1 Corinthians 13:1–15:58

The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of aprophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, bso that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And cthough I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body 1to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 dLove suffers long and is ekind; love fdoes not envy; love does not parade itself, is not 2puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, gdoes not seek its own, is not provoked, 3thinks no evil; 6 hdoes not rejoice in iniquity, but irejoices in the truth; 7 jbears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 kFor we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is 4perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For lnow we see in a mirror, dimly, but then mface to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Prophecy and Tongues

14 Pursue love, and adesire spiritual gifts, bbut especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who cspeaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks dedification and eexhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; 1for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

Tongues Must Be Interpreted

6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by frevelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without 2significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a 3foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are 4zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the 5edification of the church that you seek to excel.

13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may ginterpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. hI will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing iwith the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” jat your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Tongues a Sign to Unbelievers

20 Brethren, kdo not be children in understanding; however, in malice lbe babes, but in understanding be mature.

21 mIn the law it is written:

n“With men of other tongues and other lips

I will speak to this people;

And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”

says the Lord.

22 Therefore tongues are for a osign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, pwill they not say that you are 6out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 7And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report qthat God is truly among you.

Order in Church Meetings

26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, rhas a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. sLet all things be done for 8edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and tlet the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, ulet the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And vthe spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of 9confusion but of peace, was in all the churches of the saints.

34 xLet 1your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the ylaw also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 37 zIf anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. 38 But 2if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

39 Therefore, brethren, adesire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 40 bLet all things be done decently and in order.

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel awhich I preached to you, which also you received and bin which you stand, 2 cby which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless dyou believed in vain.

3 For eI delivered to you first of all that fwhich I also received: that Christ died for our sins gaccording to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day haccording to the Scriptures, 5 iand that He was seen by 1Cephas, then jby the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have 2fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then kby all the apostles. 8 lThen last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

9 For I am mthe least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because nI persecuted the church of God. 10 But oby the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, pyet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, qthen Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because rwe have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; syou are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have 3fallen tasleep in Christ have perished. 19 uIf in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

20 But now vChrist is risen from the dead, and has become wthe firstfruits of those who have 4fallen asleep. 21 For xsince by man came death, yby Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall zbe made alive. 23 But aeach one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers bthe kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign ctill He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 dThe last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For e“He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 fNow when all things are made subject to Him, then gthe Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And hwhy do we stand in 5jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by ithe boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, jI die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, kI have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, l“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

33 Do not be deceived: m“Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 nAwake to righteousness, and do not sin; ofor some do not have the knowledge of God. pI speak this to your shame.

A Glorious Body

35 But someone will say, q“How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 …