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.

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

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 who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

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

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies 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 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. Tongues Must Be Interpreted

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.

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?

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?

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?

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 makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for 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 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.

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 languages in the world, and none of them is without significance.

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 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.

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

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

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

Therefore let him who speaks in a 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 a tongue, my spirit prays, 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 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.

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?

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?

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

For you indeed give 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 you 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 would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Tongues a Sign to Unbelievers

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, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

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 I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says 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

Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who 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.

Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

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 an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by 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 the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. Order in Church Meetings

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? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

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 anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, 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 is no interpreter, let him keep silent in 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 two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

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

But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.

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 you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

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 the 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 silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.

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 want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in 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?

Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?

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 anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to 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 anyone is 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.

Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid 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.