1 CorinthiansChapter 14

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¹Make love your goal, and work hard for it. Also want the gifts of the Spirit with all your heart. Most of all, want the gift of prophecy. ²A person who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people. He speaks to God. In fact, no one understands him. He speaks hidden things by the Spirit.a ³But a person who prophesies speaks to people. He helps them grow strong. He cheers them on, and he comforts them. ⁴The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself. But the one who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵I wish all of you could speak in tongues. But I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues. That is true unless he explains what the tongue means, so that the church can be built up. ⁶Now, brothers and sisters, say I come to you speaking in tongues. How will that help you? It won't, unless I bring you something God has shown me, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching. ⁷Think of things that make music but are not alive, like a flute or a harp. If each note does not sound clear, how will anyone know what tune is being played? ⁸And if the trumpet gives a call that is not clear, who will get ready for battle? ⁹It is the same with you. You must speak words with your tongue that people can understand. If not, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be talking into the air. ¹⁰It is true that there are many kinds of languages in the world. Yet each one of them has meaning. ¹¹So if I don't know what someone's language means, I am a foreigner to him. And he is a foreigner to me. ¹²It is the same with you. You are eager to have gifts of the Spirit. So work hard to do well in the gifts that build up the church. ¹³So the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can explain what it means. ¹⁴If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays. But my mind does not get anything from it. 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. ¹⁶Say you praise God only with your spirit. Then how can someone who has not been taught say "Amen" when you give thanks? He does not know what you are saying. ¹⁷You may be giving thanks very well. But the other person is not built up. ¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church, I would rather speak five words that make sense to teach others. That is better than 10,000 words in a tongue. ²⁰Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies. But in the way you think, be grown up. ²¹It is written in the Law, "I will speak to these people through strange tongues and the lips of foreigners. But even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." ²²So tongues are a sign. They are not for those who believe, but for those who don't believe. But prophecy is for those who believe. It is not for those who don't believe. ²³Say the whole church meets together and everyone speaks in tongues. Then some people come in who have not been taught, or who don't believe. Won't they say that you are out of your minds? ²⁴But say everyone is prophesying. Then someone comes in who doesn't believe, or who has not been taught. He will be shown his sin by all. He will be judged by all, ²⁵and the secrets of his heart will be brought out into the open. So he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God. He will say, "God is really here with you!" ²⁶So what should we say, brothers and sisters? When you meet together, each of you has something. One has a psalm, and one has a teaching. One has something God has shown him. One has a tongue, and one explains what it means. All of these things must be done to build up the church. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, two people should speak, or three at the most. They should take turns. And someone must explain what they said. ²⁸But if no one is there to explain, the speaker should stay quiet in the church. He should speak only to himself and to God. ²⁹Two or three prophets should speak. The others should think hard about what is said and judge it. ³⁰And say God shows something to someone who is sitting there. Then the first speaker should stop. ³¹You can all prophesy, one at a time. That way everyone can learn and be cheered on. ³²The spirits of prophets are under the control of the prophets. ³³God is not a God of confusion. He is a God of peace. This is true in all the churches of God's people. ³⁴Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak. They must be in submission, as the law says. ³⁵If they want to ask about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. ³⁶Did the word of God start with you? Or are you the only ones it has come to? ³⁷Someone may think he is a prophet or has gifts of the Spirit. If so, he should agree that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. ³⁸But if anyone ignores this, he himself will be ignored. ³⁹So, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy. And do not stop people from speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰But everything must be done in a right and orderly way.