Living in Gratitude
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Intro
Intro
English Standard Version Introduction
Paul, twice identified as the author (1:1; 2:18), visited Thessalonica on his second missionary journey but was forced to flee because of Jewish opposition. He sent Timothy to work with the largely Gentile church there, and Timothy brought him good news of their faith (3:6). This is one of Paul’s first letters, probably written about A.D. 50–51.
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
A Time of Severe Persecution
A Time of Severe Persecution
17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 1
In Graeco-Roman society, polytheism—the belief in or worship of more than one god—was the norm. The social, political, and religious life of the Thessalonians was intertwined with idolatrous beliefs and practices. Idolatry was not just a personal matter; it was a corporate one.
Since Paul and his team were forced to leave earlier than planned and severe persecution existed almost from the beginning, these churches were forced to grow in a crucible of hostility under young leadership. This probably meant that leaders had to emerge quickly and decisively to give guidance in these difficult times. He begins not with a command but a request, probably because of his great affection for these people. The verb for “asking” (erōtaō) is drawn from 4:1 (“we ask you and urge you in the Lord”), and here too the entreaty is combined with urgent exhortation that stresses the importance of the request.
It is essential that the members of the congregations give their leaders the support they need to lead them in these tumultuous times.
It is essential that the members of the congregations give their leaders the support they need to lead them in these tumultuous times.
Paul notes three characteristics of the work of these leaders here:
First, they “work hard among you,” a term he uses often of those in ministry (; ; ; ; ; ) to stress the diligent, hard work on their behalf.
The people can trust them to do what is best and to extend themselves to benefit the church. They can be counted on to allow nothing that is needed to remain undone.
The second area of their ministry is to “care for you in the Lord”, where the leader in the church both led and helped those who were under their ministry.
The third area is verbal, to “admonish you.” Noutheteō simply means to “place something in someone’s mind” and so can refer to positive instruction, but usually in the New Testament it has a negative connotation of admonition, and this is indeed its use in 5:14, to “admonish” or “warn” the idlers in Thessalonica.
Why is admonition important?
Admonition is a necessary ingredient for growth, for we must rid ourselves of those factors in our life that hold us back. This is not a popular idea in our age of positive feedback and political correctness, but it is at the heart of true spiritual growth.
What is servant leadership?
Note that they are not given this esteem and love because their ruling positions demand it but because their own loving care deserves it. There was no “lording over” allowed in the church, as Jesus himself said (). The leaders earned that love and respect by their own loving servanthood in exercising their office.
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When love dominates, peace and harmony are the natural result.
The saints are called vertically to love for those leaders who are above them and then horizontally to peace with those who are their peers in the church.
They needed a decided unity and harmony to meet these difficulties.
5:12 respect those who labor among you Paul seems to be urging the Thessalonians to respect those who labored and supported the church. These people likely held positions of leadership within the church (compare ).
admonish The Greek word used here, noutheteō, refers to warning someone about the disastrous consequences of his or her actions.
There are implications for the leaders as well. They are to work hard. It is good work, and they are to get their energy from God. Part of the job description of the church leader is to “stand before” or be over others in the Lord. This is not a dictatorship, but a way of lovingly and authoritatively teaching the Word of God to the people. Leaders are also to point out wrongs, sins, and failures in the lives of their people and congregation. This is not a favorite task, but it is essential to the health of believers and the church.
Ver. 12. Them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord.—“A clear testimony, from this earliest New Testament writing, to the existence in the Church at the beginning of a ministerial order—a clergy as distinguished from the laity—charged with specific duties and authority. But there is nothing in grammar nor in the nature of the duties specified which would warrant us in distributing these functions amongst distinct orders of Church office” (Ibid.).
Ver. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love.—R.V. “exceeding highly”—the same Greek adverb as in 3:10, the strongest intensive possible to the language. So deep and warm should be the affection uniting pastors and their flocks. Their appreciation is not to be a cold esteem (Ibid.).
5:13 Live in peace with each other. Harmony was a common subject of ancient exhortation. Some Jewish sages highly praised peace.
5:13. Not only are we to honor our leaders; we are to think of them in a special, affectionate way. We are to love them. The basis for this love is their work. Church leaders are performing a good work for Christ and his people. This deserves our highest respect and love.
Paul then turned our attention toward the person sitting next to us, or across the aisle, and commanded us to live in peace with each other. This is a maintenance program for a healthy church: keep the peace.
