1 Corinthians 14:20-33

New American Standard Bible

Instruction for the Church

²⁰^(A)Brothers and sisters, ^(B)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil ^(C)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. ²¹In ^(D)the ^[a]Law it is written: “^(E)By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. ²²So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(F)prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. ²³Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and ^[b]outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(G)you are insane? ²⁴But if all ^(H)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ^[c]outsider enters, he is ^(I)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ²⁵^(J)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(K)fall on his face and worship God, ^(L)declaring that God is certainly among you.

²⁶^(M)What is the outcome then, ^(N)brothers and sisters? When you assemble, ^(O)each one has a ^(P)psalm, has a ^(Q)teaching, has a ^(R)revelation, has a ^(S)tongue, has an ^(T)interpretation. ^(U)All things are to be done for edification. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a ^(V)tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to ^(W)interpret; ²⁸but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹Have two or three ^(X)prophets speak, and have the others ^(Y)pass judgment. ³⁰But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent. ³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be ^[d]exhorted; ³²and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; ³³for God is not a God of ^(Z)confusion, but of peace.