John Calvin Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:21

"prove all things; hold fast that which is good;" — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ASV)

Prove all things. Because rash men and deceiving spirits frequently pass off their trifles under the name of prophecy, prophecy might by this means become suspicious or even hateful. This is just as many today feel almost disgusted with the very name of preaching, because there are so many foolish and ignorant persons who from the pulpit blurt out their worthless schemes, while there are also others, wicked and sacrilegious persons, who utter detestable blasphemies.

Therefore, because of the fault of such persons, it might be that prophecy was regarded with disdain, indeed, was scarcely allowed to have a place. For this reason, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to prove all things. He means that, although not all speak precisely according to a set rule, we must nevertheless form a judgment before any doctrine is condemned or rejected.

Regarding this, there is a twofold error that people commonly fall into. For there are some who, either because they have been deceived by a false pretext of the name of God, or because they know that many are commonly deceived in this way, reject every kind of doctrine indiscriminately. Meanwhile, there are others who, with foolish credulity, embrace without distinction everything presented to them in the name of God.

Both of these approaches are faulty. The first group, saturated with such a presumptuous prejudice, blocks their own way to progress, while the other group rashly exposes themselves to all winds of errors (Ephesians 4:14). Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to keep the middle path between these two extremes. He prohibits them from condemning anything without first examining it; and, on the other hand, he admonishes them to exercise judgment before receiving what may be brought forward as undoubted truth.

And unquestionably, this respect, at least, ought to be shown to the name of God — that we do not despise prophecy, which is declared to have come from Him. However, just as examination or discrimination ought to precede rejection, so it must also precede the reception of true and sound doctrine.

For it is not fitting for the pious to show such fickleness as to indiscriminately grasp what is false equally with what is true. From this we infer that they have the spirit of judgment conferred upon them by God, so that they may discriminate and not be deceived by the deceptions of men.

For if they were not endowed with discrimination, it would be in vain that Paul said — Prove: hold fast that which is good. If, however, we feel that we lack the power of proving correctly, we must seek it from the same Spirit, who speaks by His prophets.

But the Lord declares in this passage through the mouth of Paul that the course of doctrine ought not, by any faults of mankind, or by any rashness, or ignorance, or, finally, by any abuse, to be prevented from always being in a vigorous state in the Church. For as the abolition of prophecy is the ruin of the Church, let us allow heaven and earth to be mixed together, rather than let prophecy cease.

Paul, however, may seem here to give too much liberty in teaching when he wants all things proved; for things must be heard by us so that they may be proved, and by this means a door would be opened to impostors for disseminating their falsehoods.

I answer that in this instance he does not by any means require that an audience should be given to false teachers, whose mouth he elsewhere teaches (Titus 1:11) must be stopped. He so rigidly shuts them out and does not by any means set aside the arrangement for the election of teachers, which he elsewhere so highly recommends (1 Timothy 3:2).

However, since such great diligence can never be exercised that there will not sometimes be persons prophesying who are not as well instructed as they ought to be, and since sometimes even good and pious teachers fail to hit the mark, he requires such moderation from believers that they nevertheless do not refuse to hear.

For nothing is more dangerous than that moroseness by which every kind of doctrine is rendered disgusting to us, while we do not allow ourselves to prove what is right.