In the last chapter of 1st Thessalonians, Paul lists some final instructions or recommendations for how to live our daily lives.
Many of them are short and to the point. Some, like verse 15, is both the instruction of what not to do “See that none render evil for evil unto any man;” and an instruction of what to do instead “but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men”.
My question concerns verse 5:20 & 21, which King James renders
20: Despise not prophesyings.
21: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
These seem to be two separate instructions.
While NIV renders those verses as
20: Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good.
In the NIV version the 'them all' in V-21 refers back to the prophecies of v-20 and indicates that the testing of scripture is part of treating them with respect.
I have checked several other versions. Newer translations seem to favor the single sentence, which specifically targets the testing to the scriptures.
Older versions keep the verses separate, which in context would seem to make them less closely related admonitions.
I am not a scholar in the ancient languages.
My question is: Does the original text favor the separate verses rendering with two less related (short & to the point) instructions, or to giving an instruction to test scripture? (which I would understand to mean study them and cross compare them, holding on to the interpretations that are consistent with all of God's word).
Many of them are short and to the point. Some, like verse 15, is both the instruction of what not to do “See that none render evil for evil unto any man;” and an instruction of what to do instead “but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men”.
My question concerns verse 5:20 & 21, which King James renders
20: Despise not prophesyings.
21: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
These seem to be two separate instructions.
While NIV renders those verses as
20: Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good.
In the NIV version the 'them all' in V-21 refers back to the prophecies of v-20 and indicates that the testing of scripture is part of treating them with respect.
I have checked several other versions. Newer translations seem to favor the single sentence, which specifically targets the testing to the scriptures.
Older versions keep the verses separate, which in context would seem to make them less closely related admonitions.
I am not a scholar in the ancient languages.
My question is: Does the original text favor the separate verses rendering with two less related (short & to the point) instructions, or to giving an instruction to test scripture? (which I would understand to mean study them and cross compare them, holding on to the interpretations that are consistent with all of God's word).