1 Y ou should want to have this love. You should want the gifts of the Holy Spirit and most of all to be able to speak God’s Word.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

2 T he man who speaks in special sounds speaks to God. He is not speaking to men. No one understands. He is speaking secret things through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

3 T he man who speaks God’s Word speaks to men. It helps them to learn and understand. It gives them comfort.

But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

4 T he man who speaks in special sounds receives strength. The man who speaks God’s Word gives strength to the church.

He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

5 I wish all of you spoke in special sounds. But more than that, I wish all of you spoke God’s Word. The one who speaks God’s Word has a more important gift than the one who speaks in special sounds. But if he can tell what he is speaking, the church will be helped.

I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

6 C hristian brothers, if I come to you speaking in special sounds, what good is it to you? But if I tell you something God has shown me or something I have learned or what God’s Word says will happen in the future or teach you God’s Word, it will be for your good.

Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?

7 T here are things on which people play music. If strange sounds are made on these, how will others know which one is played?

And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

8 I f a horn does not make a good sound, how will men know they are to get ready to fight?

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

9 I t is the same if you speak to a person in special sounds. How will he know what you say? Your sounds will be lost in the air.

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

10 T here are many languages in the world. All of them have meaning to the people who understand them.

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

11 B ut if I do not understand the language someone uses to speak to me, the man who speaks is a stranger to me. I am a stranger to him.

Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

12 S ince you want gifts from the Holy Spirit, ask for those that will build up the whole church.

Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

13 S o the man who speaks in special sounds should pray for the gift to be able to tell what they mean.

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

14 I f I pray in special sounds, my spirit is doing the praying. My mind does not understand.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful.

15 W hat should I do? I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my mind also. I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with my mind also.

What is it then? 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.

16 I f you honor and give thanks to God with your spirit in sounds nobody understands, how can others honor and give thanks also if they do not know what you are saying?

Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

17 Y ou are honoring and giving thanks to God, but it is not helping other people.

For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

18 I thank God that I speak in special sounds more than all of you.

I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

19 B ut in a meeting of the church, it is better if I say five words that others can understand and be helped by than 10, 000 words in special sounds.

yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

20 C hristian brothers, do not be like children in your thinking. Be full-grown, but be like children in not knowing how to sin.

Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

21 G od says in the Holy Writings, “I will speak to My people. I will speak through men from other lands in other languages. Even then My people will not listen to Me.”

In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

22 S o then speaking in special sounds is for those who do not believe. It is not for those who believe. But speaking God’s Word is for those who believe. It is not for those who do not believe. Church Meetings

Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

23 I f some people who are not Christians come to your church meeting while all the people are speaking in special sounds, they will think you are crazy.

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

24 B ut if a man who is not a Christian comes to your church meeting while you are all speaking God’s Word, he will understand that he is a sinner by what he hears. He will know he is guilty.

But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

25 T he secrets of his heart will be brought into the open. He will get on his knees and worship God. He will say, “For sure, God is here with you!”

and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

26 W hat am I saying, Christian brothers? When you meet together for worship, some of you have a song to sing. Some of you want to teach and some have special words from God. Some of you speak in special sounds and some of you tell what they mean. Everything should be done to help those who are meeting together to grow strong as Christians.

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

27 N o more than two or three people should speak in special sounds. Only one should speak at a time. Someone must tell the meaning of the special sounds.

If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

28 I f no one is there who can tell the meaning of the special sounds, he should not speak in the church. He should speak only to himself and to God.

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

29 T wo or three should speak God’s Word. The other people should listen and decide if they are speaking right.

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

30 I f someone sitting in the meeting gets some special word from God, the one who is speaking should stop.

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.

31 A ll of you can speak God’s Word, but only one person at a time. In that way, all of you can learn and be helped.

For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

32 M en who speak God’s Word are able to stop when they should.

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

33 G od does not want everyone speaking at the same time in church meetings. He wants peace. All the churches of God’s people worship this way.

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

34 W omen should not be allowed to speak in church meetings. They are to obey this teaching. The Law says this also.

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

35 I f they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a shame for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

36 D id the Word of God come from you Christians in the city of Corinth? Or are you the only people who received it?

What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

37 S ome of you may think you have the gift of speaking God’s Word or some other gift from the Holy Spirit. If you do, you should know that what I am writing to you is what God has told us we must obey.

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

38 I f any man does not listen to this, have nothing to do with him.

But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

39 S o then, my Christian brothers, you should want to speak God’s Word. Do not stop anyone from speaking in special sounds.

Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

40 A ll things should be done in the right way, one after the other.

Let all things be done decently and in order.