To live in peace means to go as far as possible to live in harmony with others, or “as far as it depends on you” ().
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Move to
14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
Who is Paul saying should be involved in these activities?
He is addressing the congregation as a whole, not just church leadership. The topic is the need to minister to troubled people with certain disorders in the church.
As in 4:1, “we urge” introduces a new topic as Paul moves from a focus on church leaders to addressing the congregation as a whole. The topic is the need to minister to troubled people with certain disorders in the church. These are not three actual groups, though the first may well be a particular group. Paul is still ruminating on those lacking in their faith from 3:10 and now names three types of people who need particular attention. By addressing them as “brothers and sisters” once again, he makes this a family matter as God’s people seek to help fellow believers with particular spiritual problems to overcome their difficulties and get right with the Lord.
By addressing them as “brothers and sisters” once again, he makes this a family matter.
The main thing is the exhortation to deep pastoral involvement in the lives of those who are enduring these difficulties. From this we are all mandated to seek the gift of helps with respect to the needy, whatever the specific problem areas.
How would you define “spiritual admonition”?
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
, they were “stealing” funds from the church by forcing it to take care of them. Instead, they should “work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” Due to their refusal to work, they had turned themselves into the needy and had become quite disruptive to the normal life of the church. The niv rightly translates both aspects, “those who are idle and disruptive.”
Correction WITH encouragement
It is possible they were clients of wealthy patrons in the church like Jason (, ) who demanded to be allowed to remain dependent clients and refused to contribute to the needs of the church or even to care for their own needs. It is also possible that they were eschatological enthusiasts who believed the Lord was going to return imminently and demanded to be allowed to quit their jobs and wait for him to arrive, thereby making the church feed them even as they looked down on them as less spiritual (see ). We cannot know for certain.
The second command is to “encourage the disheartened.” The verb means to comfort or console people who are troubled in their hearts. This rare term (oligopsychous, literally “small soul”) refers to those discouraged and depressed, ready to give up. In the midst of all the pressures and persecution this church had experienced (see the introductory chapter), this is easy to understand. Some think it a result of the confusion about the fate of the deceased when Christ returns (4:13–18), and both are valid reasons for discouragement. These people need to be comforted regarding the final victory of God’s people and encouraged not to lose heart.
The third command is to “help the weak.” The verb (antechō) means much more than “help” but contains the idea of being “devoted to, attached to,” a thing. This is not perfunctory help, simply doing our part for the common good, but an obsession for getting involved with “the weak.” It is difficult to know whether these are the ill, the physically weak; or the poor, the economically weak; or outcasts, the socially weak. The majority of commentators think of these as the spiritually or morally weak, those who have fallen into sin, perhaps the same as the two groups at Rome, the weak and the strong, fighting over observing the food laws and the holy days (). Paul seems to be speaking generally, so several of these may well be in mind. The main thing is the exhortation to deep pastoral involvement in the lives of those who are enduring these difficulties. From this we are all mandated to seek the gift of helps with respect to the needy, whatever the specific problem areas.
It is one of the fruits of the Spirit () and would transform the church today if people would be empathetic and tolerant of each other.
5:14. Paul next launched into some short, staccato instructions and commands for Christian living. He focused on three types of people in the Thessalonian church who presented different concerns for him. He spoke about the idle, the timid, and the weak.
The idle were to be warned. There were those in the Thessalonian church who were so certain of the imminent return of Christ that they became lazy in their daily living. If Christ is coming back soon, they may have reasoned, what is the point of the daily grind? In their neglect they became careless in their responsibilities, spent too much time chatting over the back fence, and contributed little to the general welfare of the church.
Today the attitude is opposite to that first-century expectation, but the result is the same. Christ seems so long in coming, and life keeps rolling along at a predictable clip. We become idle in our Christian responsibilities. Too absorbed in the daily routine, we fail to use our gifts, time, and lives for others and the church. Idleness springs from distorted thinking, and such thinking deserves a warning: it is wrong—stop it!
An Alaskan dog musher described to me the differences between the huskies in the straps of his sled. “Some of them are known as dishonest dogs,” he said. “They learn how to fake it, to pretend they are working hard by leaning against the harness without really pulling.” Maybe we should examine ourselves to see if we are “dishonest” by failing to do our share of Christ’s work.
