1 Thessalonians 5:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ Always be full of joy. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁶ Reioyce ever. ¹⁶ Rejoice always. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁶ Rejoice always; ¹⁶ Rejoice evermore. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁶ Rejoice always.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Thessalonians 4:8, Numbers 11:25-29, 1 Samuel 10:5, 1 Samuel 10:6, 1 Samuel 10:10-13, 1 Samuel 19:20-24, Acts 19:6, 1 Corinthians 11:4, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:9, 1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Corinthians 14:3-6, 1 Corinthians 14:22-25, 1 Corinthians 14:29-32, 1 Corinthians 14:37-39, Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:12, Revelation 11:3-11

Reciprocal: Acts 13:1 - prophets Acts 15:32 - being Romans 12:6 - whether 1 Corinthians 14:30 - let 1 Corinthians 14:39 - covet 2 Timothy 4:2 - reprove

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Despise not prophesyings. Or "prophecies"; the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the first coming of Christ, concerning his person, office, and work, his obedience, sufferings, and death, his resurrection from the dead, ascension and session at God's right hand; for though all these are fulfilled, yet they have still their usefulness; for by comparing these with facts, the perfections of God, his omniscience, truth, faithfulness, wisdom, c. are demonstrated, the authority of the Scriptures established, the truths of the Gospel illustrated and confirmed, and faith strengthened and besides, there are many prophecies which regard things to be done, and yet to be done under the Gospel dispensation, and therefore should not be set at nought, but highly valued and esteemed: also the predictions of Christ concerning his own sufferings and death, and resurrection from the dead, and what would befall his disciples afterwards, with many things relating to the destruction of Jerusalem, his second coming, and the end of the world, these should be had in great esteem; nor should what the apostles foretold concerning the rise of antichrist, the man of sin, and the apostasy of the latter days, and the whole book of the Revelations, which is no other than a prophecy of the state of the church, from the times of the apostles to the end of the world, be treated with neglect and contempt, but should be seriously considered, and diligently searched and inquired into. Yea, the prophecies of private men, such as Agabus, and others, in the apostle's time, and in later ages, are not to be slighted; though instances of this kind are rare in our times, and things of this nature should not be precipitantly, and without care, given into: but rather prophesyings here intend the explanation of Scripture, and the preaching of the word, and particularly by persons who had not the gift of tongues, and therefore men were apt to despise them; see 1 Corinthians 13:2. Just as in our days, if persons have not had a liberal education, and do not understand Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, though they have ministerial gifts, and are capable of explaining the word to edification and comfort, yet are set at nought and rejected, which should not be.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Despise 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 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. No man is made the poorer, or the less respectable, or more miserable in life or in death, by following the counsels of a minister of Christ when he makes known the gospel.

(4) He who despises it contemns that which is designed to promote his own welfare, and which is indispensable for his salvation. It remains yet to be shown that any man has promoted his own happiness, or the welfare of his family, by affecting to treat with contempt the instructions of the Christian ministry.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. 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.