1 Corinthians 14

Chase after love, and eagerly want the gifts the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may prophesy.

1Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

Note"Charity" in 1611 meant love of any kind; it had not yet narrowed to mean giving money to the poor. The Greek word is agape. "Prophesy" in this chapter means speaking a message believed to come from God to the gathered congregation. It is not mainly about predicting the future.

2The person who speaks in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, because no one understands him. In the Spirit he is saying things no one else can follow.

2For 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.

NoteThe Greek word glossa means both the tongue in the mouth and a language. Most KJV editions print "unknown" in italics because that word is not in the Greek; the translators supplied it. "Mysteries" means things kept hidden and not yet disclosed, not puzzles to be solved.

3But the person who prophesies speaks to people, and his words build them up, urge them on, and comfort them.

3But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

Note"Edification" is a building word. To edify is to build a structure up, and Paul uses it throughout this chapter for whatever strengthens the congregation.

4The person who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the person who prophesies builds up the church.

4He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

5I would be glad if all of you spoke in tongues, but I would rather you prophesied. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he explains what he said, so the church is built up.

5I 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.

6Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you? None, unless I bring you something you can understand: a revelation, or knowledge, or a message from God, or teaching.

6Now, 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?

Note"Doctrine" in 1611 simply meant teaching, without the modern sense of a fixed system of belief.

7It is the same with lifeless instruments that make sound, like a flute or a harp. If the notes are not clear and different from each other, how will anyone know what tune is being played?

7And 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?

NoteThe "pipe" is a reed flute, heard at feasts, funerals and festivals. The "harp" is the kithara, a lyre whose strings were plucked by hand.

8And if the trumpet call is unclear, who will get ready for battle?

8For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

NoteThe trumpet here is the salpinx, a military signal instrument. Armies formed up, advanced and withdrew on its calls, so a blurred or ambiguous call left soldiers not knowing what was being ordered.

9It is the same with you. Unless the words you speak are easy to understand, how will anyone know what you said? You will only be talking into the air.

9So 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.

10There are, no doubt, a great many different languages in the world, and every one of them means something to someone.

10There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

Note"Voices" here means languages, and "signification" means meaning. Corinth was a busy port where many languages were heard every day.

11So if I do not know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the person speaking, and he will be a foreigner to me.

11Therefore 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.

Note"Barbarian" did not mean savage or brutal. Greeks called any non-Greek speaker a barbaros, a word imitating how foreign speech sounded to them, something like "bar bar." It meant foreigner, a person whose speech you cannot follow.

12It is the same with you. Since you want the gifts of the Spirit so much, try hardest to have the gifts that build up the church.

12Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

13So the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can also explain what he said.

13Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

Note"Interpret" is the ordinary word for translating, or putting something into speech others can follow.

14If I pray in a tongue, my spirit is praying, but my mind produces nothing.

14For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Note"Understanding" translates nous, the mind. "Unfruitful" is a farming word: the mind yields no crop, nothing anyone can gather in.

15So what should 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.

15What 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.

16Suppose you praise God with your spirit alone. Then how can someone sitting there who does not know what you mean say "Amen" to your thanks, when he does not understand what you are saying?

16Else 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?

NoteTo "bless with the spirit" is to give thanks aloud to God, a Jewish table and synagogue custom the early churches carried over. "He that occupieth the room of the unlearned" means whoever fills the place, or sits in the seat, of the outsider; "room" meant position or place in 1611. "Unlearned" translates idiotes, an outsider or non-specialist, someone not in on it, with no suggestion that he is stupid. "Amen" is Hebrew for "truly" or "so be it," said by the congregation to make another person's prayer their own, which they cannot do if they did not follow it.

17You may be giving thanks very well, but the other person is not built up by it.

17For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

18I thank my God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

18I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

19Yet when the church is gathered, I would rather speak five words with my mind, so my voice teaches others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

19Yet 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.

Note"Ten thousand" translates myrioi, the largest unit in Greek counting, used much as we use "countless."

20Brothers and sisters, do not think like children. When it comes to doing harm, be like babies who know nothing of it, but in your thinking be grown up.

20Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Note"Malice" in 1611 covered wickedness and the will to do harm in general, not just the narrow modern sense of spite. "Be men" means be fully grown, mature.

21In the Law it is written: "I will speak to this people through people with strange tongues and foreign lips, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

21In 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.

Note"The law" here means the Hebrew Scriptures as a whole, not only the books of Moses. The quotation is from Isaiah 28:11-12, where the strange speech was the language of Assyrian invaders that Judah would be made to hear. "LORD" printed in small capitals marks the personal name of God, Yahweh, in the Hebrew being quoted.

