1 Corinthians 14:18–40

¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.^p

²⁰Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^q In regard to evil be infants,^r but in your thinking be adults. ²¹In the Law^s it is written:

“With other tongues

and through the lips of foreigners

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to me,^t

says the Lord.”^e

²²Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,^u however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?^{v 24}But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵as the secrets^w of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”^x

Good Order in Worship

²⁶What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?^y When you come together, each of you^z has a hymn,^a or a word of instruction,^b a revelation, a tongue^c or an interpretation.^d Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.^{e 27}If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Two or three prophets^f should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.^{g 30}And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³²The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.^{h 33}For God is not a God of disorderⁱ but of peace^j—as in all the congregations^k of the Lord’s people.^l

³⁴Women^f should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak,^m but must be in submission,ⁿ as the law^o says. ³⁵If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.^g

³⁶Or did the word of God^p originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷If anyone thinks they are a prophet^q or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,^r let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.^{s 38}But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.^h

³⁹Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager^t to prophesy,^u and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly^v way.