The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

Strive for how to love others and for gifts that strengthen your fellow believers. Especially strive to be able to proclaim his messages that he gives you to say.

When a person speaks in a language given by the Spirit, he is not speaking to people, because no one can understand him, but he is speaking to God. He is saying things to him as the Spirit leads him.

On the other hand, the prophet who proclaims the messages from God speaks directly to people. He does this in order to help them by making them stronger, to help them be unshakable, and to give them comfort so they can be happy even in hardship.

A person who speaks in a language given by the Spirit builds himself up and gives himself help, but a person who proclaims the messages of God builds up everyone and helps everyone in the church to be stronger in their faith.

Now I wish that all of you spoke in such languages, but it would be far better for the entire church if more and more of you had the gift of speaking God’s messages. Anyone who speaks messages from God is helping to strengthen his fellow believers. For this reason, he is doing work that is more important than those who proclaim messages in various other languages, unless someone is able to interpret those messages.

If I come to you and am only speaking in languages given by the Spirit, how can that help you? That cannot help you unless I speak to you and help you know matters that were hidden from you, or unless I help you understand facts you did not know, or unless I proclaim to you some message you did not hear before, or unless I teach you some rule that you had never learned before.

If someone is playing the flute or harp (they are not living things), and if the notes on the flute or harp sounded no different from each other, no one would be able to tell which tune I was playing.

And if a soldier blew the trumpet poorly, the army would not know whether to get ready for battle.

This is what it is like when you say words that no one can understand: No one will know what you have said.

There are certainly many languages in the world, and all of them give meaning to those who understand them.

But if I do not understand someone’s language, I will be like a foreigner to him, and he will be like one to me.

So because you want very much for the Spirit to work in you, try to help the believers in the church to trust Messiah and obey him.

For that reason, pray that God will enable you to interpret what you say in a language that God has given you.

If anyone prays in such a language, his spirit certainly prays, but his mind does not.

Therefore, we should pray with our spirit, but also pray with our mind. And it is the same if we sing praise to God.

If you insist on praising God only in your spirit, the outsider will never understand what you are saying, and will never be able to agree with the message.

For if you give thanks in your spirit, that is well and good for you, but you are not helping the other believers.

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you do.

But to the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, words with which I can teach others, than say ten thousand words in a strange language.

Brothers and sisters, you should think like adults. But when you think about evil things, you should think like small children. Your thinking should be sensible.

In the law it is written that God says, “I will speak to my people Israel by foreigners, men who speak in strange languages; but my people will still not understand me.”

So if a believer speaks in a language that God has given him, this impresses the unbelievers who might be listening. But if a believer speaks a message from God, this impresses the other believers.

You can see how confusing it would be if all the believers met together and spoke in different languages. Any unbeliever who heard them would call them all crazy.

But if you were all taking turns speaking true messages from God, any unbeliever would realize that he was guilty of sinning against God.

This unbeliever would become aware of what was deep in his conciousness. He would fall down with his face to the ground in wonder and fright, and he would praise God and say that God is truly with you.

Orderly Worship

Brothers and sisters, it should be this way when you worship God together. Each of you should come with a psalm to sing, or something to teach from the scriptures, or something that God has told you, or with a message in a language that God has given, or with an interpretation of such a message. Everything you do together should encourage each other, for you are Messiah’s church.

If there are any who wish to speak a message in a language from the Spirit, there should be no more than two or three such persons. They should speak one at a time, and someone should interpret the messages.

However, if there is no one able to interpret those messages, then those who speak in languages from the Spirit should keep silent and speak only to God.

If there are any who want to speak a message from God, there should be only two or three such persons; and everyone else should judge those messages according to what the scriptures say.

But if God allows someone seated in the assembly to understand a message, then the one speaking the message should stop speaking. In this way, all the believers can listen to the meaning of the message.

For each of those who proclaim the messages of God should do so. But they must do so one by one, in order, so that all the believers can learn and receive courage to love God better.

For those who truly speak God’s messages control the spirit in which they do so.

For God does not create confusion; instead, he makes peace. This next question is answered the same way in all the churches of God’s people.

Women should keep silent in church for they are not permitted to speak. They must not interrupt the one who is speaking God’s message, but they should always obey their husbands, as also the law says.

When women want to learn, instead of interrupting the worship, they should speak with their husbands at home. It dishonors her husband for a woman to interrupt the service.

Were you the people by whom God gave us his word? Or are you the only ones to whom it came?

Those of you who think you are prophets or spiritual should agree that the things I write are what the Lord has commanded and follow what I have written.

But as for those who do not acknowledge what I have written, you should not acknowledge them in your assembly.

So, brothers and sisters, with earnest desire speak God’s messages to the church; and do not forbid anyone from speaking in languages that God gives.

All that you do in the worship of the church, do it in a pleasant and orderly way.

Follow after love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God, for no one understands, but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries.

But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, exhortation, and consolation.

He who speaks in another language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the assembly.

Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but even more that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up.

But now, brothers,(a) if I come to you speaking with other languages, what would I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?

Even lifeless things that make a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they didn’t give a distinction in the sounds, how would it be known what is piped or harped?

For if the trumpet gave an uncertain sound, who would prepare himself for war?

So also you, unless you uttered by the tongue words easy to understand, how would it be known what is spoken? For you would be speaking into the air.

There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning.

If then I don’t know the meaning of the language, I would be to him who speaks a foreigner, and he who speaks would be a foreigner to me.

So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound to the building up of the assembly.

Therefore let him who speaks in another language pray that he may interpret.

For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

What should I do? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn’t know what you say?

For you most certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.

I thank my God, I speak with other languages more than you all.

However, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.

Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

In the law it is written, “By men of strange languages and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people. They won’t even listen to me that way, says the Lord.”(b)

Therefore other languages are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to the unbelieving; but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to those who believe.

If therefore the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that you are crazy?

But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all.

And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed.

Orderly Worship

What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, or has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.

If any man speaks in another language, let there be two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret.

But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.

Let two or three of the prophets speak, and let the others discern.

But if a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first keep silent.

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

The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,

for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

Let the wives be quiet in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to be talking except in submission, as the law also says,(c)

if they desire to learn anything. “Let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a wife to be talking in the assembly.”

What!? Was it from you that the word of God went out? Or did it come to you alone?

If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize the things which I write to you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

Therefore, brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages.

Let all things be done decently and in order.

Footnotes

(a)14:6 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(b)14:21 ℘ Isaiah 28:11-12