You have probably noticed that the U.S. Treasury Department has changed the design of several of its notes. The $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills now incorporate new features designed to discourage counterfeiting, which has become a major problem in recent years. Some of the changes include a watermark and a hidden strip of print that can only be seen when the bill is held up to the light.
Is It the Real Thing or Not?
The problem of maintaining a reliable currency is an ancient one. In ancient Greece and Rome, gold and silver coins were often filed or shaved to remove part of their content. These filings could then be sold or made into counterfeit coins for a considerable profit, but the shaved, deficient, coins would be left in circulation. Consumers could get stuck with the counterfeit or shaved coins if they were not careful, just as we can get stuck with a counterfeit bill today.
The Greeks had a word for tested, full-value coins. They were said to be dokimos. The word was often applied to metals or ores that had been certified as genuine, but it was also used to describe a person who was proven and known to be trustworthy. “In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money-changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honor who put only genuine full-weighted money into circulation. Such men were called ‘dokimos’ or ‘approved’” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).
A Word Study
This word dokimos and related forms such as dokimon and dokimazo are frequently used—about 40 times—in the New Testament. A brief word study can be very helpful as we encounter these terms translated variously into English as:
- Accepted, particularly of coins and money.
- To test, to examine, to prove, to scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not) as in metals.
- To recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, to deem worthy.
- Proving, trial, tried character.
In New Testament usage, dokimos generally refers to the genuineness of a follower of Christ; to a Christian approved and certified as the genuine article. A dokimos Christian is definitely not a counterfeit. Some examples of these scriptures are: “For not he who commends himself is approved [dokimas], but whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:18). “Greet Apelles, approved [dokimon] in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus” (Romans 16:10).
Counterfeits
The Adversary, in addition to being called the Great Deceiver, might also be called the Great Counterfeiter. His specialty is creating fakes that have an appearance and form similar to the genuine article, but that lack its substance. For instance, his counterfeit ministers present themselves as ministers of righteousness, but in fact are wolves among the flock. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15, RSV).
Jesus Christ is very interested in who is genuine and who is not, and He is quite capable of separating the wheat from the chaff. “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). How can we be confident that we are the real thing—and that we will remain so?
Since the earliest days of the Church, doctrinal error has caused brethren to stumble. Paul cautioned the Ephesians, “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). Paul gave this admonition in the context of pointing out how Christ maintains and teaches His truth in His Church—through His faithful ministry. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (vv. 11–12).
Sadly, there have always been errant ministers who serve their own needs over the needs of the brethren and the Work by using doctrinal changes and “new truth” to corral sheep for themselves. Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:15–21).
Jesus Christ Himself has told us to beware when someone seeks to persuade the brethren to depart from the truth they have known. Doctrinal error is a bad fruit. Yet some in the scattered fellowships seem drawn to these errant teachers like moths to a flame. The Apostle Paul continued the warning: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, NAS).
With so much religious material available these days over the Internet and by mail, many brethren read widely. But while the ministry strongly urges us to avoid material that attacks our faith, it does not try to censor what Church members read. The member who insists on engaging material that disagrees with our belief and practice should not do so without being prepared to do all the studying and research required to deal effectively with the author’s views and to protect one’s own faith. Lacking such a commitment, some have gotten off track. Jude exhorted the brethren “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Again, we are told to “test [dokimazete] all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Jesus warned us to “beware” of those who promote doctrinal error.
But if we love and obey God, he promises to make all things work together for the benefit of His Church (Romans 8:28). “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved [dokimon] may be made manifest among you” (1 Corinthians 11:19, KJV).
Are You Dokimos?
What is one very important way that God instructs us to remain genuine—dokimon—in our calling? “Study to shew thyself approved [dokimon] unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV).
Regular Bible study should be a constant part of a Christian’s life. It is one very important way we can remain the genuine article in God’s sight.