1 Thessalonians 5:21

Prove allthings; hold fastthat which is good Some of the best ancient authorities read, But prove all things. In any case, this exhortation, while capable of the widest application, arises out of the subject of the last. "Instead of accepting or rejecting wholesale what is addressed to you as prophecy, use your judgement; learn to discriminate; sift the wheat from the chaff." So needful was it to distinguish between true and false revelations, that a special endowment was bestowed on some persons for this end the "discernment of spirits" (1 Corinthians 12:10). And St Paul gives a criterion for the purpose in 1 Corinthians 12:3. Comp. 1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit; but try the spirits, whether they are of God."

"The good" represents a different word from that of 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (see note); it signifies what is goodor fine in quality, as in 2 Thessalonians 3:13.