1 Corinthians 14

Pursue love, and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to human beings but to God, for no one understands, but in spirit he speaks mysteries. But the one who prophesies speaks to people to build them up, exhort them, and comfort them. The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I wish you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? Even lifeless things that produce sound, whether a pipe or a lyre, must give distinct notes; otherwise, how will what is played on the pipe or lyre be recognized? And if a trumpet gives an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle? So too with you: unless you give intelligible speech with your tongue, how will what is spoken be understood? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, perhaps, many kinds of languages in the world, and none is without meaning. So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker a foreigner to me. So too with you: since you are eager for spiritual gifts, seek to abound in them for building up the church. Therefore let the one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What, then, shall I do? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind. I will sing with the spirit, but I will also sing with the mind. Otherwise, if you give a blessing in spirit, how will someone in the position of the uninformed say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? For you give thanks well, but the other person is not built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, so that I may instruct others too, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but mature in your thinking. In the Law it is written, “Through other tongues and through the lips of others I will speak to this people, and not even then will they listen to me, says the Lord.” So tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. So if the whole church comes together in one place and all speak in tongues, and uninformed people or unbelievers come in, will they not say you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and examined by all. The secrets of his heart become evident, and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring, “God is truly among you.” What, then, is to be done, brothers? When you come together, each has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two, or at most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. But if something is revealed to another who is sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged (and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace), as in all the churches of the saints. Let the women be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as the Law also says. And if they wish to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or did the word of God go out from you? Or did it come to you alone? If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I write to you is of the Lord. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So then, my brothers, eagerly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But let all things be done decently and in order.

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