1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NET) — Do not extinguish the Spirit.

Is the reference here primarily to the ethical fruit of the Spirit (see Gal 5:22f), or to the charismatic gifts of the Spirit (or neither, or both)?

Let’s consider the possibilities.

1. It refers to ethical behaviour (the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit)

In support of this interpretation, note that joy and thankfulness have just been mentioned, and these are closely linked with the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5.

Larson: the phrase refers to the ‘convicting power, righteousness, and judgment’ of the Spirit.

Leon Morris: it is possible to quench the Spirit by doing some of the things mentioned previously in this letter – despondency, idleness, immorality, and so on.

Morris elsewhere notes that sinful conduct quenches the Spirit:

‘The Holy Spirit is likened to fire, or symbolized by fire, in a number of places and certainly fire may illustrate very aptly some of the work of the Spirit. But conduct like that which Paul is castigating, idleness, impurity, and the like, quenches the Spirit. When a man consents to have such things in his life, then the effective power of the Spirit within him is quenched. The bright burning of the fire of the Spirit and a willingness to engage in sin are absolutely inconsistent with each other.’ (Spirit of the Living God, 98)

2. It refers to the charismatic gifts, esp. prophecy (the ‘gifts’ of the Spirit)

This is the majority view.

The mention of ‘prophecies’ in the next verse would seem to support this interpretation.  On the link between the Spirit and prophecy, see also Lk 1:67; Acts 2:17; 19:6; 28:25; Eph 2:5; Rev 22:6.

Thomas: Paul is pleading for the converse of what he was seeking to do at Corinth, for they had an excessive dependance upon those gifts.

Bruce: to ‘quench’ the Spirit is to refuse or hinder prophetic message from the Spirit.

Comfort: possibly the Thessalonians had ceased the practice of prophesying.  Paul is urging them to reinstate it, but also to test it.  Fee: Paul is referring to charismatic manifestations.

Green: Paul is urging his readers not to quench the Spirit by undue scepticism towards prophecy.

Malherbe: Paul is referring mainly to the danger of suppressing the gift of prophecy.

Wanamaker: Paul is thinking of all the charismatic gifts, not just prophecy.

3. It refers to both the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit

Stott: It is preceded by the commands to rejoice, pray and give thanks.  It is followed by the commands to listen to God’s word, to test everything and to resist evil of all kinds.  Failing to do any of these things is quenching the Holy Spirit.

Stott applies ths injuction to the role of the Holy Spirit in public worship:

‘We should expect him to speak to us with a living, contemporary voice through the ancient Scriptures and then to move us to respond to God appropriately with all our being. This does not mean that he cannot use set forms, since (as we have seen) they are found in the New Testament text itself. But perhaps the best way to avoid Spirit-quenching traditions in public worship is to develop a flexible combination of liturgy and spontaneity, form and freedom.’

Conclusion

I incline towards the second interpretation.