The timid were to be encouraged. These were people who had become discouraged, perhaps depressed. They may have felt this way because of difficult circumstances, or because they despaired of living up to the high standards of the Christian faith. These people needed to be helped, not warned. They needed to hear, “You can do it.”
The weak were to be helped. These were the spiritually weak in Paul’s time, and they are still found in every church. Perhaps they lack knowledge or experience; it could be that they struggle with certain sins which continually defeat them; they may lack courage or find it difficult to trust God. They are weak in the faith and need to be helped along the way. We all identify with this group of people at some time or other.
In our weakness and inability to conquer sin, we find that Christ helped us by the sacrifice of his life. Can we who have been so blessed do any less for others in their time of need?
Paul told the Thessalonians to be kind to each other and to everyone else. This means everyone both inside and outside the church.
Love is what helps us be patient with everyone. Love is patient. It does not seek its own way. Because of our selfish tendencies, we need patience from others, even as we need to be patient. Perhaps that is why God can be so patient with us. He recognizes that our mistakes, our bungling efforts, our one step forward and three steps back are valuable learning exercises in growing in grace and character.
Ver. 14. Warn them that are unruly.—R.V. “admonish the disorderly.” Every Church knows these characters—men who will break through all restraint. Comfort the feebleminded.—R.V. “encourage the faint-hearted.” In 2:11 we have met the verb before. The feeble-minded would have been scarcely worth the pity of the philosophers with whom alone the great-souled man was supreme. The comfort in that teaching, for the hour when the strong shall be as tow, was very scanty and inadequate. Support the weak.—So be like the Lord who “upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down” (). Be patient toward all men.—R.V. “longsuffering.” It is the very opposite of what we mean by being “short-tempered.”
Ver. 15. Evil for evil.—A quid pro quo, similar in kind and in quantity perhaps, but retaliation delights in interest.
5:15. Paul was concerned not only with relationships within the church, but relationships outside the church. He gave commands for behavior to each other and to everyone else.
The payback rule is common: You get me—I will get you. You shove me—you had better be ready. Getting even, exacting our own sense of “justice,” is a strong human tendency.
Jesus was different. He contradicted just about everything we naturally do. He often began his moral lessons with “you have heard” and then called for a change by following up with “but I tell you” (; ; ; ). He brought a new way to live. He is the new way.
Only as we abide in Christ and entrust our grievances, hardships, and the wrongs we suffer to him can we live with this command. It is not natural, but it is possible. It marks a distinctly Christian approach to life. Paul detailed this approach by quoting in the Book of Romans when he called us to live in peace, to not take revenge. He told us, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (), then added “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (). And so Paul told the Thessalonians to be kind to each other and to everyone else. This means everyone both inside and outside the church.
Rather than seek to get even, Paul requires that believers “always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”
When they are mistreated by others (again, persecution is probably in mind), Paul commands them to “make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong.” The verb orate means “see to it, watch out and be careful.” With all the animosity they are facing, they are strongly tempted to retaliate and “pay back evil for evil.” This is the Old Testament lex talionis—“eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (; ), but this principle is strongly restricted in the law. The famous command to “love your neighbor as yourself” in begins, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone,” and this rejection of retaliation reverberates through both testaments (; ; ; ; ; ).
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
). The unbelievers, spreading lies accusing us of evil deeds, see our goodness, are placed under conviction by it, and are converted to Christ (also ). The two categories reflect , “let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Rather than seek to get even, Paul requires that believers “always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” The word “strive” is diōkete, picturing great effort and hard work. It is not easy to return goodness for evil, but the Christian life centers on goodness and is known for good works. Peter states this well in his first letter: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (). The unbelievers, spreading lies accusing us of evil deeds, see our goodness, are placed under conviction by it, and are converted to Christ (also ). The two categories reflect , “let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
, “let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
; ). Believers must extend to others (i.e., believers and unbelievers) the same goodness the Lord has shown them.
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
5:15 one pays back evil for evil to anyone The Thessalonians may have been tempted to retaliate against those who persecuted them. Paul advises them against this (; ). Believers must extend to others (i.e., believers and unbelievers) the same goodness the Lord has shown them.
5:15 pays back wrong for wrong. Some other ancient thinkers emphasized nonretaliation (see notes on , , ), including Jesus (). Many outsiders respected such behavior.
Move to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
This is quite a list. How easy is it for you to do every moment of every day?
Do you rejoice in all circumstances?
