5:21

Make sure of: The Greek word used by the apostle Paul for to “make sure of” could also be rendered to “test.” This Greek word means to examine and scrutinize something to see if it is genuine. It was used in connection with testing precious metals. Paul uses the same Greek word at Ro 12:2 (see study note) in the expression “prove to yourselves.”

Make sure of all things: This statement shows that Christians must make sure that “all things” they accept as their beliefs are in harmony with God’s will. (Compare Ac 17:11.) In this context, Paul specifically says in verse 20: “Do not treat prophecies with contempt.” This warning indicates that the Thessalonian Christians were to “make sure” that any prophecies they put faith in were truly from God. In the first century C.E., some of Christ’s followers had the gift of prophecy. (Ro 12:6; 1Co 14:1-3) Yet, Jesus foretold that false prophets would also appear. (Mt 24:11, 24; Mr 13:22) Christians should consider the sort of person delivering the prophecy (Mt 7:16-20) and note whether its content harmonized with the inspired Scriptures. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians (c. 50 C.E.), Matthew’s Gospel was likely the only part of the Christian Greek Scriptures already written. So to determine whether a prophecy or a teaching was truly from God, they needed to rely heavily on a careful study of the Hebrew Scriptures.