1 Corinthians 14
14
Tell God’s messages in a language that people know
1So always love other people. That is most important. And ask God’s spirit to give you special powers too. Ask him for the power to tell special messages from God. That is more important than the power to talk in a special language.
2If somebody talks in a special language, they are only talking to God, not talking to people. Nobody can understand them. The Holy Spirit is getting them to talk about secret things, but nobody can understand what they are saying. 3But if somebody tells messages from God, they are talking to other people, and helping them to understand things better and get strong. Those messages from God help people and make them happy, even if they have trouble. 4You see, a person that talks in a special language helps only themselves. But a person that tells messages from God helps all the people in the church to get strong. 5I’m happy if you all talk in special languages, but I’m more happy if you all tell people messages from God. The person that can tell God’s messages is greater than the person that talks in special languages. But if somebody tells everyone what those words mean, then it is all right. They will help the church get strong.
6My Christian friends, if I come and talk to you in a special language that you don’t understand, that will not help you. But if God shows me something, and if I tell you about it, that will help you. Or if he lets me know something new, and if I tell you about it, that will help you too. Or if he gives me a message for you, and if I come and tell you, or if I teach you something, that will help you too. 7Think about things that make sounds, like guitars. If we don’t play them the right way, nobody will think it is proper music. 8And think about soldiers. Their leader gets one man to blow a trumpet to tell the other soldiers what to do, but if he doesn’t blow it properly, they will not know what to do. 9Well, it is like that for you. You have to talk clearly and say words that people can understand. If they can’t understand your words, you will be talking to nobody. 10You know, there are a lot of different languages in this world, and all of them make sense to the people that know those languages. 11But if somebody talks to me in a language that I don’t know, I will not understand them. I will be like a stranger to them, and they will be like a stranger to me. 12And it is the same for you too. I know that you really want God’s spirit to give you special powers, so ask God to give you the powers that will help the church people be strong.
13So in your meetings, if anyone talks in a special language, they have to ask God to show them what those words mean so they can tell everybody the message. 14You see, it is like this. If I pray in a special language, I’m not using my mind. I’m not thinking about my words while I pray. Only my spirit is praying. 15So what will I do? Sometimes I will pray with my spirit, and sometimes I will pray with my mind. And sometimes I will sing with my spirit, and sometimes I will sing with my mind. 16You see, if you only thank God with your spirit, in a special language, other people in the meeting can’t understand what you are saying, so they can’t agree with you and say, “That’s right.” 17You might be thanking God, but your words don’t help anyone else.
18I thank God that I talk in special languages more than any of you. 19But if I talk in a church meeting, I want to tell people more about God, and I want them to understand my words. So, I reckon, if I say 5 words that they can understand, that is better than if I say 10,000 words in a special language that they can’t understand.
20My Christian friends, don’t be like little kids in the way you think. You know, little kids don’t know much about anything. They don’t understand really bad things. So whenever you think about bad things, be like little kids. But whenever you think about anything else, be grown up people. Think properly and understand things properly. 21You know, God got one of his men to write this in his book,
“God will get people from other tribes to talk to this mob. They will talk to them in strange languages.
But even if God gets strangers to talk to this mob, they will not listen to him.”#Isaiah 28:11-12
That is what God said.
22-24It is like this. If you talk in special languages, God will use that talk, but not the way you think. He will use it to show you that it is useless to do that when you are all together in a church meeting. Suppose some strangers come into that meeting, people that don’t know very much, and don’t believe in God. They will hear you all talking in those strange languages, and they will say, “You mob are all mad.” But if you tell God’s special messages, God will use that to show you that it is right to do that in your church meetings. Suppose some strangers come into the meeting, and they hear you telling messages from God. They will listen to what you say, and they will understand it. Then they will know that they are not God’s friends, and they will know that they have to turn around and stop doing bad things. 25Those messages from God will show them every secret thing that they think about, and they will get down on the ground and show respect to God. And they will say, “It’s true, God is really here with you mob.”
