1 Thessalonians 5:20

1 Thessalonians 5:20, in plain English

Take prophecies seriously and test them thoughtfully rather than dismissing them as irrelevant or false.

Why it's here

Some in the church probably dismissed prophecy as unreliable or irrelevant. But Paul is saying: the Spirit does speak through people; you need to listen carefully and evaluate wisely.

Who's speaking

Paul, calling believers to honor the Spirit's speaking

Where it sits in the story

Throughout Scripture, God speaks through prophets to guide and encourage his people. The key is discernment—not rejecting the genuine out of fear of the false.

The scholarly reading

Do not despise or dismiss prophetic utterances; evaluate them carefully rather than rejecting them wholesale.

Language and setting

The final warning, 'mē propheteias exouthenitē' (do not treat prophecies with contempt), extends the previous verse's concern. Prophecy (prophētera) in Pauline communities denoted Spirit-prompted speech offering encouragement, correction, or eschatological insight. The Thessalonians may have been dismissing prophecy either because of doctrinal anxiety (some prophets may have made specific chronological claims about the parousia) or because certain prophets lacked credibility. Paul instructs discernment rather than blanket rejection.

Voice

Paul

Significance

This concludes the ethical section by honoring the charismatic life of the church while implicitly calling for wisdom in discernment—a tension Paul addresses more fully in 1 Corinthians 12-14. The entire chapter moves from eschatological identity (verses 1-10) through community obligation (verses 11-15) to spiritual disciplines (verses 16-20).

18Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19Do not extinguish the Spirit.

20Do not treat prophecies with contempt,

21but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.

22Abstain from every form of evil.

Read all of 1 Thessalonians 5 — The day will come like a thief in the night. But you are children of the light. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything.