1 Corinthians 14
14
Prophecy: A Superior Gift
1Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. 2For the person who speaks in a tongue#14:2 Or another language, also in vv. 4,13,14,19,26,27#1Co 12:10 is not speaking to people but to God, since no one understands him; he speaks mysteries in the Spirit.#14:2 Or in spirit, or in his spirit 3On the other hand, the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,#14:3 Lit building up encouragement, and consolation. 4The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5I wish all of you spoke in tongues,#14:5 Or other languages, also in vv. 6,18,21,22,23,39 but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.
6So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation#1Pt 4:13 or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7Even lifeless instruments that produce sounds — whether flute or harp#Rv 5:8; 14:2; 15:2 — if they don’t make a distinction in the notes, how will what is played on the flute or harp be recognized? 8In fact, if the bugle makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?#Nm 10:9; Is 58:1; Jr 4:19; Ezk 33:3–6; Jl 2:1 9In the same way, unless you use your tongue for intelligible speech, how will what is spoken be known? For you will be speaking into the air. 10There are doubtless many different kinds of languages in the world, none is without meaning. 11Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner#14:11 Gk barbaros, or barbarian to the speaker, and the speaker will be a foreigner to me. 12So also you — since you are zealous#Nm 25:13; Gl 1:14 for spiritual gifts,#14:12 Lit zealous of spirits#Ps 51:11; Lk 11:34; Jn 1:33; Ac 2:4; Rm 8:9; Gl 5:25; Ti 3:5; 1Jn 4:1; Rv 3:22 seek to excel in building up the church.
13Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit#Ps 51:12 prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.#Gl 5:22; Ti 3:14 15What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding. 16Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit,#14:16 Or praise by the Spirit how will the outsider#14:16 Lit the one filling the place of the uninformed say “Amen”#Ps 72:19; Rv 22:21 at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18I thank#Rm 1:8 God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19yet in the church I would rather speak five words#Mt 12:37 with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.#Ps 131:2; Is 28:9; Mt 18:3; Rm 16:19; Eph 4:14; Heb 5:12–13 21It is written in the law,
I will speak to this people
by people of other tongues
and by the lips of foreigners,
and even then, they will not listen to me, # 14:21 Is 28:11–12 #
Is 28:11–12
says the Lord. 22Speaking in tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23If, therefore, the whole church assembles together and all are speaking in tongues and people who are outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24But if all are prophesying and some unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted by all and is called to account by all. 25The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is really among you.”#Is 45:14; Zch 8:23
Order in Church Meetings
26What then, brothers and sisters? Whenever you come together, each one#14:26 Other mss add of you has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.#1Co 12:10 Everything is to be done for building up. 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28But if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God. 29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate.#1Jn 4:1 30But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. 31For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged.#Lk 16:25 32And the prophets’ spirits are subject to the prophets, 33since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints,#Eph 6:18 34the women#14:34 Other mss read your women should be silent in the churches,#1Tm 2:11–12; 1Pt 3:1 for they are not permitted to speak, but are to submit themselves, as the law also says. 35If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands#Mt 1:19; 1Pt 3:1 at home, since it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36Or did the word of God originate from you, or did it come to you only?
37If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 38If anyone ignores this, he will be ignored.#14:38 Other mss read he should be ignored 39So then, my brothers and sisters, be eager#Nm 25:13; Gl 4:17 to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything is to be done decently#Rm 13:13 and in order.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Corinthians 14
14
Use Spiritual Gifts to Help the Church
1Love should be the goal of your life, but you should also want to have the gifts that come from the Spirit. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. 2I will explain why. Those who have the gift of speaking in a different language 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. They help people grow stronger in faith, and they give encouragement and comfort. 4Those who speak in a different language are helping only themselves. But those who prophesy are helping the whole church.
5I would like all of you to have the gift of speaking in different languages. But what I want more is for you to prophesy. Anyone who prophesies is more important than those who can only speak in different languages. However, if they can also interpret those languages, they are as important as the one who prophesies. If they can interpret, then the church can be helped by what they say.
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 knowledge, prophecy, or teaching. 7This is true even with lifeless things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If the different musical notes are not made clear, you can’t understand 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. If you don’t speak clearly in a language people know, they cannot understand what you are saying. You will be talking to the air! 10It is true that there are many different languages in the world, and they all have meaning. 11But if I don’t understand the meaning of what someone is saying, it will just be strange sounds to me, and I will sound just as strange to them. 12That’s why you who want spiritual gifts so much should prefer those gifts that help the church grow stronger.
13So those who have the gift of speaking in a different language should pray that they can also interpret what they say. 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 someone there without understanding cannot say “Amen” to your prayer of thanks, because they don’t know what you are saying. 17You may be thanking God in a good way, but others are 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 and sisters, don’t think like children. In evil things be like babies, but in your thinking you should be like full-grown adults. 21As the Scriptures#14:21 Scriptures Literally, “law,” which sometimes means the Old Testament. say,
“Using those who speak a different language
and using the lips of foreigners,
I will speak to these people.
But even then, they will not obey me.” Isaiah 28:11-12
This is what the Lord says.
22And from this we see that the use of different languages shows how God deals with those who don’t believe, not with those who believe. And prophecy shows how God works through those who believe, not through unbelievers. 23Suppose the whole church meets together and you all speak in different languages. If some people come in who are without understanding or don’t believe, they will say you are crazy. 24But suppose you are all prophesying and someone comes in who does not believe or who is without understanding. Their sin will be shown to them, and they will be judged by everything you say. 25The secret things in their heart will be made known. So they will bow down and worship God. They will say, “Without a doubt, God is here with you.”#14:25 See Isa. 45:14 and Zech. 8:23.
Your Meetings Should Be Helpful to All
26So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song, another has a teaching, and another has a new truth from God. One person speaks in a different language, and another interprets that language. The purpose of whatever you do should be to help everyone grow stronger in faith. 27When you meet together, if anyone speaks to the group in a different language, it should be only two or no more than three people who do this. And they should speak one after the other. And someone else 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. They should speak only to themselves 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 someone who is sitting, the first speaker should be quiet. 31You can all prophesy one after the other. This way everyone 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 the rule for all the meetings of God’s people.
34The women should keep quiet in these church meetings. They are not allowed to speak out but should be under authority, as the Law of Moses says. 35If there is something they want to know, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak up like that in the church meeting.
36God’s teaching did not come from you, and you are not the only ones who have received it. 37If you think you are a prophet or that you have a spiritual gift, you should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38If you do not accept this, you will not be accepted.
39So my brothers and sisters, continue to give your attention to prophesying. And don’t stop anyone from using the gift of speaking in different languages. 40But everything should be done in a way that is right and orderly.
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