Tag Archives: 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

But test everything; hold fast to the good.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 is a brief but powerful call to spiritual discernment. Nestled in a series of rapid-fire exhortations, this verse balances openness with critical evaluation: believers are not to accept or reject blindly but are to test all things and cling to what is good. The Greek is elegant in its brevity, making each verb imperative and memorable.

Grammatical Foundations

πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε—“But test everything.”

πάντα—accusative neuter plural of πᾶς, meaning “all things” or “everything.” It is the direct object of the verb.… Learn Koine Greek