Do you pray without ceasing?
Do you quench the Spirit?
Do you hold fast to only what is good?
Do you abstain from evil?
If you answered no to any of these, what does that say?
How do you get better?
5:16. Paul admonished, Be joyful always. This is short and to the point. The key, however, is the word always. Paul meant this literally. Christian joy is not bound by circumstances or hindered by difficulties. In fact, joy in the New Testament is often coupled with sorrow or suffering.
The Thessalonian believers had already experienced this strange duet, like an inspiring song played in minor key (). When the sorrow or suffering results from being identified with Christ, the Holy Spirit creates a supernatural joy—a wellness of soul that cannot be dampened by adverse situations. The explanation may be found in : “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
But we should remember that we have a part in this joy. We are the ones commanded to be joyful. It is a choice, a deliberate response that focuses on the grace and goodness of God. As the writer to the Hebrews directed us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” ().
PAUL DETAILS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (5:16–18)
These represent the kind of life that pleases God and fulfills his will for us.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
(“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”). The key is that hardships force us to abandon all pretense of controlling our lives and to throw ourselves in utter dependence on the Lord. The joy comes not from the earthly situation () but from the realization that he is now in charge and turning things around for our best (). The “always” especially has these times of difficulty in mind, and the Thessalonians epitomized this new attitude.
The Christian life was never meant to be easy, but it has always been meant to be joyous. Throughout the New Testament joy is linked to the trials of life, as in (“Consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds”) or (“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”). The key is that hardships force us to abandon all pretense of controlling our lives and to throw ourselves in utter dependence on the Lord. The joy comes not from the earthly situation () but from the realization that he is now in charge and turning things around for our best (). The “always” especially has these times of difficulty in mind, and the Thessalonians epitomized this new attitude.
Prayer is communication with our Father, and we should never lose contact with him. The call to continuous prayer is a hallmark of his teaching (; ; ; ) and was a feature of his own life (; ; ; ).
(2) “Pray continually” (v. 17): Prayer is that spiritual ingredient which turns sorrow to joy in trying situations. This is how we surrender to the Lord and express our utter dependence on him. Yet prayer also transcends personal needs and is to be expressed “constantly” (adialeiptōs), meaning in every situation and at all times. Prayer is communication with our Father, and we should never lose contact with him. The call to continuous prayer is a hallmark of his teaching (; ; ; ) and was a feature of his own life (; ; ; ). As a father, I cannot get enough calls from my children and grandchildren. This is how I need to relate to my heavenly Father, with a constant desire to “stay in touch” with him.
A thankful spirit does not come naturally to most of us.
5:17 continually. Not every moment but constantly, repeatedly (e.g., ; ; ; ).
5:18 give thanks in all circumstances. See note on .
5:18 the will of God See note on .
5:18. The next command requires trust in the sovereignty of Christ: give thanks in all circumstances. It recognizes God’s eminence in all events.
A thankful spirit does not come naturally to most of us. Certainly it pushes us beyond our natural capacities when difficult or painful situations invade our life. This command to be thankful, no matter what happens, is possible only by God’s grace. When we can agree with God that he works all things out for good to those who love him and are committed to obedience (), then we can thank him.
A heart of gratitude to God is especially critical in times of severe hardship, when it is necessary to remind ourselves of God’s frequent interventions on our behalf in the past.
(3) “Give thanks in all circumstances” (v. 18): Prayer and thanksgiving are connected throughout Scripture, and expressing gratitude to God is actually a type of prayer, as in the thanksgiving hymns of the Psalms (individual—18; 30; 32; 34; 40; 66; 92; 103; 116; 118; 138; corporate—65; 67; 75; 107; 124; 136). Paul brings the two together often (; ; ; ), and so this is a natural extension of his basic philosophy of ministry. He considers it a spiritual obligation, saying in and 2:13, “We ought always to thank God for you,” and so it is natural for him to mandate thanksgiving for all believers (as in , ; ; ; ). A heart of gratitude to God is especially critical in times of severe hardship, when it is necessary to remind ourselves of God’s frequent interventions on our behalf in the past.
Do not put out the Spirit fire.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
4. Personal responsibility and spiritual integrity (5:19–22)
We douse the Spirit’s influence in our life through doubt, we drench him with anger, we drown his power with immorality.
