In our last visit we began looking at 1st Thessalonians 5:19-22, focusing on verse 19, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” One way to put out the Spirit’s fire is to neglect or resist God’s Word. Verse 20 adds, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt.”
Prophecy can be understood in two ways. Most consider prophecy to be foretelling the future. If that’s what Paul means it‘s clear, we should not treat such predictions with contempt. Prophets did predict that there is a day of reckoning coming sometime in the future. It may be soon! If we don’t take this seriously, we are fools. Prophets warn that once we die we face a judgment. If we disregard that prediction we are foolish. In this book of 1st Thessalonians we’re reminded in every chapter that Christ is coming back. A wise person will prepare for that day.
The other meaning of the word prophecy is the forth-telling of God’s Word. What Paul is saying is this, “Do not treat the messages you hear with contempt. Don’t treat what is being taught in a Bible class with contempt. Don’t treat an exhortation or correction from a friend based on the Bible, with contempt.”
The statement at the end of each letter to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 should be a relevant reminder to all of us: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” If we don’t heed this warning we’ll miss what God, in love, has in mind for us.
