1 Corinthians Chapter 14

How Speaking in Languages Works

¹ Focus on practicing love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts so you can communicate. ² A person that’s speaking in another language isn’t speaking to anybody but God because nobody is understanding what the Spirit is enabling him to say. ³ A person that communicates, helps, encourages, comforts other people. ⁴ Somebody that speaks in another language helps himself, but a person that communicates helps the church. ⁵ Now I’m willing for all of you to speak in languages, but so you can communicate. If you communicate, you’re doing something more important than talking in other languages—unless you translate so you can help the church.       

1 Cor 14:1-5

             ⁶ If I come to you speaking in other languages, how will I be helping you unless I’m giving revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching? ⁷ Even inanimate things that make sounds—like flutes or harps—if they don’t make definite tones, how will listeners recognize what the flute or harp is playing? ⁸ If a bugle makes random sounds, who’s going to arm for battle? ⁹ In the same way, unless you speak clearly in a language, how are people going to understand you? You’ll be talking into the air. ¹⁰ There are lots of languages in the world, and they all convey meaning. ¹¹ If I don’t understand what the sound means, we’re foreigners to each other. ¹² So since you’re enthused about spiritual gifts, aim at helping the church with them. ¹³ Whoever speaks in another language should pray to be able to translate it. ¹⁴ If I’m praying in another language, my spirit’s praying, but my mind isn’t understanding the words I’m saying.