Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NASB
The true test of any doctrine, teaching, or idea is whether it leads one into, or away, from a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. It does not matter how much Bible it references, how many church cultural maxims it seems to uphold, or how much it appeases our collective religious ‘guilt’ (whether deserved nor not), in the end, the only thing that matters is whether our faith is being expressed in love (Galatians 5:6), and whether that love continues to “abound in all knowledge and in depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9).
It is whether a teaching leads us, who receive it, are brought closer to or further away from God in the process. In addition, it is also about how well we bring others to know Christ, but this must never be at the loss of the former. The first commandment is first, the second is second. Always.