Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Thessalonians 5:20

20 Despise not prophesyings .

Thereby we may quench the Spirit, which usually works upon mens Minds and Hearts by it. By prophesie is sometimes meant foretelling things to come, and speaking by extraordinary Revelation, 1 Cor. 14.29, 30. sometimes the Scriptures are so call'd, especially the old Testament, 2 Pet. 1.21. and sometimes the interpretation and applying of Scripture, which is the same that we now call preaching, 1 Cor. 14.3. And the duty with respect to it, is not to despise it, to set it at nought as a thing of no worth. The word is often used in the New Testament, Luk. 18.9. Acts 4.11. Rom. 14.3.10. But the Apostle useth again the figure Meiosis before mentioned, and means, Prize, Value, and highly esteem it, attend upon it, have great regard to it. It being an ordinance of God for Instruction and Edification, yea, and for Conversion also, 1 Cor. 14.24, 25. some despise it because of the outward meanness of the persons which prophesie, some through a proud conceit of their own knowledge, some by a contempt of Religion it self. These Thessalonians had been commended for their great proficiency, and yet were still to attend upon prophesying in the Church. Which he calls prophesyings in the plural number, referring either to the several Prophets that prophesied, or to the several parts of their prophesie, or the times they prophesied. And the Prophets were either such as prophesied only by an extraordinary gift, and immediate revelation, which some private members of the Church, had in those times, 1 Cor. 14.29, 30. Or such as prophesied not only by gift, but office also, Eph. 4.11.