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Greek Lessons
- The Question of Eternal Life: Syntax of Testing and Inquiry in Luke 10:25
- The Grammar of Astonishment and Difficulty
- The Urgency of Flight: Syntax, Eschatology, and the Grammar of Mission in Matthew 10:23
- Provoking the Lord: The Peril of Presumption
- The Great Priest Over God’s House: The Foundation of Confident Access
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Category
Tag Archives: 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test Everything, Hold Fast to the Good: Discernment in 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 Foundationsπάντα 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 GreekDiscerning Discipleship: Testing All Things, Holding to the Good
Πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε· (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
But test everything; hold fast to what is good.
The Command to Examine EverythingIn 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Paul delivers a compact yet far-reaching exhortation: πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε — “But test everything.” The verb δοκιμάζετε (present active imperative) urges continual action: not a one-time judgment, but a lifestyle of evaluation. Derived from the domain of metallurgy, the word implies testing to determine authenticity or value. This is no superficial scanning, but an intentional and discerning process. The object of the verb, πάντα (“everything”), is striking in its scope—there are no exceptions or sacred cows.… Learn Koine Greek
