1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Following warnings not to quench the Spirit or despise prophesyings (verses 19-20), Paul instructs the church to test what is presented and retain what is genuinely good.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Mean?
Paul gives a two-part instruction in spiritual discernment: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." The word "prove" means to test or examine, as metals were assayed to determine their genuineness. Rather than accepting every teaching uncritically or rejecting everything out of suspicion, believers are to weigh what they hear and measure it carefully. This calls for thoughtful engagement, not gullibility and not cynicism.
The second half completes the balance: once something has been tested and found good, "hold fast" -- grip it firmly and do not let it go. Testing is not an end in itself; its purpose is to identify and retain what is true and good. In the immediately preceding verses Paul warns against despising the Spirit's work, so this discernment is meant to honor genuine truth while filtering out what is false or harmful. The verse models a mature faith: open enough to examine, settled enough to commit. Believers are responsible to think carefully and then to cling to what proves trustworthy.
In the Original Language
"Prove" is dokimazo, to test or examine for genuineness, as metals were assayed; "hold fast" is katecho, to hold down, retain firmly.
Cross References
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
- 1 John 4:1
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
- Acts 17:11
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;”
- Philippians 1:10
Application
Examine carefully what you are taught rather than accepting or rejecting it blindly, and once you find what is genuinely good, hold onto it.