Test everything

“. . . but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thess. 5:21 (ESV)

I teach computer science students how to program computers, and testing is a crucial component of learning to program. In fact, the modern approach to software engineering advocates a Test Driven Development where testing is simultaneously intertwined with the writing of code. The result is higher-quality programs with fewer bugs and failures.

In the past, I worked as an embedded systems engineer designing circuit boards for industrial automation products. Before releasing some of our products into the world, we would perform HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) testing. HALT testing is a procedure that stresses a product under extreme temperature and vibration conditions to “shake out” the weaker parts, so that it can be improved before release.

A biblical practice

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Paul urges his listeners to “test everything” and “hold on to what is good.” In the context of this chapter, Paul is referring to prophecies, but I think this advice also applies to many other things, and not only programming and engineering.

The idea to “test everything” recognizes that we can’t simply accept everything with an uncritical embrace (or even assume things are neutral). The fact is, everything is intertwined with the effects of sin, and the “whole creation is groaning” (Rom. 8:22), hence there is a need to test things. On the other extreme, we should not always reject things out of hand; the goodness of creation persists despite the impact of sin, and we ought to “hold on” to the “good.” The posture of the Christian should be neither blind acceptance nor blanket rejection, but careful discernment of creational possibilities. The Message translation puts it this way: “Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.”

Testing requires discernment and wisdom, which come from God. In Romans 12:2, we read: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Here, Paul links discernment with a renewed mind in Christ that enables us to test what is good.

Living transformed

In his book The Presence of the Kingdom, the philosopher Jacques Ellul highlights this verse and makes four points that follow from it.

First, faith helps renew our intelligence and a “transformation of our ways of understanding, of looking at facts.” Second, Ellul suggests that “this transformation relates to the present period in which we are living,” and so a Christian view will conflict with the spirit of this present age. Third, “this transformation takes place in Jesus Christ, through the action of the Holy Spirit” – it is not just an intellectual process, but a transformation of our whole lives. And fourth, “the aim of this transformation is that we may discern the will of God, particularly in the ethical sphere.”

The “ethical sphere” includes many areas, whether that be film, literature, business, human sexuality, politics or recent developments in artificial intelligence. As we are daily immersed in our cultural context, there is increasing pressure to “conform to the pattern of this world” and a pressing need to “test and approve what God’s will is” in these various areas.

As I write these words, we have just begun fall classes at Calvin University. I am reminded that part of the mission of Christian Higher Education is to help guide students into their various disciplines, ensuring we are not taken “captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy” (Col. 2:8). Rather, Christian professors are called to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5), modeling wisdom and discernment, testing and discerning the ideas and ideologies in our areas of study, and holding on to what is good.

A longer version of this article was published by Christian Scholars Review on Sept. 16.