1Cor.14.1

Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it--because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth.

1Cor.14.1

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

1Cor.14.1

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

1Cor.14.1

Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy.

1Cor.14.2

If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him.

1Cor.14.2

For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.

1Cor.14.2

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

1Cor.14.2

For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious.

1Cor.14.3

But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.

1Cor.14.3

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

1Cor.14.3

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

1Cor.14.3

But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them.

1Cor.14.4

The one who prays using a private "prayer language" certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God's truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength.

1Cor.14.4

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

1Cor.14.4

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

1Cor.14.4

A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

1Cor.14.5

I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don't stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It's more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God's presence in a mysterious prayer language--unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.

1Cor.14.5

I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

1Cor.14.5

I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

1Cor.14.5

I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it.

1Cor.14.6

Think, friends: If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don't address you plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I to you?

1Cor.14.6

Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

1Cor.14.6

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

1Cor.14.6

Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching--that is what will help you.

1Cor.14.7

If musical instruments--flutes, say, or harps--aren't played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music?

1Cor.14.7

Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?

1Cor.14.7

Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played?

1Cor.14.7

Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly.

1Cor.14.8

If the trumpet call can't be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle?

1Cor.14.8

Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

1Cor.14.8

For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?

1Cor.14.8

And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?

1Cor.14.9

So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what's the point of opening your mouth?

1Cor.14.9

So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.

1Cor.14.9

So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.

1Cor.14.9

And it's the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don't understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room.

1Cor.14.10

There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone.

1Cor.14.10

Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.

1Cor.14.10

There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.

1Cor.14.10

There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them,

1Cor.14.11

But if I don't understand the language, it's not going to do me much good.

1Cor.14.11

If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.

1Cor.14.11

Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.

1Cor.14.11

but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me.

1Cor.14.12

It's no different with you. Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?

1Cor.14.12

So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

1Cor.14.12

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

1Cor.14.12

Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church.

1Cor.14.13

So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don't hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy.

1Cor.14.13

For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.

1Cor.14.13

Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

1Cor.14.13

So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said.

1Cor.14.14

If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted.

1Cor.14.14

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

1Cor.14.14

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.

1Cor.14.14

For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying.

1Cor.14.15

So what's the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind.

1Cor.14.15

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

1Cor.14.15

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

1Cor.14.15

Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand.

1Cor.14.16

If you give a blessing using your private prayer language, which no one else understands, how can some outsider who has just shown up and has no idea what's going on know when to say "Amen"?

1Cor.14.16

If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?

1Cor.14.16

Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

1Cor.14.16

For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don't understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don't understand what you are saying?

1Cor.14.17

Your blessing might be beautiful, but you have very effectively cut that person out of it.

1Cor.14.17

You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.

1Cor.14.17

For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

1Cor.14.17

You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn't help the other people present.

1Cor.14.18

I'm grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him. I enter into this as much or more than any of you.

1Cor.14.18

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

1Cor.14.18

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;

1Cor.14.18

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

1Cor.14.19

But when I'm in a church assembled for worship, I'd rather say five words that everyone can understand and learn from than say ten thousand that sound to others like gibberish.

1Cor.14.19

But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1Cor.14.19

yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1Cor.14.19

But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.