, that itself is a warning sign. God’s wisdom doesn’t fear outside perspective.

Seventh, evaluate claims of exclusive authority with skepticism. When an organization insists they alone can correctly interpret Scripture, that they alone have the revealed knowledge, that salvation or spiritual understanding is impossible outside their framework, we should recognize this as a warning sign rather than a mark of authenticity. First John 2:27 tells us: “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” This doesn’t mean we don’t need teachers—Scripture clearly affirms the role of teachers in the body of Christ. Rather, it means that genuine believers have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, enabling them to recognize truth and detect deception. 

Eighth, trust God’s guidance and remain humble about your own interpretations while firm about biblical truth. Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” You’re not trusting your feelings or your intellectual capacity—you’re trusting the Lord who transforms hearts, gives wisdom to discern truth, and makes paths straight. We acknowledge that we see through a glass darkly, that our understanding is partial, that we may be wrong about secondary matters. But we also affirm that Scripture speaks clearly about essential truths—about Jesus’s identity, about salvation by grace through faith, about the nature of God’s kingdom.

When faced with competing interpretations, the ultimate question isn’t “Which group has the most detailed prophetic timeline?” or “Which teacher sounds most confident?” The ultimate question is: “Which teaching produces the fruit of the Spirit, demonstrates the wisdom from above, points me toward Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture, and stands up to honest examination?”

If an interpretation requires you to accept deception as a legitimate tool, to distance yourself from loved ones who question, to stop thinking critically, to ignore evidence of organizational misconduct, or to elevate a human leader to a position of unquestionable authority—that interpretation fails the biblical test, regardless of how many Scripture verses are quoted to support it.

Colossians 2:8 warns: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

The question isn’t whether you can discern perfectly. None of us can. The question is whether you’re willing to apply biblical tests honestly, to examine fruit carefully, to seek wisdom humbly, and to trust that God will guide those who genuinely seek Him rather than those who seek to validate a predetermined conclusion.

Matthew 7:7-8 promises: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

God is not hiding truth from sincere seekers. He is not playing games that require you to find the one organization with the secret decoder ring. He has given us His Word, His Spirit, and the wisdom to discern truth from error—if we’re willing to apply biblical tests honestly rather than accepting claims to exclusive authority uncritically.

The choice before you isn’t primarily about which interpretation is correct. It’s about whether you’ll trust God enough to examine claims honestly, to test fruit carefully, and to follow where genuine biblical wisdom leads—even when that path contradicts the claims of those who insist they alone possess the truth.