1Corinthians:14:1-25
Seeker Overlay ON
*
Make love your aim ,
and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts ,
especially that you may prophesy .
*
For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God ;
for no one understands him ,
but he utters mysteries in the Spirit .
*
On the other hand ,
he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation .
*
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself ,
but he who prophesies edifies the church .
*
Now I want you all to speak in tongues ,
but even more to prophesy .
He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues ,
unless some one interprets ,
so that the church may be edified .
*
Now ,
brethren ,
if I come to you speaking in tongues ,
how shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching ?
*
If even lifeless instruments ,
such as the flute or the harp ,
do not give distinct notes ,
how will any one know what is played ?
*
And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound ,
who will get ready for battle ?
*
So with yourselves ;
if you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible ,
how will any one know what is said ?
For you will be speaking into the air .
*
There are doubtless many different languages in the world ,
and none is without meaning ;
*
but if I do not know the meaning of the language ,
I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me .
*
So with yourselves ;
since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit ,
strive to excel in building up the church .
*
Therefore ,
he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret .
*
For if I pray in a tongue ,
my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful .
*
What am I to do ?
I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also ;
I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also .
*
Otherwise ,
if you bless with the spirit ,
how can any one in the position of an outsider say the "
Amen "
to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying ?
*
For you may give thanks well enough ,
but the other man is not edified .
*
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all ;
*
nevertheless ,
in church I would rather speak five words with my mind ,
in order to instruct others ,
than ten thousand words in a tongue .
*
Brethren ,
do not be children in your thinking ;
be babes in evil ,
but in thinking be mature .
*
In the law it is written , "
By men of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people ,
and even then they will not listen to me ,
says the Lord ."
*
Thus ,
tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers ,
while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers .
*
If ,
therefore ,
the whole church assembles and all speak in tongues ,
and outsiders or unbelievers enter ,
will they not say that you are mad ?
*
But if all prophesy ,
and an unbeliever or outsider enters ,
he is convicted by all ,
he is called to account by all ,
*
the secrets of his heart are disclosed ;
and so ,
falling on his face ,
he will worship God and declare that God is really among you .
![[pBiblx2]](/img/pbiblx2_logo3.png){kind=logo}