1 Corinthians 14
14
Proper Use of Spiritual Gifts
1It is good that you are enthusiastic and passionate about spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. # 14:1 Or “that you crave spiritual things” or “that you crave spiritual realities.” 2When someone speaks in tongues, no one understands a word he says, because he’s not speaking to people, but to God—he is speaking intimate mysteries in the Spirit. # 14:2 This verse makes it clear that the tongues Paul refers to are not known languages but Spirit-inspired utterances. 3But when someone prophesies, he speaks to encourage people, to build them up, and to bring them comfort. # 14:3 The Greek word paramythia (a hapax legomenon) could also be translated “soothing, calming speech” or “affirmation.” Paul does not describe prophecy here as predictive, but as influential to advance the spiritual welfare of the body. 4The one who speaks in tongues advances his own spiritual progress, # 14:4 See Rom. 8:26. while the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5I would be delighted if you all spoke in tongues, but I desire even more that you impart prophetic revelation to others. Greater gain comes through the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless there is interpretation so that it builds up the entire church.
6My dear friends, what good is it if I come to you always speaking in tongues? But if I come with a clear revelation from God, or with insight, # 14:6 Or “intimate knowledge through experience.” or with a prophecy, or with a clear teaching, I can enrich you. # 14:6 Paul uses these four ministries as examples of what builds up the church. Every congregation needs to focus on all four (revelation from God, insights of truth, prophecy, and teaching), as they are all necessary today. 7Similarly, if musical instruments, such as flutes or stringed instruments, are out of tune and don’t play the arrangement clearly, how will anyone recognize the melody? 8If the bugle makes a garbled sound, who will recognize the signal to show up for the battle? 9So it is with you. Unless you speak in a language that’s easily understood, how will anyone know what you’re talking about? You might as well save your breath!
10I suppose that the world has all sorts of languages, and each conveys meaning to the ones who speak it. 11But I am like a foreigner if I don’t understand the language, and the speaker will be like a foreigner to me. 12And that’s what’s happening among you. You are so passionate # 14:12 The Greek word implies a boiling over with affection and emotion. about embracing the manifestations of the Holy Spirit! Now become even more passionate about the things that strengthen the entire church.
13So then, if you speak in a tongue, pray for the interpretation to be able to unfold the meaning of what you are saying. 14For if I am praying in a tongue, my spirit is engaged in prayer but I have no clear understanding of what is being said.
15So here’s what I’ve concluded. I will pray in the Spirit, but I will also pray with my mind engaged. I will sing rapturous praises in the Spirit, but I will also sing with my mind engaged. 16Otherwise, if you are praising God in your spirit, how could someone without the gift participate by adding his “amen” to your giving of thanks, since he doesn’t have a clue of what you’re saying? 17Your praise to God is admirable, but it does nothing to strengthen and build up others.
18I give thanks to God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, 19but in the church setting I would rather speak five words that can be understood than ten thousand exotic words in a tongue. That way I could have a role in teaching others.
The Function of the Gifts
20Beloved ones, # 14:20 Or “brothers and sisters.” don’t remain as immature children in your reasoning. As it relates to evil, be like newborns, but in your thinking be mature adults.
21For it stands written in the law:
I will bring my message to this people with strange tongues and foreign lips, yet even then they still will not listen to me, says the Lord. # 14:21 See Deut. 28:49; Isa. 28:11–12.
22So then, tongues are not a sign for believers, but a miracle for unbelievers. Prophecy, on the other hand, is not for unbelievers, but a miracle sign for believers.
23If the entire church comes together and everyone is speaking in tongues, won’t the visitors say that you have lost your minds? 24But if everyone is prophesying, and an unbeliever or one without the gift enters your meeting, he will be convicted by all that he hears and will be called to account, 25for the intimate secrets of his heart will be brought to light. He will be mystified and fall facedown in worship and say, “God is truly among you!” # 14:25 Or “Truly God is in you.”
Guidelines for Use of the Gifts
26Beloved friends, # 14:26 Or “brothers and sisters.” what does all this imply? When you conduct your meetings, you should always let everything be done to build up the church family. Whether you share a song of praise, # 14:26 Or “a psalm.” a teaching, a divine revelation, or a tongue and interpretation, let each one contribute what strengthens others.
27If someone speaks in a tongue, it should be two or three, # 14:27 This could be a Greek idiom (lit. by twos and threes) meaning “just a few.” one after another, with someone interpreting. 28If there’s no one with the interpretation, then he should remain silent in the meeting, content to speak to himself and to God.
