Paul wrote about the gift of prophecy in his first letter to the Church of Thessalonica, exhorting the members of the community to live in holiness and charity; at the end of his letter he gives a series of warnings for the life in community and affirms: Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast to that which is good". 1 Tessalonians 5:19-21.
The action of the holy spirit is the Kingdom of God, Kingdom means empire, dominion of the divine perfections, dominion of the prophecy, dominion of the mercy, empirel of the continuous improvement. God is the origin of the perfections we observe in the creation. The gifts are perfections.
When the Apostle speaks of prophecy, he refers to everything that arises from the gift of counsel: listen (he perceive with attention), meditate with intuition and inspiration, decide creatively. Prophecy in the context of the Kingdom of God is all the inspired revelation. According to Thomas Aquinas, the Word of God is the wisdom engendered by the counsel. The apostle reminds us of the importance of examining the gifts and looking for the good, the best, the most excellent gifts. In short, live ethically
Discern and choose, separate good from evil and choose what is correct, in this consists the New Commandment, the Blessed Life, living according to the spirit: the good, beautiful, sensible and happy life. Seek what is edifyng, benevolent, compassive, progressive, fair, truthful.
What we do is what we are, people do not pick figs from thornbushes, "each tree is recognized by its own fruits" Luke 6:44.
The return of the good, of the sensible is life, the return of the evil, the error, the false is the ruin, the death. The are no middle terms, living according to the soul, that is the practice of the virtue to achieve happiness is just a mask. True happiness is not an end but a gift from God and it is in this that consist the gift of eternal life, to be happy as God, choosing the correct and best.
The apostle says goodbye in his letter synthesizing the need for the gifts, his examination, to choose the most excellent and best gifts.