How To Know What Is True or False

Basic Criteria to use in determining what to believe as true or false:

1. Who said it?
Identifying the source of information is very critical. Is he/she an expert on the subject? Is he/she known to be a person of integrity? Has the person proven to be trustworthy? Our focus here is on the character and qualification of the source.

It is true that even an expert can misrepresent the information intentionally or not. Furthermore, he may not be in a position to render judgment because his expertise does not include what is purported to be. We know so well that disagreements exist even among experts themselves.

When judging the sources based on integrity, we should look at their track record and discern their motives. It is a known fact that so called authoritative advocates sometimes manipulate data to achieve their selfish interest. We need to be aware and vigilant so that we are not duped into believing it is true when in reality, the endorsement is only self-serving.

2. Is the information verifiable?
There should be a way to objectively confirm the veracity of information being propounded. If it cannot be independently verified, then we should not commit ourselves to any conclusion whether or not it is true. We should be leery of it.

When the Apostle Paul preached to the Berean believers, they searched the Scriptures to see if what was being said was true even though “they received the message with great eagerness”.

Often times we readily accept without further analysis what we hear, read or listen to because, after all, it comes from someone we respect, trust, and acknowledge as authority. We fail to “test everything and hold on to the good”(1 Thess. 5:21).