1 Corinthians 14 - Holy Squares
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1 Corinthians 14 (ESV)
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,
especially that you may prophesy.
2 For one who speaks in a tongue
speaks not to men but to God;
for no one understands him,
but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.
3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies
speaks to people
for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
4 The one who speaks in a tongue
builds up himself,
but the one who prophesies
builds up the church.
5 Now I want
you all to speak in tongues,
but even more to prophesy.
The one who prophesies
is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,
unless someone interprets,
so that the church may be built up.
6 Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues,
how will I benefit you
unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp,
do not give distinct notes,
how will anyone know what is played?
8 And if the bugle
gives an indistinct sound,
who will get ready for battle?
9 So with yourselves,
if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible,
how will anyone know what is said?
For you will be speaking into the air.
10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world,
and none is without meaning,
11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language,
I will be a foreigner to the speaker
and the speaker a foreigner to me.
12 So with yourselves,
since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit,
strive to excel in building up the church.
13 Therefore,
one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
14 For if I pray in a tongue,
my spirit prays
but my mind is unfruitful.
15 What am I to do?
I will
pray with my spirit,
but I will pray with my mind also;
I will
sing praise with my spirit,
but I will sing with my mind also.
16 Otherwise,
if you give thanks with your spirit,
how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
17 For
you may be giving thanks well enough,
but the other person is not being built up.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
19 Nevertheless,
in church I would rather speak five words
with my mind
in order to instruct others,
than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking.
Be
infants in evil,
but in your thinking be mature.
21 In the Law it is written,
“By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people,
and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”
22 Thus tongues
are a sign not for believers
but for unbelievers,
while prophecy
is a sign not for unbelievers
but for believers.
23 If, therefore,
the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues,
and outsiders or unbelievers enter,
will they not say that you are out of your minds?
24 But if
all prophesy,
and an unbeliever or outsider enters,
he is convicted by all,
he is called to account by all,
25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed,