A good mechanic is hard to find. Or maybe it's just my problem. If I see an auto shop with a name I know or if I'm greeted by a guy in official-looking overalls, I'll cross my fingers and hope he actually does the work and doesn't rob me blind. Sad to say, I haven't always chosen wisely.
If you're fixing your car, a wrong choice of mechanic is no big deal. But in other areas of life, your choice of whom to trust can have major consequences. For example, if you're trying to figure out which Bible teachers to listen to, you'd better be extra careful. A dishonest mechanic could overcharge you for an air filter, but a dishonest teacher of God's Word could send your life on a wild goose chase that ends up with bitter and eternal consequences.
But how can you tell the good teachers from the bad ones? Spiritual wolves don't usually don't go around wearing T-shirts that say, "Kiss me, I'm a false teacher of God's Word."
First of all, you test the content of their message by comparing it with what's written in God's Word. False teachers will talk about "Jesus" or "the gospel" or "salvation" as often as the true teachers, though they don't mean the same things. That's why we need to know Scripture well.
But we also need to go beyond just the words teachers are using and also consider their character. The truth of the matter is that false teachers will bleed you, but Christ-sent teachers will bleed for you.
The church in the city of Corinth had to learn to look at character. After the apostle Paul had left the city, a group of teachers claiming to speak for Christ came in and discredited Paul. More or less, they told the church that Paul didn't know what he was talking about.
This attack on him was perfectly timed. Church members in Corinth were already upset at Paul for what they saw as an overly harsh letter from him that confronted them with sin (2 Corinthians 7:8-9). On top of that, they were upset with Paul for canceling his upcoming visit to see them (2 Corinthians 1:15-2:1). Some members probably wondered if these new teachers were right about Paul. The letter of 2 Corinthians was Paul's response -- his defense to the church he helped raise: "Since you (Corinthians) are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me (Paul)" (2 Corinthians 13:3).
Outwardly, Paul didn't look as good as these new teachers. They had letters of recommendation (kind of like having high-brow credentials or a diploma from Princeton) but Paul had none (2 Corinthians 3:1). They were eloquent public speakers, Paul was not (2 Corinthians 11:6). They focused on the outward status they had in God's sight due to their lineage, but Paul didn't use his lineage (although he could have) to pretend that his family background made him more special in God's sight (2 Corinthians 11:21-23). They charged the Corinthians for their services (which was not unusual for traveling speakers in Paul's day), but Paul did not (2 Corinthians 2:17). The insinuation from these teachers was that Paul didn't charge for his preaching because, deep down, he knew he wasn't worth it.
But Paul chided the Corinthians for looking only skin deep: "You are looking only on the surface of things" (2 Corinthians 10:7). Paul said that he may not have letters of recommendation, but he reminded them that his own love and labor established their church (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Through hardships, beatings, imprisonments and sleepless nights Paul did everything he could do so as to not put a stumbling block before those who would put their trust in Christ (2 Corinthians 6:3-11).
Paul didn't charge for his preaching, but he reminded them it was because he wanted to follow Christ's example by surrendering his rights in order to bless them: "Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?" (2 Corinthians 11:7). "I will not be a (financial) burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions, but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14).
Paul did cancel his meeting with the Corinthians, but even this "heartless" act was done out of love for them, "It was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth" (2 Corinthians 1:23). He didn't want to return until the members forgave a believer who had just repented of a great sin (2 Corinthians 2:1-11). All Paul's actions were not to benefit himself, but rather to build up and serve the Corinthian Church, "Everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening . . . We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection" (2 Corinthians 12:19; 13:9).
In contrast, the new teachers had a different focus -- themselves. They not only boasted about themselves, they preached themselves (2 Corinthians 4:5). That's kind of like saying, "Hey there, ladies and gentlemen, listen up, buy my book, follow my plan, and you can be just like me!" They were not measuring themselves by God's standards but, rather, they were measuring themselves by comparing their outward status with the status of others around them (2 Corinthians 10:12). They shamelessly put themselves in a position above the believers. Paul noted, "You (Corinthians) even put up with anyone who enslaves you, or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face" (2 Corinthians 11:20).
This is the bottom line: false teachers promise to make you strong but secretly suck you dry. Christ-sent teachers follow Christ's example. They suffer and sacrifice themselves in order to build you up and bless you. How can you tell a true teacher of God's Word? The proof is in the pounding they're willing to take so God's message can go forth.
from fp.............................................benny
and in many ways we cause them to be bruised because we don't keep up with the race. 