5:19. This verse is a caution against dousing water on the fire of God’s Spirit: Do not put out the Spirit fire. This can happen in any heart when the Holy Spirit is stifled, allowing thoughts or actions which are contrary to the character or practices of God. The fire of the Spirit is suppressed when he is rejected, when his convicting power, righteousness, and judgment () are ignored. We douse the Spirit’s influence in our life through doubt, we drench him with anger, we drown his power with immorality.
The Holy Spirit himself cannot be put out. He is God. We can, however, stifle his work in our life. We quench the Spirit, or grieve him, when we do not reach for those attitudes and graces which are peculiarly his—love, joy, and peace ().
The Spirit’s fire is quenched when his presence is ignored or his guidance and conviction in our hearts are suppressed and rejected.
Paul turns from three key spiritual qualities that should characterize believers to another issue in the Thessalonian church, another area “lacking in your faith” from Timothy’s report in 3:10. Paul does not say what situation led to the necessity of this section, but it definitely developed out of the prophetic activity of the early church. Prophecy was one of the spiritual gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit, as in , “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good … to another prophecy.… All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” There were many prophets like Anna in , Agabus in ; , or the four prophetess daughters of Philip in .
The structure is easily apparent, organized around two prohibitions (vv. 19–20) followed by three positive injunctions (vv. 21–22). Both likely describe problems in this area of charismatic activity. Some felt contempt for all attempts to prophesy, while others were uncritically accepting whatever they were told. The answer was to test each and every claim and decide which stemmed from the Spirit and which were lies and came from the top of someone’s head.
5:19 Do not quench the Spirit The Greek word for “Spirit” (pneuma) refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. The nt uses imagery of fire to describe the Spirit’s presence and activity (; ; ). Paul uses the image of quenching to describe the idea of resisting the Spirit’s work in and among believers. In this context, the notion of quenching the Spirit likely refers to a prohibition on prophetic activity within the Thessalonian church ().
5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. Scripture (e.g., , ) and Jewish tradition often associated the Spirit with prophetic inspiration (cf. ). quench. When used most literally, this Greek term usually involved fire; cf. the idea (though not this term) in .
Ver. 19. Quench not the Spirit.—When there has been excess, and a good has come into disrepute, it is natural to seek to stifle down further manifestations of it. The energy of the Holy Spirit, like Pentecostal flame, is regarded as being capable of extinction.
Ver. 20. Despise not prophesyings.—Do not set down as of no value, prophesyings. The word for “despise” is used of those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and set at nought others (), and the contemptuous bearing of him who eats flesh with which an idol’s name has been associated, and laughs at the shuddering scruples of the brother who thinks it a dreadful thing to do, and sets him at nought (). The prophesyings at Corinth were such as might easily be contemned ().
The Negative Side: Do not Quench Spirit-Inspired Prophecy (5:19–20)
The verb sbennyte was used for extinguishing a fire and can refer either to the total destruction of a thing or to a general restriction or prohibition of something. “Quench” is a perfect translation and probably refers to a cessationist movement in Thessalonica against Spirit-inspired prophecy. The grammatical form is called “present-tense prohibition” and means to “stop doing” something they have been doing, though it can also mean “do not at any time practice” something. One could say Paul was quenching their attempts to quench the Spirit.
Fire is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, as at Pentecost (; ; ; ), and Paul demands that the Spirit-fire be allowed to continue in the church. The Spirit is the guarantor and down payment for our final salvation (), and it is a serious thing to curtail his presence and power in the church. They are not merely prohibiting individuals from exercising their prophetic fervor but acting against the Triune Godhead itself. As the author of Hebrews says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31) and “For our ‘God is a consuming fire’ ” (12:29).
To make certain they have caught this important message, Paul makes the prohibition more explicit in verse 20: “Do not treat prophecies with contempt.” It is clear that several in this church believed the Spirit had given them the gift of prophecy, and for reasons we cannot know another group had decided this was not so and thus treated them with disdain. It is doubtful if this was as serious a situation as at Corinth, but it was serious enough. The church was in danger of serious conflict. It is doubtful that they were despising the Spirit himself, but they were definitely looking down on these practitioners, and that would result in real dissension in the church.
5:20 prophecies The Greek word used here, prophēteia, refers in this context to an utterance inspired by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the church community (). Some believers at Thessalonica may have felt uncomfortable with the spiritual gift of prophecy because of their past experience with idolatry (). Some religious cults—such as the cult of the Greek god Dionysus—practiced a form of pagan prophecy that involved ecstatic behavior.
