Do not treat prophecies with contempt,
To despise prophecy is to quench the Spirit itself, for God communicates chiefly by doctrine. Prophecy here means the interpretation of Scripture applied wisely to present need, not foretelling the future. Those fanatics who dream they are spiritual by scorning the ministry of man and the reading of Scripture altogether wander in deliberate darkness.
AI summary
Spiritual joy in God can be constant; rejoice in Him and you have an everlasting feast, even when worldly troubles strike. Prayer without ceasing is the path to that joy. Thanksgiving in all things, even hardship, follows naturally when you pray, for you will always find matter to thank God for.
AI summary
Commenting on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Do not undervalue preaching as inferior to miracles or strange tongues. Preaching is God's permanent ordinance for saving men; no other institution under heaven exerts so wide and lasting an influence. It is foolish to despise what God Himself has appointed as the chief means of conversion and is wholly good in its effect.
AI summary