Watch out for false prophets [teachers]. 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.
Matthew 7:15-20
Here, we find a profound yet straightforward instruction: discerning true spiritual guidance from deceptive influences. This passage, rich in metaphor and deep in wisdom, provides an essential criterion for understanding and identifying genuine spiritual truth.
The metaphor of a tree is deeply rooted in Jewish wisdom literature and the Old Testament, where moral character is likened to strong trees and their fruits (e.g., Psalm 1:3; Avot 3:22). This metaphor emphasizes the principle that the authenticity and value of one’s teachings are revealed through the outcomes of those teachings. If, for example, a rabbi’s followers are kind, joyful, just, loving, compassionate, etc., it means the rabbi’s teaching produces good fruit. If, however, his followers are critical, depressed, anxious, angry, judgmental, and unkind, it means the rabbi’s teaching produces bad fruit. In essence, it’s the teachings of religiosity.
A sheep symbolizes innocence. These leaders outwardly look polite, gentle, gracious, respectful, courteous, and godly but are, in fact, like ferocious wolves—aggressive, mean, militant, unkind, and fanatical.
Yeshua warns of false teachers who appear outwardly harmless and caring, but the fruit of their teaching proves otherwise. This imagery speaks to the deceptive nature of certain teachings and teachers who, though seemingly benign or even benevolent, may lead one astray from the path of true spiritual growth. The key to discernment, according to Yeshua, lies in observing the ‘fruits’ – the outcomes or consequences of their teachings. These are ‘false prophets,’ who are not secular individuals but religious leaders. This can be interpreted as a warning against the dangers often inherent in organized religion.
To the Jews, a prophet wasn’t a fortune teller but rather someone who conveyed God’s message, which sometimes included foretelling future events. If a pastor “prophesies” that Iraq will be destroyed in 2350, it’s not realistic to test the validity of this prophecy. Yeshua’s reference to testing the fruit of teachers was about evaluating the impact of their teachings on their followers’ lives. Are they peaceful, kind, generous, and empathetic, or harsh, patronizing, and mean?
The metaphor of trees and fruits powerfully illustrates this principle. Just as a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit, so too do true teachings yield positive, life-affirming results, while false teachings lead to negative outcomes. Yeshua emphasizes that it is not possible for a good tree to produce bad fruit or vice versa, signifying the inherent nature of teachings and their inevitable consequences.
Consider a friendly, charismatic pastor who presents a kind exterior. This leader appears caring, gaining the trust and admiration of the congregation. However, despite the outward display of benevolence and wisdom, the leader’s teachings are fundamentally rigid and oppressive, manifesting in the lives of the church members who are depressed, joyless, and uptight. The ‘fruits’ or outcomes of these teachings become evident in the congregation’s behavior and overall well-being. Members of the group, although outwardly conforming and supportive of the leader, are internally struggling. They are judgmental towards outsiders or those who question the group’s beliefs. Furthermore, there is a pervasive sense of anxiety among the members, stemming from the fear of not meeting the strict standards set by the leader or the group’s doctrine.
This scenario exemplifies Yeshua’s warning: the true nature of a teacher and their teachings is revealed not in their outward appearance or charisma but in their effects on their followers. The negative psychological and emotional state of the congregation, despite the leader’s seemingly positive exterior, indicates the destructive impact of the teachings, revealing the true nature of the leadership as harmful and misleading.
For instance, if a pastor’s teachings cause anxiety, distress, low self-esteem, or lead to suffering, it indicates the fruit is bad, and caution is needed. For example, consider a pastor who insists a woman member in his church cannot divorce her psychopath narcissist husband who physically and emotionally abuses her unless he committed adultery, a clear misunderstanding of the scriptures.1 This misinterpretation of scripture can lead to tragic outcomes, like the actual case in 2023, where a friend of mine was murdered by her abusive husband after her messianic leaders pressured her to stay in the marriage. This sadly illustrates what bad fruit looks like today.
This passage calls for vigilant discernment in spiritual matters. It suggests that one should not merely accept teachings at face value but should critically observe the results they produce in people’s everyday lives. Are they fostering love, compassion, understanding, happiness, and growth? Or are they leading to division, conflict, depression, anxiety, and spiritual stagnation? This is the criterion set forth by Yeshua, one that can be utilized to examine teachers, churches, and even denominations.
