You’ve probably heard it a million times, just like I have. The old “counterfeit money” illustration about discerning false doctrine and false teachers. If you’re not familiar, it goes a little something like this:
When training tellers to detect counterfeit bills, banks don’t have them study counterfeit money. Tellers are trained to become so familiar with authentic bills that when a counterfeit bill comes their way, they immediately detect it.
This, we’re told, is THE way to learn to discern false doctrine or spot a false teacher – not by being warned about them by name or description (i.e. studying counterfeit money), but only by knowing our Bibles well (i.e. studying authentic bills).
Unless that illustration is being used as a subtle way to say, “Hey, stay away from those mean old discernment bloggers!” it’s a decent illustration, as far as it goes. It’s correct, but not complete.
And if we base our understanding of discernment on this illustration rather than on what Scripture actually teaches about discernment, we’re going to get it wrong. Scripture tells us pastors are to preach sound doctrine AND ALSO rebuke those who contradict it.
The overseer must be…holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.
Titus 1:7a, 9
Rebuking, sounding the alarm, and warning against false teachers and false doctrine is one of the biblical qualifications for pastors. In other words, if a pastor doesn’t warn against false teachers and false doctrine, (i.e. doesn’t warn you and train you about counterfeits) he’s only doing half his job and is disqualified.
Likewise, saying that the only way bank tellers learn about counterfeits and counterfeiters is by handling real money is untrue. When there’s a counterfeiter on the loose, the police alert banks and businesses. There are “Wanted:” posters with the suspect’s name, picture, and M.O., if available.
The media run news stories with surveillance video and descriptions of the counterfeit bills. The police want to get the word out so banks, businesses, and citizens won’t be fooled and taken advantage of, and so the criminal can be caught and brought to justice.
Providentially, not long ago, I spotted this “be on the lookout” (BOLO) warning from the police department of a small town near me. It was posted near a store’s cash register, where all the clerks could see it and be ready when counterfeit bills came their way.
It’s imperative that we study our Bibles and know them well. That knowledge of Scripture is like a filter that can catch all sorts of bad teaching before it has a chance to take root in our brains. But it’s only half the story. We also have to be familiar with the counterfeit teachings and teachers prevalent in evangelicalism today, and warn our churches, friends, and loved ones about them.
This is the complete picture of discernment given to us in Scripture. So, yeah, use the counterfeit money illustration to your heart’s content, but make sure you tell the whole story.
