1 Corinthians 14

CHAPTER 14

Prophecy and Tongues

^1aPursue love, yet ^bearnestly desire ^cspiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^dprophesy.

²For one who ^aspeaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one ¹understands, but ²in his spirit he speaks ^bmysteries.

³But one who prophesies speaks to men for ^aedification and ^bexhortation and encouragement.

⁴One who ^aspeaks in a tongue ^bedifies himself; but one who ^cprophesies ^dedifies the church.

⁵But I wish that you all ^aspoke in tongues, but ^beven more that you would prophesy. And greater is one who prophesies than one who ^cspeaks in tongues, unless he ¹translates, so that the church may receive ^dedification.

⁶But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^arevelation or of ^bknowledge or of ^cprophecy or of ^dteaching?

⁷Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?

⁸For if ^athe trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

⁹So also you, unless you utter by the tongue a word that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be ^aspeaking into the air.

¹⁰There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of sounds in the world, and none is without meaning.

¹¹If then I do not know the meaning of the sound, I will be to the one who speaks a ^1abarbarian, and the one who speaks will be a ²barbarian ³to me.

¹²So also you, since you are zealous for ¹spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the ^aedification of the church.

¹³Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may ¹translate.

¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

^15aWhat is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will ^bsing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

¹⁶Otherwise if you bless ¹in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ²uninformed say ^athe “Amen” at your ^bgiving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

¹⁷For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^aedified.

¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all;

¹⁹however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

^20aBrothers, ^bdo not be children in your thinking; rather in evil ^cbe infants, but in your thinking be mature.

²¹In ^athe Law it is written, “^bBy men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the ¹Lord.

²²So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^aprophecy is for a sign not to unbelievers but to those who believe.

²³Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ¹uninformed men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^ayou are out of your mind?

²⁴But if all ^aprophesy, and an unbeliever or an ¹uninformed man enters, he is ^bconvicted by all, he is called to account by all;

^25athe secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^bfall on his face and worship God, declaring that ^csurely God is among you.

Orderly Worship

^26aWhat is the outcome then, ^bbrothers? When you assemble, ^ceach one has a ^dpsalm, has a ^eteaching, has a ^frevelation, has a ^gtongue, has a ^1htranslation. Let ⁱall things be done for edification.

²⁷If anyone speaks in a ^atongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must ^1btranslate;

²⁸but if there is no ¹translator, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹And let two or three ^aprophets speak, and let the others ^bpass judgment.

³⁰But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.

³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.

³²And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;

³³for God is not a God of ^aconfusion but of ¹peace, as in ^ball the churches of the ^csaints.

³⁴The women are to ^akeep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but ^bare to subject themselves, just as ^cthe Law also says.

³⁵But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.

³⁶¹Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it arrived to you only?

^37aIf anyone thinks he is a prophet or ^bspiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^care the Lord’s commandment.

³⁸But if anyone remains ignorant about this, he ¹is ignored by God.

³⁹Therefore, my brothers, ^aearnestly desire to ^bprophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.

⁴⁰But ^aall things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.