1Corinthians 14:1 - Prayer Tents

More about Gifts from the Spirit

14It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message.G1377G26G1161G2206G4152G1161G3123G2443G4395

2Those who speak in strange tongues do not speak to others but to God, because no one understands them. They are speaking secret truths by the power of the Spirit.G1063G2980G1100G2980G3756G444G235G2316G1063G3762G191G1161G4151G2980G3466

3But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort.G1161G4395G2980G444G3619G2532G3874G2532G3889

4Those who speak in strange tongues help only themselves, but those who proclaim God's message help the whole church.G2980G1100G3618G1438G1161G4395G3618G1577

5I would like for all of you to speak in strange tongues; but I would rather that you had the gift of proclaiming God's message. For the person who proclaims God's message is of greater value than the one who speaks in strange tongues - unless there is someone present who can explain what is said, so that the whole church may be helped.G1161G2309G5209G3956G2980G1100G1161G3123G2443G4395G1063G3187G4395G2228G2980G1100G1622G1508G1329G2443G1577G2983G3619

6So when I come to you, my friends, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you some revelation from God or some knowledge or some inspired message or some teaching.G1161G3570G80G1437G2064G4314G5209G2980G1100G5101G5623G5209G3362G2980G5213G2228G1722G602G2228G1722G1108G2228G1722G4394G2228G1722G1322

7Take such lifeless musical instruments as the flute or the harp - how will anyone know the tune that is being played unless the notes are sounded distinctly?G3676G895G1325G5456G1535G836G1535G2788G3362G1325G1293G5353G4459G1097G832G2228G2789

8And if the one who plays the bugle does not sound a clear call, who will prepare for battle?G1063G2532G1437G4536G1325G82G5456G5101G3903G1519G4171

9In the same way, how will anyone understand what you are talking about if your message given in strange tongues is not clear? Your words will vanish in the air!G3779G2532G5210G3362G1325G1223G1100G3056G2154G4459G1097G2980G1063G2071G2980G1519G109

10There are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.G1487G2076G5177G5118G1085G5456G1722G2889G2532G3762G880G846

11But if I do not know the language being spoken, those who use it will be foreigners to me and I will be a foreigner to them.G3767G3362G1492G3362G1411G5456G2071G2980G915G2532G2980G915G1722G1698

12Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build up the church.G2532G3779G5210G1893G2075G2207G4151G2212G2443G4052G4314G3619G1577

13The person who speaks in strange tongues, then, must pray for the gift to explain what is said.G1355G2980G1100G4336G2443G1329

14For if I pray in this way, my spirit prays indeed, but my mind has no part in it.G1063G1437G4336G1100G3450G4151G4336G1161G3450G3563G2076G175

15What should I do, then? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will sing also with my mind.G5101G2076G3767G4336G4151G1161G4336G3563G2532G5567G4151G1161G5567G3563G2532

16When you give thanks to God in spirit only, how can ordinary people taking part in the meeting say "Amen" to your prayer of thanksgiving? They have no way of knowing what you are saying.G1893G1437G2127G4151G4459G378G5117G2399G2046G281G1909G4674G2169G1894G1492G3756G5101G3004

17Even if your prayer of thanks to God is quite good, other people are not helped at all.G1063G4771G3303G2168G2573G235G2087G3618G3756G3618

18I thank God that I speak in strange tongues much more than any of you.G2168G3450G2316G2980G1100G3123G5216G3956

19But in church worship I would rather speak five words that can be understood, in order to teach others, than speak thousands of words in strange tongues.G235G1722G1577G2309G2980G4002G3056G1223G3450G3563G2443G2727G243G2532G2228G3463G3056G1722G1100

20Do not be like children in your thinking, my friends; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown up in your thinking.G80G1096G3361G3813G5424G235G2549G3515G1161G5424G1096G5046

21In the Scriptures it is written, "By means of people speaking strange languages I will speak to my people, says the Lord. I will speak through lips of foreigners, but even then my people will not listen to me."G1722G3551G1125G3754G1722G2084G2532G1722G2087G5491G2980G5129G2992G2532G3779G1522G3761G1522G3450G3004G2962

22So then, the gift of speaking in strange tongues is proof for unbelievers, not for believers, while the gift of proclaiming God's message is proof for believers, not for unbelievers.G5620G1100G1526G1519G4592G3756G4100G235G571G1161G4394G3756G571G235G4100

23If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues - and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy?G1437G3767G3650G1577G4905G1909G846G2532G3956G2980G1100G1161G1525G2399G2228G571G2046G3756G2046G3754G3105

24But if everyone is proclaiming God's message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear,G1161G1437G3956G4395G1161G1525G5100G571G2228G2399G1651G5259G3956G350G5259G3956

25their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, "Truly God is here among you!"G2532G3779G1096G2927G846G2588G1096G5318G2532G3779G4098G1909G4383G4352G2316G518G3754G2316G2076G1722G5213G3689

Order in the Church

26This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church.G5101G2076G3767G80G3752G4905G1538G5216G2192G5568G2192G1322G2192G1100G2192G602G2192G2058G1096G3956G1096G4314G3619

27If someone is going to speak in strange tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said.G1535G5100G2980G1100G2596G1417G2228G4118G5140G2532G303G3313G2532G1329G1520G1329

28But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself and to God.G1161G3362G5600G3362G1328G4601G1722G1577G1161G2980G1438G2532G2316

29Two or three who are given God's message should speak, while the others are to judge what they say.G1161G2980G4396G2980G1417G2228G5140G2532G1252G243G1252

30But if someone sitting in the meeting receives a message from God, the one who is speaking should stop.G1161G1437G601G243G2521G4601G4413G4601

31All of you may proclaim God's message, one by one, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged.G1063G1410G3956G4395G2596G1520G2443G3956G3129G2532G3956G3870

32The gift of proclaiming God's message should be under the speaker's control,G2532G4151G4396G5293G4396

33because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace. As in all the churches of God's people,G1063G2316G2076G3756G181G235G1515G5613G1722G3956G1577G40

34the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge.G4601G5216G1135G4601G1722G1577G1063G2010G3756G2010G846G2980G235G5293G2531G2532G3004G3551

35If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting.G1161G1487G2309G3129G5100G1905G2398G435G1722G3624G1063G2076G149G1135G2980G1722G1577

36Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came?G2228G1831G3056G2316G1831G575G5216G2228G2658G1519G5209G3441

37If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.G1536G1380G1511G4396G2228G4152G1921G3754G3739G1125G5213G1526G1785G2962

38But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.G1161G1536G50G50

39So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues.G5620G80G2206G4395G2532G2967G3361G2980G1100

40Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.G1096G3956G1096G2156G2532G2596G5010