Have good church meetings
26So, my friends, this is how to have proper church meetings. Whenever you church people meet together, each one of you can have something to help the other people there. One of you might have a song that all of you can sing to God. Another person might have something that they can teach you. Somebody else might want to tell you about something that God has shown them. Another person might talk in a special language, and then somebody else can tell everybody what those words in that special language mean. Do all those things to help each other be strong Christians.
27Only let 2 or 3 people talk in special languages in your meetings, and they have to take turns. Only let one person talk at a time, and then, each time, somebody has to tell everybody what those words in that special language mean. 28But if there is nobody there that can do that, then don’t let anybody talk in special languages. They have to be quiet. They can’t talk out loud in a special language, but they can talk to themselves and to God.
29And if the Holy Spirit has given some of you the power to tell messages from God, well, 2 or 3 of you can tell those messages. And the other people there have to think carefully about each message and check it, to make sure each message is really from God. 30And if one person is telling a message, and while they are talking somebody else gets a message from God, that first person has to stop talking, so that the next person can tell their new message from God. 31Each of you can tell a message from God, but you have to wait for each other so that only one person talks at a time. Then everyone will learn something, and you will all feel strong for God. 32You see, if you have power from the Holy Spirit to tell God’s messages, you can control your own spirit, and you will wait for the right time to talk. 33God wants you to respect each other and listen to each other. He doesn’t want your meetings to be mixed up and noisy.
And now I’ll talk to you about another matter. This is what it’s like for God’s people in all the other churches. 34The women have to be quiet in the church meetings. They have to do what the leaders say. That’s what the law says. 35If a woman wants to ask about something, she can wait and ask her husband at home. If women talk in a church meeting, they shame the church.
36Maybe you think I’m wrong, but remember this, you don’t know everything in God’s word. It didn’t start with you, and you are not the only people that ever heard it.
37Somebody might reckon that the Holy Spirit gave them the power to tell God’s messages, and that they listen to the Holy Spirit all the time. All right, but they have to understand that this letter I’m writing comes from our leader himself, and his people have to do what he says. 38So if that person will not take any notice of this letter, then you mob can’t believe their messages. Don’t take any notice of anything they say.
39So, my Christian friends, this is what I’m telling you about your meetings. If you want to tell messages from God, that is good. And don’t stop people from talking in special languages. 40Do everything properly. Do everything the right way.
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1 Corinthians 14
14
Tongues and Prophecy
1Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. 2For if you have the ability to speak in tongues,#14:2a Or in unknown languages; also in 14:4, 5, 13, 14, 18, 22, 26, 27, 28, 39. you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit,#14:2b Or speaking in your spirit. but it will all be mysterious. 3But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
5I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
6Dear brothers and sisters,#14:6a Greek brothers; also in 14:20, 26, 39. if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language,#14:6b Or in tongues; also in 14:19, 23. how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. 7Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. 8And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
9It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.
10There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. 11But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. 12And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.
13So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. 14For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.
15Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit,#14:15 Or in the Spirit; also in 14:15b, 16. and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. 16For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.
18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
20Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. 21It is written in the Scriptures#14:21a Greek in the law.:
“I will speak to my own people
through strange languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,”#14:21b Isa 28:11-12.
says the Lord.
22So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”
A Call to Orderly Worship
26Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.
27No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. 28But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.
29Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 30But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. 31In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.#14:33 The phrase as in all the meetings of God’s holy people could instead be joined to the beginning of 14:34.
34Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. 35If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.#14:35 Some manuscripts place verses 34-35 after 14:40.
36Or do you think God’s word originated with you Corinthians? Are you the only ones to whom it was given? 37If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. 38But if you do not recognize this, you yourself will not be recognized.#14:38 Some manuscripts read If you are ignorant of this, stay in your ignorance.
39So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. 40But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
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