“Watch out for false prophets. 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

Bark can tell you a lot about a tree and leaves can help to identify what species is being dealt with, but if you really want to know what a plant is, fruit can tell you the most. Why? Because (in most situations) that will tell you what will grow from the seed the fruit produces. That’s why false prophets and their identification matter: certainly, if we could turn them back to the Way, that would be ideal, but the real priority is preventing more wicked growth from occurring.

Watch out for bad fruit. It spreads bad seeds.

Ethan Kirl