You have probably heard a minister use this illustration before: You don’t learn how to become an expert in counterfeit currency by studying counterfeit currency; instead, you study the real thing. Once you know the defining characteristics of real money, anything that is fake will leap out in comparison. And then, of course, the preacher drives home an application about the importance of spiritual discernment. It’s an effective illustration. But is it true, or is it just the kind of story that preachers like to pass along?

A few years ago, I determined I would find out and filed a request with the Bank of Canada to meet with one of their experts on currency. We sat down together and she gave me a compressed version of the training their experts undergo. Just as I had been told by a host of preachers, the training involves learning all of the marks of genuine currency. Here in Canada, genuine bills have a variety of security features that are difficult to duplicate on anything but the most advanced printing machines: micro-printing, watermarks, holograms, areas that are see-through, and areas that become visible only when held up to a source of light. She demonstrated these characteristics for a few minutes, then handed me a stack of currency that had been withdrawn from circulation. She told me that some of it was authentic and some of it was counterfeit and my task was to sort it into two piles: genuine and fake. Even with only that little bit of training I was quickly and easily able to tell the difference. By knowing what was real, I was able to identify what was false. The preacher’s illustration is effective because it is true!

Why does the Bank of Canada teach with this method? Because when it comes to our money, the real thing holds to a fixed standard while the counterfeit is always changing. Counterfeiters are always trying new tricks, always trying new ideas and new materials. Some of their fakes are excellent reproductions, some are ridiculous. All of them at least vaguely imitate the real thing. But the Canadian $20 or $50 bill is created according to a fixed standard. Each one is identical. Each one is perfect. Each one looks authentic because it is authentic.

I have been asked to write about reading with discernment and I begin with this illustration because it highlights two important matters. First, it highlights that there are good books and bad books, books that are true and books that are false, books that portray Christianity as it really is and books that portray a counterfeit form of it. Second, it highlights that the way to discern the two is to know what is good and true and to know it to such a degree that anything fake and false immediately stands out in stark, ugly contrast.

Good Books, Bad Books⤒🔗

I am convinced that we are living in a golden age of Christian publishing. We have multitudes of excellent, biblical new books pouring out of publishers every year. Not only that, but publishers are helping us rediscover the best of years gone by, bringing renewed attention to the church fathers, the Reformers, the Puritans, and representatives of every other age. It has never been easier to access the absolute best of what God’s people have written in the past 2,000 years. We of all people are most blessed. We of all people have no excuse not to fill our minds and hearts with what is true.

But all of this good has not come without plenty of bad. Just as there are publishers committed to printing only what is good and true and lovely, there are publishers who are motivated by money or whose theological standards are woefully inadequate. There are non-Christian publishers who care little for theological nuance or correctness. For every good book, it seems like there are ten or twenty that are poor or even flat-out awful.

There are good books. There are bad books. We need to know the difference.

How to Tell Good Books from Bad Books←⤒🔗

With so many books to choose from, and with so many of them so troubling, how can Christians tell the difference? How can we read with discernment? This is where our illustration helps. The way to read with discernment is to know what is true, to so arm yourself with truth that error stands out in contrast.

This means that we must first be people of the Bible, the only book that is wholly, entirely trustworthy in its every sentence, word, and syllable. God who is true has given us truth in His Word. We cannot be discerning without it. We discern everyone and everything by it. To be a discerning reader, you must first know this Word. So read it privately, read it with family, read it with friends, hear it preached, and fill yourself with it.

And as a man or woman of the Word, consider asking these four questions of any book:

Who wrote the book?←↰⤒🔗

Familiarize yourself with trustworthy authors. If you don’t know the authors you can trust, ask friends or pastors for their recommendations. Begin with those authors, learn who they appreciate and who they recommend, and begin to diversify in that way. The more you read, the more your confidence will grow.

Who published the book?←↰⤒🔗

As you familiarize yourself with Christian authors you will also familiarize yourself with Christian publishers. There are many publishers who are fully committed to publishing only books that are consistent with God’s Word. Learn who these publishers are and begin to explore their works.

Who endorsed the book?←↰⤒🔗

Endorsements are a means for one trusted figure to add his or her recommendation to a book. As your list of trusted authors grows, you can look for their names on the back cover or inside the front cover of new books. Read the books your trusted authors recommend.

Who reviewed the book?←↰⤒🔗

As you find your list of trusted authors, also find some book reviewers you find especially trustworthy. While anyone can be a book reviewer today thanks to the Internet, a large quantity of reviews on Amazon is no replacement for one quality review from a trusted reviewer. Find some preferred reviewers and allow them to guide you to new books and authors.

Ask these questions of books as you grow in your discernment and as you grow in your confidence that you can discern good books from bad ones, helpful ones from harmful ones. Allow trusted people to direct you to excellent resources. And look forward to the benefit to your life, your faith, your soul.