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.
1 Cor 14:6-14
15 What, then? I’ll pray with the spirit and the mind. I’ll sing with the spirit and the mind. 1 6Otherwise, if I’m blessing with the spirit, how can the ungifted say, “Amen,” when I give thanks? He won’t be understanding me. 17 I’ll be giving thanks all right, but I won’t be helping him. 18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you do, 19 but in church I’d rather say five words with my mind so I can teach other people than 10,000 words in another language. 1 Cor 14:15-19
20 Don’t think like little kids. (Be innocent like little kids when it comes to evil.) In your minds, be grown-ups. 21 The Law says,
“‘I’ll speak to this people
in foreign languages
with the lips of foreigners;
they won’t listen to me even that way,’ the LORD says” [Is 28:11; Deut 28:49].
22 So other languages serve as signs for unbelievers, more than believers; prophecy is for believers, more than unbelievers. 23 If the church gets together, and everybody is speaking in other languages, and ungifted or unbelievers come in, won’t they say you’re out of your mind? 24 But if everybody’s speaking on behalf of God and unbelievers or laymen come in, you’ll be convicting them and calling them to account. 25 Their inner yearnings will become clear, and they’ll fall on their faces and worship God. They’ll declare, “God has to be among you.”
1 Cor 14:20-25
Orderly Assembly
26 What, then? When you get together, and each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a language, a translation, do everything to benefit one another. 27 If people speak in another language, two or at most three should take turns, and one should translate. 28 If there’s no translator, they need to be quiet and talk to themselves and to God. 29 Two or three prophets can speak, and the others think about what they’re saying. 30 If a revelation comes to somebody else that’s sitting there, the first should yield the floor. 31 You can all take turns prophesying so everybody can learn and be encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets; 33 God brings peace, not confusion.
1 Cor 14:26-33a
Women’s Decorum in Church
As in all the churches of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in church services and practice deference like the Law says. 35 If they want to find out about something, they can ask their husbands at home; it’s embarrassing for a woman to speak out in church. 36 Did the word of God come from you, or did it come just to you?
37 If you consider yourself a prophet or spiritual person, you need to recognize that what I’m writing to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If anyone ignores that, ignore them. 39 So, go ahead and earnestly desire to prophesy and let people speak in other languages, 40 but do everything properly and orderly.
1 Cor 14:33b-40