Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:20–22)

Prophecies have a simultaneously prominent and contested position in the history of Christianity. Prophecies tend to be perceived in ambiguous ways. Initially often questioned, prophets either gain followings or are cast aside. Some prophets become leaders; others become outcasts.

How to take revelations seriously? Many people in ancient times wanted proofs of things for which they had no direct sensory evidence, and Western science adjures us moderns even more strictly to test everything empirically.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul calls for an open mind towards prophecies. He tells his audience not to treat prophecies with contempt, but rather with respect—respect at least to the extent that prophecies are worth being put to a test. Who knows what goodness or truth might appear from them? Paul presents openness to prophecies as a mark of faith—an exploration of believing beyond boundaries of the known, the visible, and the empirical.

The unknown prophet represented by this small sculpture does not look as though he has been treated with contempt. He is elaborately dressed from head to toe and seated comfortably. And look at the work’s gilded surface! This is an object on which expense has been lavished.

With one leg nonchalantly crossed over the other, he is shown in the act of writing his prophecy with a quill on a parchment scroll. The scroll, resting on his bended knee, may originally have been inscribed with text, but, if so, this has become invisible over time. Paradoxically so, because only through language can prophecies be shared. It is then up to others to turn prophets’ messages over, and to engage in discussion about whether they are relevant, and how.

The radiant character of this small sculpture echoes the positive and encouraging sentiment communicated by Paul in this passage. ‘Hold on to what is good’ (v.21).