First Thessalonians 5:20 tells believers not to treat prophetic messages with contempt or dismissal. Paul wants the church to take seriously the words spoken among them as God’s communication, while keeping the judgment that comes next in verse 21. Paul wrote this to the young church in Thessalonica, a congregation he had founded and was now encouraging through a letter.
Don’t despise prophesies.
1 Thessalonians 5:20 (WEB)
What 1 Thessalonians 5:20 Means
The word “despise” means to look down on something as cheap, unimportant, or not worth hearing. Paul is warning against an attitude that waves away what is said in the church as if it could be ignored. The command assumes that prophecy was a real, active gift in the congregation, and that some members were tempted to brush it aside.
“Prophesies” here refers to spoken messages that the church received as coming from God, meant to build up, encourage, correct, or direct. In Paul’s usage elsewhere, prophecy is not the same as predicting the future. It is more like speaking a word from God into a present situation.
The verse does not say every prophetic word is automatically true or binding. That is exactly why verse 21 follows immediately. Paul asks the church to avoid contempt and also to test what they hear. The verse promises nothing about how often prophecy will occur. It only addresses how the community should respond when it does.
The Context of 1 Thessalonians 5:20
First Thessalonians is one of the earliest letters in the New Testament, traditionally attributed to Paul and written around the early 50s AD. Paul writes to a group of Gentile believers who had turned from idols to serve the living God, and who were facing persecution and uncertainty about the return of Christ. Much of the letter gives them comfort and practical instruction for living faithfully while they wait.
The verses just before and after 5:20 form a short cluster of instructions about the life of the Spirit. Paul tells them to pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything, and not quench the Spirit. Then he gives the pairing of verses 20 and 21: do not despise prophecies, but test everything and hold on to what is good. Read in that setting, the verse is part of a balanced call to openness and discernment, not a license to ignore God’s voice or to accept every claim without thought.
Key Phrases in 1 Thessalonians 5:20
1 Corinthians 14:3
But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, exhortation, and consolation.
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Paul explains that prophecy builds up, encourages, and comforts. This shows why the church should not despise prophetic words, since their purpose is to strengthen the community and draw people closer to God.
Acts 2:17
‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
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Peter quotes the promise that God would pour out His Spirit and that sons and daughters would prophesy. This helps explain why prophecy was expected to be part of the life of the church from its very beginning.
A Short Prayer From 1 Thessalonians 5:20
Father, forgive me for the times I have brushed aside the words of others too quickly, whether they came from a friend, a teacher, or a sermon that didn’t fit my plans. Help me to listen with humility and to honor what you may be saying through your people. Give me wisdom to test everything and to hold firmly to what is good, so that my heart stays open and my judgment stays grounded in your truth. Amen.
