1 Thessalonians 5:20 tells Christians not to treat prophetic messages with contempt or dismissal. The verse is a short command, and it asks believers to take seriously the words spoken in the church that claim to come from God. Paul wrote it near the end of his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, a young congregation in Macedonia that he had founded on his second missionary journey.
Don’t despise prophesies.
1 Thessalonians 5:20 (WEB)
What 1 Thessalonians 5:20 Means
The verse is built on two parts: a prohibition and a object. The prohibition is “do not despise,” which means do not look down on, belittle, or wave away. The object is “prophecies,” or messages that were spoken in the church as a word from God. Paul is not telling the Thessalonians to accept every speaker without thought. He is telling them not to brush aside a word simply because it is unexpected, uncomfortable, or delivered by someone they find ordinary.
What the verse does not promise is that every prophetic word is automatically true or authoritative. The very next verse, which you can read in the passage above, says to test everything. So the verse holds two things together: respect for what God may be saying through people, and a careful habit of weighing it. Dismissing a message without listening and believing every message without checking are both mistakes Paul wants the church to avoid.
The Context of 1 Thessalonians 5:20
First Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest surviving letters, usually dated to the early 50s AD, and it is traditionally attributed to him along with Silvanus and Timothy. Paul wrote to a group of new believers who had turned from idols to serve the living God and who were waiting for the return of Jesus. Much of the letter encourages them in their faith, comforts them over friends who had died, and gives practical instruction for daily life.
The verses just before and after set the tone. In verses 17 to 19 Paul calls the church to constant prayer, thanksgiving, and openness to the Spirit, warning them not to quench the Spirit. Verse 20 sits right in that stream. Verses 21 and 22 then supply the balance: test everything, hold firmly to what is good, and stay away from evil. Read in this setting, the verse is part of a call to a Spirit-attentive community that is also discerning and sober.
Key Phrases in 1 Thessalonians 5:20
1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
(WEB)
Paul urges believers to pursue love and to desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. This shows that the instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:20 belongs to a larger picture in which prophecy is valued and welcomed within the church.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(WEB)
John tells his readers not to believe every spirit but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. This pairs well with Paul’s call to test everything, showing that respect for spiritual messages and careful discernment belong together.
A Short Prayer From 1 Thessalonians 5:20
Lord, you speak to your people in many ways, and some of your words come through people I might be tempted to overlook. Soften my heart so I do not despise what you may be saying, even when it surprises or challenges me. Give me a humble ear and a steady mind, so that I can weigh every word against your truth and hold firmly to what is good. Keep my heart open to your Spirit and my life faithful to your Son. Amen.
