Do Not Treat Prophecies with Contempt

I am even more surprised that ....

 

Since the immediate context of I Thess. 5:20 is the 2nd coming of Christ (see 5:1-19) and how we should live in light of that knowledge, I think "prophecy" here must be refering to the specific prophecies concerning the 2nd coming.

To treat these prophecies with contempt then, would be to live contrary to what Paul tells them (us) here:

Appreciate those who labor among you, live in peace, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone, do not repay evil for evil, seek after what is good, rejoice always, pray without ceasing...etc.

Even back to v. 6 "so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober"

Context seems to make it clear what prophecy means here.

If I may be so bold;

I am surprised no one else has seen it.

 

canadyjd wrote,

There is NO mention of the Second Coming in the context! Paul is simply telling the Christians in Thessalonica not to despise prophetic utterances (regardless of the topic). And, of course, he was not talking to Baptist Christians because they don’t listen to him much to the time anyway.

Canadyjd,

Welcome to the Baptist Board!

I pray that we will be a blessing to you, and you to us.

 

Craigbythesea

You said
_____
"There is NO mention of the Second Coming in the context!"
_____

Chapter 5v.1

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. (v.2) For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night"

The "day of the Lord" is a common phrase refering to the 2nd coming of Christ. What follows are instructions on how we should live according to that information. You then have the comment about not having contempt for prophetic utterances.

It seems clear that the context is prophecies concerning the second coming, and that "having contempt" would be living your life in disregard of that knowledge.

peace to you

 

Craigbythesea

Thank you for the warm welcome. I have already enjoyed our conversations.

peace to you

 

The basic distinction regarding prophecy is that it is preaching or proclaiming by direct revelation. A prophet speaks what God tell’s him, this may be either foretelling or forthtelling. The key is that the prophet does not expound the Word of God that has already been given, he speaks new truth directly from God. The fact that prophecy is not an active gift today relates to the fact that Scripture is complete, not some Baptist tradition. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge by special revelation ceased when John penned that last words of the Revelation. The miraculous signs that authenticated the words of the Apostles began to cease even before that time. Paul was not healed of his “thorn in the flesh”. He left Trophimus at Miletum, sick. He is thankful to God for sparing the life of Epaphroditus, and he tells Timothy to use “a little wine” for his stomach problems. Earlier in the life of the church, healings were prominent. As more and more revelation is given there is less and less need for signs to authenticate the new truth being given. In fact, Paul says that the test of what he preaches next must be that which he has already preached. If anyone comes with a different message, he is to be accursed.

In the Thesalonians passage it seems most likely that some are refusing to recognize the validity of authentic prophecy. Paul chides them for this reason.

 

rjprince wrote,

Agreed.

Rjprince is NOT, in this quote, expounding the Word of God that has already been given, but is teaching a teaching that is NOT found anywhere in the Bible. Therefore, if what he is teaching is the truth, he is forthtelling something new. Therefore his very words, if they are true, proves that prophesy is an active gift today. But if his words are not true . . . let’s not go there!

Nowhere in The New Testament does it say that the New Testament Canon was completed “when John penned that last words of the Revelation,” and a very large portion of New Testament scholars today believe that the internal evidence found in 2 Peter proves that 2 Peter was written AFTER John wrote the Revelation. And this is NOT a new opinion, but an opinion that has been expressed by Bible scholars beginning very early and continuing throughout the history of the Church because of the Pseudepigraphal nature of the epistle. Eusebius listed 2 Peter among the books whose canonicity was “contested” in his day; Jerome commented that the grammar and style of 2 Peter cast doubts on its authorship and thus it canonicity. Indeed, both Luther and Calvin seriously questioned the appropriateness of recognizing the Canonicity of 2 Peter.

 

In the face of the rise to great power of the tiny Jewish state, and the rapid advance of knowledge & travel as prophesied, how can anyone take prophecy lightly? In this light, I study prophecy closely to see what God's gonna do. Of all the world's religious writings, ONLY THE BIBLE'S PROPHECIES have come to pass as written.(The Q'Ran contains NO prophecy.)