29And the same with prophecy. Let two or three prophets prophesy and let the other prophets carefully evaluate and discern what is being said. 30But if someone receives a revelation while someone else is still speaking, the one speaking should conclude and allow the one with fresh revelation the opportunity to share it. # 14:30 God wants a fresh word spoken to his people. The churches must allow God’s “now” voice to be heard and evaluated by the written Word. 31For you can all prophesy in turn and in an environment where all present can be instructed, encouraged, and strengthened. 32The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. # 14:32 The Aramaic allows for this translation: “The prophecies (spiritual words) of the prophets are subject to the prophets,” which could imply that the prophet is to be accountable with his/her prophecies. From the context it appears that the Corinthians were speaking in tongues and prophesying without regarding others in the body who also had prophetic words to share or a tongue and interpretation. This caused disorder and confusion in the church meetings, with people speaking up and giving their opinions about what was spoken. 33For God is the God of harmony, not confusion, # 14:33 Or “instability.” as is the pattern in all the churches of God’s holy believers.
34The women # 14:34 Or “wives.” should be respectfully silent during the evaluation of prophecy in the meetings. # 14:34 Implied in the greater context. The theme Paul is addressing is unity and mutual edification, not simply the role of women. Women are permitted to speak in church, to prophesy, and to minister the gospel. See 1 Cor. 11:2–16; 14:31. Paul is apparently prohibiting interrupting the leaders as they evaluate prophetic utterances. It is likely that Paul was addressing a specific issue taking place in the church fellowship of Corinth with women interrupting the meetings with their opinions and questions about the prophetic words just spoken, possibly even words spoken by their husbands. They are not allowed to interrupt, # 14:34 Or “speak.” Interrupting the meeting is implied when compared with 1 Cor. 11:2–16; 14:31; Acts 2:16–21; 21:9. but are to be in a support role, as in fact the law teaches. # 14:34 See Gen. 2:18–24; 3:16. 35If they want to inquire about something, let them ask their husbands when they get home, for a woman embarrasses herself when she constantly interrupts the church meeting. # 14:35 One interpretation of this passage is that Paul is quoting from a letter written by the Corinthians to him. They were the ones saying a woman should remain silent and Paul is responding to their questions. In other words, they were imposing a rule in the church that Paul refutes in v. 36. Some manuscripts move vv. 34–35 to after v. 40, which causes a few scholars to consider this as evidence of an early introduction into the text by Jewish scribes. The only two places in the New Testament where Paul writes about women being quiet or not teaching in the church are in his letters to the church of Ephesus (1 Timothy) and Corinth. Both cities were centers of worship to the goddess Artemis (Diana), where women had the leading roles of teaching and temple prostitution was commonplace. To the Galatians Paul writes that there is no distinction between believing men and women (Gal. 3:28).
36Do you actually think that you were the starting point for the Word of God going forth? Were you the only ones it was sent to? I don’t think so! # 14:36 Inferred by the rhetorical question and the disjunctive particle. 37If anyone considers himself to be a prophet or a spiritual person, # 14:37 Or “a spiritually gifted person.” let him discern that what I’m writing to you carries the Lord’s authority. 38And if anyone continues not to recognize this, he should not be recognized!
39So, beloved friends, # 14:39 Or “brothers and sisters.” with all this in mind, be passionate # 14:39 The Greek word zēloō means “a boiling fervor.” to prophesy and don’t forbid anyone from speaking in tongues, 40doing all things in a beautiful # 14:40 Or “respectably.” The Aramaic can be translated “with the right design.” and orderly way. # 14:40 This is the Greek word taxis, which can also mean “in battle array.” Here are some summary observations concerning believers’ gatherings: (1) When the believers gathered, they ate together and frequently observed the Lord’s Table. See 1 Cor. 11:7–33. (2) Men and women participated together and used their spiritual gifts. See 1 Cor. 11:2–16; 12. (3) The main purpose of gathering together was the mutual building up and encouragement of one another. See 1 Cor. 14:1–26. (4) Several people would speak in the meetings, and the leaders would discern and direct. See 1 Cor. 14:26–40. (5) Expressing love was more important than gifts, teachings, or prophecies. See 1 Cor. 13. (6) Everything was to be done in a beautiful way and in order. See 1 Cor. 14:40.
