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1Th_5:19. Comp. Noesselt, in locum P. ap. 1 Thess. v. 19–22, disputatio (Exercit. p. 255 ff.).
Lasch, de sententia atque ratione verborum Pauli, πάντα δὲ δοκιμ ., τὸ καλὸν κατ ., 1Th_5:19-22, Lips. 1834.
The prayer of the Christian is an outflow of the Holy Spirit dwelling and working in him; comp. Rom_8:16; Rom_8:26. Accordingly the new admonition, 1Th_5:19, is united in a natural manner to the exhortations, 1Th_5:17-18. Schrader’s view requires no contradiction. He, indeed, finds in this admonition a genuine Pauline reminiscence; but also an objection against the composition of this Epistle by Paul, because “if such an admonition had been necessary for the Thessalonians, it is not elsewhere noticed in the whole Epistle.”
τὸ πνεῦμα ] is the Holy Spirit, and that as the source of extraordinary gifts—speaking with tongues, prophecy, etc., as they are more fully described in 1Co_12:7 ff. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Oecumenius will have τὸ πνεῦμα to indicate either spiritual illumination which fits us for the exercise of Christian virtues, but may be lost by immoral living,[65] or specially prophecy (so also Michaelis and others). Both are erroneous on account of 1Th_5:20.
ΜῊ ΣΒΈΝΝΥΤΕ ] extinguish not, quench not. The πνεῦμα is conceived as a flame, whilst there is particular reference to the strained and inspired speech in which those who were seized by the Spirit expressed themselves. On the figurative expression, comp. Galen. ad Pison. de Ther. i. 17 (Opp. T. xiii. p. 956, Lut. Par. 1639 fol.): ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν παιδίων παντάπασι δεῖ φυλάττεσθαι τὸ φάρμακον · μεῖζον γάρ ἐστιν αὐτῆς τῆς δυνάμεως τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ φαρμάκου καὶ διαλύει ῥαδίως τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ ἔμφυτον πνεῦμα ταχέως σβέννυσιν , ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ τὴν λυχναίαν φλόγα τὸ ἔλαιον , τοῦ τυρὸς πλέον γενόμενον , εὐκόλως ἀποσβέννυσιν .
[65] Similarly Noesselt: πνεῦμα denotes “vim divinam, Christianis propriam, h. e. quidquid rerum divinarum, deo ita providente, cognovissent.”