1 Corinthians 14
14
Prophecy and Tongues
1 # ch. 16:14 Pursue love, and #ch. 12:31 earnestly desire the #ch. 12:1 spiritual gifts, especially that you may #See ch. 11:4; 13:2prophesy. 2For #ver. 18-23, 27, 28one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but #[Num. 11:29]even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
6Now, brothers,#14:6 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 26, 39 if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some #ver. 26; Eph. 1:17 revelation or knowledge or prophecy or #ver. 26; Acts 2:42; Rom. 6:17teaching? 7If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8And #[Num. 10:9; Isa. 58:1; Jer. 4:19; Ezek. 33:3-6; Joel 2:1]if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be #[ch. 9:26]speaking into the air. 10There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be #See Acts 28:2a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
13Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; #[Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; James 5:13] I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will #Ps. 47:7sing with my mind also. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider#14:16 Or of him that is without gifts say #1 Chr. 16:36; Neh. 5:13; 8:6; Ps. 106:48; Jer. 11:5; 28:6; Rev. 5:14; 7:12; 19:4; [2 Cor. 1:20] “Amen” to #ch. 11:24your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20Brothers, #Eph. 4:14; Heb. 5:12, 13 do not be children in your thinking. #[Ps. 131:2; Isa. 28:9; Rom. 16:19]; See Matt. 18:3 Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be #ch. 2:6mature. 21#See John 10:34 In the Law it is written, #Cited from Isa. 28:11, 12; [Deut. 28:49]“By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign#14:22 Greek lacks a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, #[Acts 2:13]will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25#[Heb. 4:12] the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, #Luke 17:16 falling on his face, he will worship God and #Isa. 45:14; Zech. 8:23declare that God is really among you.
Orderly Worship
26What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has #Eph. 5:19 a hymn, #See ver. 6 a lesson, #See ver. 6 a revelation, #ver. 18 a tongue, or #ver. 5, 13, 27, 28; ch. 12:10, 30 an interpretation. #2 Cor. 12:19; 13:10; [ch. 12:7]Let all things be done for building up. 27If any speak in #[See ver. 26 above]a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others #[ch. 12:10; Job 12:11; 1 John 4:1]weigh what is said. 30If a revelation is made to another sitting there, #[1 Thess. 5:19, 20]let the first be silent. 31For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33For God is not a God of #[ver. 40] confusion but of peace.
As in #See ch. 7:17all the churches of the saints, 34#[1 Tim. 2:11, 12] the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but #See 1 Pet. 3:1 should be in submission, as #[ver. 21]the Law also says. 35If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
36Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37#[2 Cor. 10:7; 1 John 4:6]If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39So, my brothers, #ch. 12:31earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40#[ver. 31, 33] But all things should be done decently and #Col. 2:5in order.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 14: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International