1 Thessalonians 5:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Because many people appeared in apostolic times claiming to be inspired, the Thessalonians could have inclined their ear to these false prophets, to the humiliation of the true prophets.

On this occasion Saint Chrysostom says that by the words "Do not despise prophecies," the Apostle wished to teach the Thessalonians not to oppose true prophets because false prophets had appeared among them, and not to turn away from them.

"An impure life extinguishes it. Therefore let us not quench it. Every evil deed extinguishes this light: slander, insults, and everything of that kind.

"As with fire, whatever is foreign to it destroys it, while whatever is akin to it strengthens it. So it is also with this light."

Concerning the prophetic gift, according to Saint John Chrysostom, the Apostle speaks as if saying: "Because there are some false prophets among you, do not on their account oppose the true prophets, nor turn away from them."

Later in the Corinthian Church, improper attitudes toward the prophetic gift appeared, and Saint Paul was compelled to give special orders and rules concerning this (1 Cor 14).

It is not evident whether anything similar occurred in Thessalonica. Perhaps the holy Apostle was only preventing what might happen, or wished to call more zealous attention to the manifestation of this gift, so fruitful especially in a young church.

Since the very tone of the apostolic instruction shows that the Apostle is not rebuking but warning his readers against despising the prophetic gift, one may think the occasion was as follows.

Probably the first manifestation of the prophetic gift in the Thessalonian Church produced involuntary perplexities, and perhaps even doubts, in the minds of some of its members.

It is known that pagans, especially Greeks, were well acquainted with the art of divination. Because of the abuses of those who divined, the people's faith in their predictions had weakened.

It is not surprising that some members of the Thessalonian Church, knowing all this, could have been troubled at the first manifestations of the grace-filled prophetic gift in the assemblies of believers.

The result could have been, if not a contemptuous attitude, at least a distrustful one toward their brethren in the faith who had received prophetic gifts from the Holy Spirit.

Warning against such a phenomenon, the Apostle counsels them not to despise the gift. At the same time he indicates a means for distinguishing false prophecy from true.

They must approach prophecy consciously, follow everything good in its teaching, and avoid what is evil.

Prophesying is also treated as equivalent to presenting a revelation (1 Cor 14:6, 30). It is evident that this gift was not always the exclusive possession of certain persons.

It could come, and did come, upon any believer. A believer stirred by this spirit knew that he had received a revelation. He felt both the impulse and the ability to present to other believers the truth contemplated by revelation.

He presented it with inspiration, and by it he inspired them, just as he himself had been inspired.

In the common assembly of believers, a man might realize that his mind was possessed by a new and important truth implanted in him from above.

Since he regarded it as contrary to God’s will to hide this truth from others, he rose and offered it to the assembly. Such a man was prophesying.

This was so whether he spoke about the future, the present, or the past. It was also so whether he presented something hidden and of abiding value, or something he had not previously understood clearly, or did not know at all.

All this, however, was of such a kind that believers could draw from it only edification, consolation, and confirmation (1 Cor 14:3). In this state, speech poured forth in a higher tone.

It had greater liveliness and energy than ordinary, calmer teaching. It is obvious that to despise this gift, to regard it as nothing, and therefore to restrict or remove its manifestation in Christian assemblies, is to deprive Christian society.

It deprives it of the always necessary influx of enlivening impulses of grace. This is apart from the fact that it is an obvious resistance to the Spirit of God and an offense against Him (Eph 4:30).

The holy Apostle forbids doing this. But for what reason? Later, in the Corinthian Church, improper attitudes toward this gift appeared. St. Paul was compelled to make special directions and regulations because of this (1 Cor 14).

Whether anything similar occurred in Thessalonica is not evident. Perhaps the holy Apostle was only preventing a possibility. Or perhaps he meant simply to call for more earnest attention to manifestations of this spirit.

Such manifestations were especially fruitful in a young Church, where much had to be supplied and explained. St. Chrysostom explains it thus: “In those times many prophesied, some truly and others falsely.

The devil, being crafty, wished through the gift of prophecy to overthrow everything in the Church. Therefore both foretold the future: the demon and the Spirit. The first prophesied falsely, the other truly.

There was no sign available by which one could distinguish one from the other. For both kinds of prophets taught without giving an account of their words, like Jeremiah or Ezekiel.

Since many among the Thessalonians were prophesying at that time, after saying, ‘Do not quench the Spirit,’ he aptly added the following words: ‘Do not despise prophecies.’

Here he wishes to express this thought: because you have some false prophets, do not for their sake oppose the true prophets or turn away from them.”

The same thought is found in blessed Theodoret, Oecumenius, and Theophylact.