1 Thessalonians 5:20

1 Thessalonians 5:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Despise not prophesyings.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not treat prophecies with contempt
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do not despise prophecies.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Do not scoff at prophecies,

Context of 1 Thessalonians 5:20

18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:20 word by word

προφητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Despiseἐξουθενέωexoutheneō · to rejectG1848
• notμήmē · notG3361
• prophesyingsπροφητείαprophēteia · prophecyG4394

Cross-references for 1 Thessalonians 5:20

• 1 Thessalonians 4:8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
• Numbers 11:25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
• 1 Samuel 10:5After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.
• 1 Samuel 19:20Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
• Acts 19:6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
• 1 Corinthians 11:4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
• 1 Corinthians 12:10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
• 1 Corinthians 13:2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
• 1 Corinthians 14:1Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
• Ephesians 4:11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
• Revelation 11:3And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Despise 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Despise not prophesyings - On the subject of prophesyings in the early Christian church, see the notes on 1 Corinthians 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 1 Corinthians 14:19), there were those who regarded the power of working miracles, or of speaking in unknown…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 We are to rejoice in creature-comforts, as if we rejoiced not, and must not expect to live many years, and rejoice in them all; but if we do rejoice in God, we may do that evermore. A truly religious life is a life of constant joy. And we should rejoice more, if we prayed more. Prayer will help forward all lawful business, and every good work. If we pray without ceasing, we shall not want matter for thanksgiving in every thing. We shall see…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21Do not treat prophecies with contempt: No one should dismiss prophecy intended to spiritually strengthen the church (1 Corinthians 14:1–4). Instead, the Thessalonians should evaluate the prophecies to understand where they come from. Paul says they should make sure any prophecies align with the apostles' teachings (1 Corinthians 12:10; 14:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 John 4:1–3). The church should also assess the character of those who deliver the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. prophesyings--whether exercised in inspired teaching, or in predicting the future. "Despised" by some as beneath "tongues," which seemed most miraculous; therefore declared by Paul to be a greater gift than tongues, though the latter were more showy (1Co 14:5).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Thessalonians 5:20

• Commandments
• Miracles
• Religion
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Edify
• Greet
• Patient
• Quench
• Render
• Sudden
• Warn
• Ministry
• Spiritual Gifts
• Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the

Commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings