1 Thessalonians 5:20
in 1 Thessalonians 5Do not treat prophecies with contempt,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
despise not prophesyings;
KJV
Despise not prophesyings.
⋯
This verse in 1 Thessalonians 5
Commentary
14 notes on this verseFor he has already quenched and despised the thing which he destroys, and is unable to forbid what he has despised. It is then incumbent on Marcion now to display in his church that spirit of his god which must not be quenched, and the prophesyings which must not be despised.
This site's exposition
Do not extinguish the Spirit
on 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20
Do not extinguish the Spirit forbids putting out a fire already burning, the Spirit's active work in worship treated as its normal state. Do not treat prophecies with contempt names the danger the first command guards against, contempt for a gift working among believers.
This site's exposition
Do not treat prophecies with contempt
Readers differ on what the prophecies were. Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry take them as the preaching and applying of Scripture. Thomas Aquinas names both the gift of prophecy and the teaching of divine doctrine.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"Be at peace among yourselves. Now we admonish you, brethren, warn them who are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil to any man. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things: hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil."
But there is also another explanation. There were among them many indeed who prophesied truly, but some prophesied falsely. For the devil, of his vile craft, wished through this gift of grace to subvert everything pertaining to the Church. For since both the demon and the Spirit prophesied concerning the future, the one indeed uttering falsehood, and the other truth, and it was not possible from any quarter to receive a proof of one or the other, He gave also the "discernings of spirits." Since therefore then also among the Thessalonians many were prophesying, glancing at whom he says, "Neither by word, nor by epistle, as from us, as that the day of the Lord is now present" (2 Thess. ii. 2), he says this here. Seest thou that this is what he means by, "Prove all things"? Because he had said, "Despise not prophesyings," lest they should think that he opened the pulpit to all, he says, "Prove all things," that is, such as are really prophecies; "and hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil"; not from this or that, but from all; that you may by proof distinguish both the true things and the false, and abstain from the latter, and hold fast the former. For thus both the hatred of the one will be vehement and the love of the other arises, when we do all things not carelessly, nor without examination, but with careful investigation.
Trust the Lord, ye who doubt, for He is all-powerful, and can turn His anger away from you, and send scourges on the doubters. Woe to those who hear these words, and despise them: better were it for them not to have been born.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Since the present life is a night, God gave us a bright lamp — the Holy Spirit. But this lamp some made brighter, as all the saints did; while others extinguished it, as the five virgins who left it without oil, as the Corinthian fornicator …
Do not despise prophesying. For some among these people were gifted with prophecies but were considered insane by them. "Earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Cor. 14:1). Or else prophesying may be understood as divine doctrine; for those who explain …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); for, if we neglect the means of grace, we forfeit the Spirit of grace. By prophesyings here we are to understand the preaching of the word, the interpreting and applying of the scriptures; and this we must not despise, but should prize and value, because it is the ordinance of God, appointed of him for our furtherance and increase in knowledge and grace, in holiness and comfort.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Despise not prophesyings - That is, preaching; for the apostle is not here speaking of extraordinary gifts. It seems, one means of grace is put for all; and whoever despises any of these, under whatever pretense, will surely (though perhaps gradually and almost insensibly) quench the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Despise not prophesyings - Do not suppose that ye have no need of continual instruction; without it ye cannot preserve the Christian life, nor go on to perfection. God will ever send a message of salvation by each of his ministers to every faithful, attentive hearer. Do not suppose that ye are already wise enough; you are no more wise enough than you are holy enough. They who slight or neglect the means of grace, and especially the preaching of God’s holy word, are generally vain, empty, self-conceited people, and exceedingly superficial both in knowledge and piety.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The means of testing them existed in the Church, in those who had the "discerning of spirits" (1Co 12:10; Another sure test, which we also have, is, to try the professed revelation whether it accords with Scripture, as the noble Bereans did (Isa 8:20;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Despise not prophesyings - On the subject of prophesyings in the early Christian church, see the notes on 1Co 14:1 ff1 ff. The reference here seems to be to preaching. They were not to undervalue it in comparison with other things. It is possible that in Thessalonica, as appears to have been the case subsequently in Corinth (compare 1Co 14:19), there were those who regarded the power of working miracles, or of speaking in unknown tongues, as a much more eminent endowment than that of stating the truths of religion in language easily understood. It would not be unnatural that comparisons should be made between these two classes of endowments, much to the disadvantage of the latter; and hence may have arisen this solemn caution not to disregard or despise the ability to make known divine truth in intelligible language. A similar counsel may not be inapplicable to us now. The office of setting forth the truth of God is to be the permanent office in the church; that of speaking foreign languages by miraculous endowment, was to be temporary. But the office of addressing mankind on the great duties of religion, and of publishing salvation, is to be God’s great ordinance for converting the world. It should not be despised, and no man commends his own wisdom who contemns it - for: (1) It is God’s appointment - the means which he has designated for saving people. (2) It has too much to entitle it to respect to make it proper to despise or contemn it. There is nothing else that has so much power over mankind as the preaching of the gospel; there is no other institution of heaven or earth among people that is destined to exert so wide and permanent an influence as the Christian ministry. (3) It is an influence which is wholly good. […]
The words behind it
3 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| προφητείας | propheteias | Prophecies | G4394 → | |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐξουθενεῖτε· | exoutheneite | do despise; | G1848 → |
προφητείαςProphecies
propheteiasG4394 →
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐξουθενεῖτε·do despise;
exoutheneiteG1848 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 14:1Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:14
Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
Do everything in love.
- 1 Corinthians 14:39
So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
- 1 Corinthians 12:1
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
- Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- 1 Timothy 4:14
Through
1 Corinthians 11:4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:30
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up,…
- 2 Samuel 19:4
But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”
- 1 Corinthians 11:14
Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
- 2 Samuel 15:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 4; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.