22So tongues are a sign, not for those who believe, but for those who do not believe. Prophecy is not for those who do not believe, but for those who do.

22Wherefore 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.

23So if the whole church comes together in one place and everyone speaks in tongues, and people who do not understand or who do not believe come in, will they not say you are out of your minds?

23If 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?

Note"Mad" translates a Greek verb used of the raving of ecstatic worshipers. Visitors in Corinth would have known cults whose devotees behaved that way, and the point is that they would put the church in the same category.

24But if everyone is prophesying, and someone comes in who does not believe or who does not understand, he is shown his sin by all of them and called to account by all of them.

24But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

Note"Convinced" in 1611 meant convicted, shown to be in the wrong, not merely persuaded. "Judged" here means examined, put to the question, called to account.

25The secrets in his heart are brought out into the open. Then he will fall on his face and worship God, saying that God is truly among you.

25And 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.

NoteFalling face down on the ground was the standard posture of submission before a king or a god in that world, a deliberate act rather than a collapse.

26So what should you do, brothers and sisters? When you come together, one of you has a song, another has a teaching, another a tongue, another a revelation, another an explanation. Everything must be done to build people up.

26How 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.

NoteA "psalm" is a song sung to God, whether taken from the book of Psalms or newly composed. The verse describes a meeting in which members each contributed something, rather than one speaker leading throughout.

27If anyone speaks in a tongue, only two should speak, or three at the most, and one at a time, and someone must explain what was said.

27If 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.

Note"By course" means in turn, one after another rather than several at once.

28But if no one is there to explain it, the speaker should stay quiet in the church meeting and speak only to himself and to God.

28But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh carefully what is said.

29Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

Note"Judge" here means to weigh and sift what has been said and decide what to accept. The Greek verb is the ordinary word for telling things apart.

30And if something is revealed to another person sitting there, the first speaker should stop.

30If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.

Note"Hold his peace" is the KJV idiom for stop talking and fall silent. It has nothing to do with peacemaking.

31For all of you can prophesy, one at a time, so that everyone can learn and everyone can be encouraged.

31For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

32The spirits of the prophets are under the control of the prophets themselves.

32And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

NoteGreek and Roman religion expected an inspired speaker to lose control of himself, as the oracle at Delphi was said to. This sentence says the opposite of prophets: the prophet's spirit remains under the prophet's own control, so he can stop speaking and wait his turn.

33For God does not bring disorder, but peace, as is true in all the churches of God's holy people.

33For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Note"Saints" translates hagioi, holy ones. In Paul's letters it means the ordinary membership of the churches, not an elite group or people formally canonized later.

34Your women are to keep silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but are told to be under authority, as the law also says.

34Let 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.

NoteThe Greek word gyne means both "woman" and "wife," and aner in the next verse means both "man" and "husband," so it is genuinely unclear whether the instruction addresses women in general or wives in particular. No specific text is quoted for "as also saith the law"; readers have connected it with Genesis 3:16 and with Jewish custom, and the letter itself does not say. A number of early manuscripts place verses 34 and 35 after verse 40 instead of here, which makes this one of the most disputed passages in the letter.

35And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, because it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.

35And 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.

Note"A shame" translates a word meaning disgraceful or dishonorable. Honor and shame were public property in that culture, matters of standing in the eyes of the city rather than private feeling.

36Really? Did God's message start with you? Or are you the only people it reached?

36What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?

Note"What?" is not a request for information. It is an exclamation of rebuke, close to "Really?" The "you" is plural throughout the verse, addressed to the whole congregation.

37If anyone thinks he is a prophet, or that the Spirit is at work in him, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.

37If 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.

38But if anyone refuses to recognize this, let him not be recognized.

38But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

NoteThe Greek turns on one verb used twice: if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. Manuscripts differ over whether the second verb is a command ("let him be ignorant") or a plain statement that he is not recognized, and the passive form may mean not recognized by God.

39So, brothers and sisters, want the gift of prophecy strongly, and do not stop anyone from speaking in tongues.

39Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

Note"Covet" in 1611 was a neutral word for wanting something strongly. It is the same verb translated "desire" in verse 1 and carries no suggestion of wrongdoing.

40But let everything be done in a proper and orderly way.

40Let all things be done decently and in order.

Note"Decently" translates a word meaning in good form, presentable in public. "In order" uses taxis, a word used of troops drawn up in formation.