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Learn More About The Passion Translation1 Corinthians 14
14
Of speaking with tongues
1I told you to desire the greatest gifts, and that is why I bid you earnestly to pursue love, but of those other spiritual things of which I have spoken, in my opinion the best, the most useful, is prophecy or preaching. 2-4And why? Because it instructs and builds and strengthens. To utter a spiritual language known only to God is to hold converse indeed with God, to allow the Spirit itself to utter its own mysteries, and that is good. 5I would have you all to speak with such tongues as that; but this spiritual language, the tongue of God, needs interpretation; and through that interpretation man is blessed with something that comforts, consoles, and builds him up. 6-7Prophecy does this, interpreting to others the language of heaven, and building the Church on earth. Therefore is it a greater gift to prophesy than to speak the new tongues of the Spirit, for such words make the Church. The new tongues require interpretation. I shall be no help to you unless I reveal something to you, increase your knowledge of things divine, and act as a prophet and teacher. All tongues and languages and voices on earth have meaning. 8Even the trumpet, made of brass merely, can summon men to battle, the flute and the pipe can move men most variously. But what if their sounds be not understood? What if their stops and notes be so uncertainly handled that there is no recognition of their meaning? Who will arm himself then for the fray? 9-10And of the different languages which men talk, there is not one which is without meaning and interpretation. We call those “foreign” tongues which we cannot understand, and them that speak them “foreigners.” So it is with the language of heaven, the tongue that the Spirit speaks with spiritual utterings.
To speak with the understanding is of first importance
11It sounds strange and barbarous in the ears of those who do not understand it. It needs interpretation, and for those who understand it not, you do but speak into the air, not into their minds. 12-13If you be anxious and desirous for proofs of your spirituality, for the gifts and wonders of the Spirit and its activities, then let this desire for an overflowing measure of it in your hearts end always in the furthering of that great spiritual goal, the aim, as I have said, of all the operations of the Spirit, the building up of the Church, of the infinite body of the Christ. 14To that end pray and sing, bless and give thanks. 15If I pray with the mind as well as the Spirit, and sing with understanding as well as ecstasy, and interpret to the mind and consciousness the tongue of the Spirit which I utter, then is that great purpose fulfilled. 16Then will those who hearken to your blessing and giving of thanks say Amen to it. For the demands of the understanding have been fulfilled. 17But if you give thanks with spiritual voices only, in a language unknown to those who fill the place of the humble listeners and the congregation, however well you do it, the church is not fulfilled and is not edified. 18My brethren, this language of the Spirit utters itself richly in me, and in more frequent and fuller tones than in all of you, 19yet would I rather speak five words with the understanding that can help my brother than ten thousand in a language which he does not know. 20My brethren, you have become as little children in this world, but be not children in understanding, but children only in evil. This speaking with tongues, you say, is a sign, a miracle. 21Yes, God says, “With other lips and a strange tongue will I speak to this people, and yet will they not hearken to me.” (Is. 28: 11-12) 22They are a sign to those who have no faith, and a sign that is not accepted. 23In your own midst, when the whole church is gathered together as one, what need then of such strange and startling signs? 24For then are heard the voices of understanding that build the perfect church, psalm, and teaching, revelation, tongues and their interpretation; and when one from without enters this reasonable temple of worship, 25the thoughts of his own heart are laid bare to him, he is convicted and judged and made to cry out in his own soul, “surely God is in you” (Is. 45:14).
The need for orderliness
26To this great aim let all your worship tend; let psalm, teaching, revelation, tongues and their interpretation be subject to order and arrangement, and so help to build the church. 27Let not more than two or three at most speak with tongues simultaneously, and let these utterances of the Spirit invariably be interpreted and let them not be too long. 28Without interpretation there must be no speaking with tongues. Let him who feels this ability commune with himself and with God, and be silent in his ecstasy, unless he can make his meaning clear. 29Let not more than two or three members speak as prophets voicing the divine, 30and let the rest listen in silence, and distinguish carefully the truth of the words spoken; and where one or other is moved by revelation to speak, give place to him and let the first be silent. 31-32For everyone of you, and not a few only, is able to prophesy, and to do this for the good of all, for there is nothing unruly in the spirit of prophecy. It is subject to him who has the understanding of it, 33and in the churches of God all is order and peace. There is no disorder in the divine being. 34Therefore also the women are not to speak in your assemblies. This is the tradition of the law, and it must be still observed. You may think otherwise, you may even be doing otherwise in your churches. But it is forbidden. 35-38Are you the originators and only recipients of the Gospel? Did it not come first to me, and through me to you? And I tell you that the Lord has given a commandment about these things. Perhaps you do not understand it or recognise it? Then you show yourselves to be without the pale of God’s ruling and guidance. Woman can learn and question and speak at home, not in public now. 39Then desire this gift of teaching and prophecy above all others, and allow the speaking with tongues, 40but let everything be done in an orderly and rational manner.
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.