1 Corinthians (1 Co) 14
14
1Pursue love!
However, keep on eagerly seeking the things of the Spirit; and especially seek to be able to prophesy. 2For someone speaking in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, because no one can understand, since he is uttering mysteries in the power of the Spirit. 3But someone prophesying is speaking to people, edifying, encouraging and comforting them. 4A person speaking in a tongue does edify himself, but a person prophesying edifies the congregation. 5I wish you would all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you would all prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless someone gives an interpretation, so that the congregation can be edified.
6Brothers, suppose I come to you now speaking in tongues. How can I be of benefit to you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7Even with lifeless musical instruments, such as a flute or a harp, how will anyone recognize the melody if one note can’t be distinguished from another? 8And if the bugle gives an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle? 9It’s the same with you: how will anyone know what you are saying unless you use your tongue to produce intelligible speech? You will be talking to the air! 10There are undoubtedly all kinds of sounds in the world, and none is altogether meaningless; 11but if I don’t know what a person’s sounds mean, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. 12Likewise with you: since you eagerly seek the things of the Spirit, seek especially what will help in edifying the congregation.
13Therefore someone who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit does pray, but my mind is unproductive. 15So, what about it? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16Otherwise, if you are giving thanks with your spirit, how will someone who has not yet received much instruction be able to say, “Amen,” when you have finished giving thanks, since he doesn’t know what you are saying? 17For undoubtedly you are giving thanks very nicely, but the other person is not being edified. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, 19but in a congregation meeting I would rather say five words with my mind in order to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue!
20Brothers, don’t be children in your thinking. In evil, be like infants; but in your thinking, be grown-up. 21In the Torah it is written,
“By other tongues,
by the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people.
But even then they will not listen to me,”
says Adonai.
22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23So if the whole congregation comes together with everybody speaking in tongues, and uninstructed people or unbelievers come in, won’t they say you’re crazy? 24But if you all prophesy, and some unbeliever or uninstructed person enters, he is convicted of sin by all, he is brought under judgment by all, 25and the secrets of his heart are laid bare; so he falls on his face and worships God, saying, “God is really here among you!”
26What is our conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, let everyone be ready with a psalm or a teaching or a revelation, or ready to use his gift of tongues or give an interpretation; but let everything be for edification. 27If the gift of tongues is exercised, let it be by two or at most three, and each in turn; and let someone interpret. 28And if there is no one present who can interpret, let the people who speak in tongues keep silent when the congregation meets — they can speak to themselves and to God. 29Let two or three prophets speak, while the others weigh what is said. 30And if something is revealed to a prophet who is sitting down, let the first one be silent. 31For you can all prophesy one by one, with the result that all will learn something and all will be encouraged. 32Also, the prophets’ spirits are under the prophets’ control; 33for God is not a God of unruliness but of shalom.
As in all the congregations of God’s people, 34let the wives remain silent when the congregation meets; they are certainly not permitted to speak out. Rather, let them remain subordinate, as also the Torah says; 35and if there is something they want to know, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for a woman to speak out in a congregational meeting.
36Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37If anyone thinks he is a prophet or is endowed with the Spirit, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is a command of the Lord. 38But if someone doesn’t recognize this, then let him remain unrecognized.
39So, my brothers, eagerly seek to prophesy; and do not forbid speaking in tongues; 40but let all things be done in a proper and orderly way.
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14
Desire Spiritual Gifts
1You should seek after love, and you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2I will explain why. Those who have the gift of speaking in different languages are not speaking to people; they are speaking to God. No one understands them; they are speaking secret things through the Spirit. 3But those who prophesy are speaking to people to give them strength, encouragement, and comfort. 4The ones who speak in different languages are helping only themselves, but those who prophesy are helping the whole church. 5I wish all of you had the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, but more, I wish you would prophesy. Those who prophesy are greater than those who can only speak in different languages—unless someone is there who can explain what is said so that the whole church can be helped.
6Brothers and sisters, will it help you if I come to you speaking in different languages? No! It will help you only if I bring you a new truth or some new knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching. 7It is the same as with lifeless things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If they do not make clear musical notes, you will not know what is being played. 8And in a war, if the trumpet does not give a clear sound, who will prepare for battle? 9It is the same with you. Unless you speak clearly with your tongue, no one can understand what you are saying. You will be talking into the air! 10It may be true that there are all kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning. 11But unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like foreigners to each other. 12It is the same with you. Since you want spiritual gifts very much, seek most of all to have the gifts that help the church grow stronger.
13The one who has the gift of speaking in a different language should pray for the gift to interpret what is spoken. 14If I pray in a different language, my spirit is praying, but my mind does nothing. 15So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16If you praise God with your spirit, those persons there without understanding cannot say amen to your prayer of thanks, because they do not know what you are saying. 17You may be thanking God in a good way, but the other person is not helped.
18I thank God that I speak in different kinds of languages more than all of you. 19But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words I understand in order to teach others than thousands of words in a different language.
20Brothers and sisters, do not think like children. In evil things be like babies, but in your thinking you should be like adults. 21It is written in the Scriptures:
“With people who use strange words and foreign languages
I will speak to these people.
But even then they will not listen to me,”#Isaiah 28:11–12
says the Lord.
22So the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is a sign for those who do not believe, not for those who do believe. And prophecy is for people who believe, not for those who do not believe. 23Suppose the whole church meets together and everyone speaks in different languages. If some people come in who do not understand or do not believe, they will say you are crazy. 24But suppose everyone is prophesying and some people come in who do not believe or do not understand. If everyone is prophesying, their sin will be shown to them, and they will be judged by all that they hear. 25The secret things in their hearts will be made known. So they will bow down and worship God saying, “Truly, God is with you.”
Meetings Should Help the Church
26So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song, and another has a teaching. Another has a new truth from God. Another speaks in a different language, and another person interprets that language. The purpose of all these things should be to help the church grow strong. 27When you meet together, if anyone speaks in a different language, it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other, and someone should interpret. 28But if there is no interpreter, then those who speak in a different language should be quiet in the church meeting. They should speak only to themselves and to God.
29Only two or three prophets should speak, and the others should judge what they say. 30If a message from God comes to another person who is sitting, the first speaker should stop. 31You can all prophesy one after the other. In this way all the people can be taught and encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are under the control of the prophets themselves. 33God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.
As is true in all the churches of God’s people, 34women should keep quiet in the church meetings. They are not allowed to speak, but they must yield to this rule as the law says. 35If they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. 36Did God’s teaching come from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it has come?
37Those who think they are prophets or spiritual persons should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38Those who ignore this will be ignored by God.
39So my brothers and sisters, you should truly want to prophesy. But do not stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. 40But let everything be done in a right and orderly way.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.