1 Corinthians 14

Prophecy and tongues in the assembly

1Go after love, and set your heart on the gifts of the Spirit — above all on prophecy. 2For whoever speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God; no one understands him, though in the Spirit he speaks mysteries. 3But whoever prophesies speaks to people: he builds up, encourages, consoles. 4Whoever speaks in a tongue builds himself up; whoever prophesies builds up the church. 5I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather you prophesied. Whoever prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues — unless he interprets, so that the church may be built up. 6As it is, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? 7Even lifeless instruments that make a sound, a flute or a lyre: if they give no distinct notes, how will anyone know what is being played? 8And if the trumpet gives an uncertain call, who will get ready for battle? 9It is the same with you. Unless your tongue produces speech that can be understood, how will anyone know what is being said? You will be talking into the air. 10There are any number of languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning. 11But if I do not know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12So with you: since you are eager for the things of the Spirit, seek to have them in abundance for building up the church. 13So let the one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind bears no fruit. 15What follows, then? I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind as well; I will sing with my spirit, and I will sing with my mind as well. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how will the outsider sitting there say the Amen to your thanksgiving, when he does not know what you are saying? 17You may be giving thanks beautifully, but the other person is not built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19yet in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my mind, to teach others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

A sign for unbelievers

20Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be grown up. 21It is written in the law: “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22So tongues are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23So if the whole church comes together in one place and everyone speaks in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24But if everyone prophesies, and an unbeliever or an outsider comes in, he is called to account by all, he is searched by all, 25the secrets of his heart come to light, and he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring, “God is really among you.”

Order when you come together

26What follows, then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation. Let everything be done to build up. 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28If there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly and speak to himself and to God. 29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone else sitting there, let the first one stop. 31For you can all prophesy, one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are under the control of prophets, 33for God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34the women should keep silent in the assemblies. They are not permitted to speak; let them take their place, as the law itself says. 35If they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; it is a disgrace for a woman to speak in the assembly. 36Did the word of God start out from you? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37If anyone thinks he is a prophet or a spiritual man, let him recognize that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. 38And if anyone ignores this, he is ignored. 39So, my brothers and sisters, set your heart on prophesying, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But let everything be done properly and in order.