5:20. Paul declared, Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Others have translated this verse, “Despise not prophecies.” This is a present tense verb, addressed to “you” (plural), and therefore intended for the entire church.
Exoutheneo, the Greek word for “despise” or “contempt,” is a very strong word. It means to act as if the thing in question means nothing.
Many interpreters understand this negative command from Paul to mean that in the church services at Thessalonica, some believers were so worried about the misuse of the charismatic gifts that they allowed none at all. Just the opposite problem occurred in Corinth, where Paul tried to temper and balance the uncontrolled use of such gifts.
Scholars are divided today on whether prophecies—direct revelation from God—are still God’s gift to the church or whether these ceased with the completion of the New Testament. Certainly the revelation of God through the Bible is the standard against which all else must be measured.
Perhaps the main way we “despise” prophecies today is that we neglect or ignore the Bible’s message by not doing what it says. Such behavior quenches the Spirit who guided the writing of the Bible and despises the prophecies themselves.
Another more indirect application of this verse would be when we belittle gifts or ministries of other Christians because we think ours is more important.
5:21–22. Paul advised the Thessalonians to Test everything. The word everything is universal; it leaves nothing free from examination by spiritual standards and understanding. Paul did not explain how to carry out this testing. But certainly the fire of the Spirit (his convicting, guidance, and illumination), the instructions from the apostles and missionaries, and the written revelation of God are the lenses through which we must scrutinize everything.
The clear purpose of this testing was to hold on to the good, and to avoid every kind of evil. The good has its origin in God; evil is a distortion of that good. Evil is twisting and destructive. We must not flirt with evil.
The Positive Side: Test All Prophecies (5:21–22)
Paul fleshes out the basic act in the first imperative with the two types of prophecies in the second and third imperatives. When you test a thing you differentiate between good and bad types. It seems the rejection of the prophets was ideological; all the prophecies were rejected as a whole group without testing them. So Paul commands, “test them all.”
The verb is dokimazete, calling for the examination of a thing to determine whether it is authentic or a fake. In trial passages, biblical authors use it of God’s turning a trial into a test to prove the genuine faith of his people (; ). Here it is “all” those claiming to be prophets and “all” that they say that must be tested. It is both the person and the message that are tested for whether God has truly sent them and the Spirit truly inspired them.
Paul now explains the result of the examination, and the church has determined which are the “good” prophecies and which are the bad or “evil” ones. At the same time Paul tells them how he wants the church to react to both types. Those “good” (kalon) that are determined to be genuine prophecies sent by God and inspired by the Spirit are truly from the Lord and intended for the benefit of the church. They are to “hold on to” (katechō) those prophecies, a verb meaning to “hold fast, cling to, maintain possession of.” This is an important verb in the New Testament, used for guarding and keeping key Christian truths (; ; , ). These are to be received as God’s message to his people and followed with care.
Those prophecies found not to be from the Lord are to be deemed not just wrong but “evil” (ponērou). In fact, Paul has generalized this by saying “reject every kind of evil,” placing false prophecies into a category of evil that stems from the dark world and is part of spiritual warfare. The verb is a cognate of the first verb, apechō, and means to “keep away from” or “have nothing to do with” a thing. Paul used it of abstaining from sexual immorality in 4:3. These are exceedingly dangerous because they are not just human lies but are demonically inspired falsehoods aimed at destroying God’s work and defeating God’s people.
5:20–21 prophecies … test them all. In ancient Israel, many newer prophets learned under the mentorship of senior prophets (e.g., ; ); in early Christianity, those newly moved by the Spirit often lacked senior prophets and often had to work together to evaluate prophecies ().
Ver. 21. Prove all things.—Make trial of all. A sentence fatal to the suppression of inquiry and to credulous faith. It forbids me to accept what is given out as prophecy even, unless it has a self-evidencing power. Hold fast that which is good.—The good here is that which is ethically beautiful. In ver. 15 another word points the contrast to the evil return of injury.
Ver. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil.—Perhaps the best idea of the word rendered “abstain” would be gained by “hold off,” in antithesis to the “hold fast” of ver. 21.
5:22 Abstain from every form of evil During the council at Jerusalem, the apostles agreed that the Gentiles should abstain from sexual immorality, from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and blood (). Paul broadens the instruction—all evil must be avoided.