Not long ago, during my “fundamentalist days,” I belonged to a large conservative Messianic church in Netanya, Israel. This church was led by four well-known Messianic figures, all adherents of Calvinistic doctrines and leaders of prominent wealthy ministries. It was also the church where many of my fellow staff members worshipped. However, there was so much strife, conflict, hostility, and discord among the four elders that two eventually left. This tension inevitably spread to the congregation, forcing members to pick sides. Once, I even overheard a conversation between one of the pastors and a Christian friend where the pastor referred to one of the other pastors as “the devil.” Needless to say, they boycotted one another and refrained from speaking unless it was through lawyers.
Yeshua calls for vigilant discernment in spiritual matters, suggesting that one should not merely accept teachings at face value, even if coming from friendly faces, but should critically observe the results they produce in people’s everyday lives. Because textual interpretations vary, are subjective, and often evolve with new understandings, the best way to assess a leader’s teachings, according to Yeshua, is by examining the fruits of those teachings—the lives and characters of their followers. Do they foster kindness, compassion, understanding, joy, meekness, mercy, humility, and growth? Or is there constant division, conflict, gossip, depression, anxiety, and spiritual stagnation? This is the criterion set forth by Yeshua, one that can be utilized to examine teachers, churches, and even denominations.
Rabbi Yeshua’s teachings encourage personal responsibility in spiritual seeking. Instead of blindly following strong charismatic leaders or the group’s persuasive doctrines, individuals are encouraged to look at the tangible outcomes of teachings and practices. This approach fosters a more mature, discerning, and authentic spiritual journey.
The warning “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19) reflects a key principle from Yeshua’s teachings. In the context of an ancient Jewish agrarian society, a tree’s value was often measured by its productivity; good trees with good fruit would be kept for food, while the lowest quality trees would be cut down for use as firewood to warm houses and for cooking. Similarly, spiritual teachings and leaders were evaluated based on the impact they had on their followers’ lives. This metaphor implies that teachings or leaders that do not produce positive growth in their adherents—akin to good fruit—are ultimately deemed unfruitful and relegated to the most basic and temporary purposes.
In essence, Yeshua’s message in these verses from Matthew is a timeless guide for spiritual discernment. It teaches that the true value of any spiritual path, teaching, or leader is revealed not in their outward appearance, eloquence, or zealousness but in the quality of positive transformation they bring about in individuals and communities. By observing the ‘fruits’ of teachings, one can navigate the spiritual journey with wisdom and discernment, aligning oneself with teachings that truly nourish and foster spiritual growth.
Being a Jew myself, I sometimes wonder—if a Jew were to take Yeshua’s advice and evaluate the fruit of Christianity from a Jewish perspective, would they deem Christianity to be divinely inspired? Considering that the most antisemitic figures in history were Christians—such as John Chrysostom, Augustine, Tertullian, Pope Paul IV, Martin Luther, and John Calvin—and reflecting on the destructive outcomes of Christianity, like the hundreds of millions who died in wars between Catholics and Protestants, or considering the Inquisitions, pogroms, blood libels, crusades, massacres, and notably the Holocaust (where Hitler frequently cited Martin Luther), or even the present-day conflicts between Catholics and Evangelicals, or between charismatics and Calvinists, as well as conservatives and liberal Christians, there’s no wonder as to why Jews so strongly reject Christianity.
Conclusion
“By their fruit you will recognize them. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
Matthew 7:16-17
Their motives are not necessarily evil, but they turn people’s lives into living hells. That’s why “we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1). Bad shepherds scare, traumatize, and terrorize their flock. Good shepherds protect, heal, and help their followers grow.
There’s no smoke without fire. If your church’s religious leaders sexually harass women and children, live like kings, often in strife and discord with others, generate gossip, protect abusers, cover up criminal activities, are never truly transparent, and often traumatize their flock, causing them to leave the faith, it means you might be in a cult, not in God’s home.
I pray God will turn us into the shepherds we never had.
Learn more about why Jews reject Jesus in my new book:
- For further exploration, consider my book, “Christian and Divorced: What the Bible REALLY Says About Divorce & Remarriage.” ↩︎
