1 Corinthians 14
14
Spiritual Gifts
1Love, then, is what you should try for. And you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. 2I will explain why. One who has the gift of speaking in a different language is not speaking to people. He is speaking to God. No one understands him—he is speaking secret things through the Spirit. 3But one who prophesies is speaking to people. He gives people strength, encouragement, and comfort. 4The one who speaks in a different language is helping only himself. But the one who prophesies is helping the whole church. 5I would like all of you to have the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. But more, I want you to prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the one who can only speak in different languages—unless someone is there who can explain what he says. Then the whole church can be helped.
6Brothers, 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 knowledge, or some prophecy, or some teaching. 7It is the same as with non-living things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If different musical notes are not made clear, you will not know what song is being played. Each note must be played clearly for you to be able to understand the tune. 8And in a war, if the trumpet does not sound clearly, the soldiers will not know it is time to prepare for fighting. 9It is the same with you. The words you speak with your tongue must be clear. Unless you speak clearly, no one can understand what you are saying. You will be talking in the air! 10It is true that there are many kinds of speech in the world. And they all have meaning. 11So unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like strangers to each other. 12It is the same with you. You want spiritual gifts very much. So try most to have the gifts that help the church grow stronger.
13The one who has the gift of speaking in a different language should pray that he can also interpret what he says. 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. 16You might be praising God with your spirit. But a person there without understanding cannot say “Amen”# When a person says “Amen,” it means he agrees with the things that were said. to your prayer of thanks. He does 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 my gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is greater than any of yours. 19But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words that I understand than thousands of words in a different language. I would rather speak with my understanding, so that I can teach others.
20Brothers, do not think like children. In evil things be like babies. But in your thinking you should be like full-grown men. 21It is written in the Scriptures:
“I will use strange words and foreign languages
to speak to these people.
But even then they will not listen.” Isaiah 28:11-12
That is what the Lord says.
22So the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is a sign for those who do not believe, not for those who 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 are without understanding or do not believe, they will say you are crazy. 24But suppose everyone is prophesying and someone comes in who does not believe or is without understanding. If everyone is prophesying, his sin will be shown to him, and he will be judged by all that he hears. 25The secret things in his heart will be made known. So he will bow down and worship God. He will say, “Truly, God is with you.”
Meetings Should Help the Church
26So, brothers, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song. 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, then it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other. And someone should interpret what they say. 28But if there is no interpreter, then anyone who speaks in a different language should be quiet in the church meeting. He should speak only to himself and to God.
29And only two or three prophets should speak. The others should judge what they say. 30And if a message from God comes to another person who is sitting, then 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.
This is true in all the churches of God’s people. 34Women should keep quiet in the church meetings. They are not allowed to speak. They must be under control. This is also what the law of Moses says. 35If there is something the women want to know, 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 who have received that teaching?
37If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or that he has a spiritual gift, then he should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38If that person does not know this, then he is not known by God.
39So my brothers, you should truly want to prophesy. And do not stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. 40But let everything be done in a way that is right and orderly.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 14
14
More about Gifts from the Spirit
1It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message. 2Those who speak in strange tongues do not speak to others but to God, because no one understands them. They are speaking secret truths by the power of the Spirit. 3But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort. 4Those who speak in strange tongues help only themselves, but those who proclaim God's message help the whole church.
5I would like all of you to speak in strange tongues; but I would rather that you had the gift of proclaiming God's message. For the person who proclaims God's message is of greater value than the one who speaks in strange tongues — unless there is someone present who can explain what is said, so that the whole church may be helped. 6So when I come to you, my brothers and sisters, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message, or some teaching.
7Take such lifeless musical instruments as the flute or the harp — how will anyone know the tune that is being played unless the notes are sounded distinctly? 8And if the one who plays the bugle does not sound a clear call, who will prepare for battle? 9In the same way, how will anyone understand what you are talking about if your message given in strange tongues is not clear? Your words will vanish in the air! 10There are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11But if I do not know the language being spoken, those who use it will be foreigners to me and I will be a foreigner to them. 12Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build up the church.
13The person who speaks in strange tongues, then, must pray for the gift to explain what is said. 14For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it. 15What should I do, then? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will sing also with my mind. 16When you give thanks to God in spirit only, how can ordinary people taking part in the meeting say “Amen” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They have no way of knowing what you are saying. 17Even if your prayer of thanks to God is quite good, other people are not helped at all.
18I thank God that I speak in strange tongues much more than any of you. 19But in church worship I would rather speak five words that can be understood, in order to teach others, than speak thousands of words in strange tongues.
20Do not be like children in your thinking, my brothers and sisters; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown-up in your thinking. 21#Is 28.11–12In the Scriptures it is written:
“By means of people speaking strange languages
I will speak to my people, says the Lord.
I will speak through lips of foreigners,
but even then my people will not listen to me.”
22So then, the gift of speaking in strange tongues is proof for unbelievers, not for believers, while the gift of proclaiming God's message is proof for believers, not for unbelievers.
23If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues — and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy? 24But if everyone is proclaiming God's message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear, 25their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, “Truly God is here among you!”
Order in the Church
26This is what I mean, my brothers and sisters. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church. 27If someone is going to speak in strange tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said. 28But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself and to God. 29Two or three who are given God's message should speak, while the others are to judge what they say. 30But if someone sitting in the meeting receives a message from God, the one who is speaking should stop. 31All of you may proclaim God's message, one by one, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32The gift of proclaiming God's message should be under the speaker's control, 33because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace.
As in all the churches of God's people, 34the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge. 35If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in church.
36Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came? 37If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.
39So then, my brothers and sisters, set your hearts on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues. 40Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.