1 Corinthians 14:14-36

¹⁴For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

¹⁵What should I do? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

¹⁶Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn’t know what you say?

¹⁷For you most certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up.

¹⁸I thank my God, I speak with other languages more than you all.

¹⁹However, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.

²⁰Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

²¹In the law it is written, “By men of strange languages and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people. They won’t even listen to me that way, says the Lord.”

²²Therefore other languages are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to the unbelieving; but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to those who believe.

²³If therefore the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that you are crazy?

²⁴But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all.

²⁵And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is amongst you indeed.

²⁶What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, or has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.

²⁷If any man speaks in another language, let there be two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret.

²⁸But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Let two or three of the prophets speak, and let the others discern.

³⁰But if a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first keep silent.

³¹For you all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be exhorted.

³²The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,

³³for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

³⁴Let the wives be quiet in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to be talking except in submission, as the law also says,

³⁵if they desire to learn anything. “Let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a wife to be talking in the assembly.”

³⁶What!? Was it from you that the word of God went out? Or did it come to you alone?