Intelligibility in Worship

14 Follow the way of love^(A) and eagerly desire^(B) gifts of the Spirit,^(C) especially prophecy.^{(D) 2} For anyone who speaks in a tongue^[a](E) does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;^(F) they utter mysteries^(G) by the Spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^(H) encouraging^(I) and comfort. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in a tongue^(J) edifies^(K) themselves, but the one who prophesies^(L) edifies the church. ⁵ I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,^[b] but I would rather have you prophesy.^(M) The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.^(N)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation^(O) or knowledge^(P) or prophecy or word of instruction?^{(Q) 7} Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸ Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?^{(R) 9} So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me.^{(S) 12} So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit,^(T) try to excel in those that build up^(U) the church.

¹³ For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.^{(V) 14} For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,^(W) but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,^(X) but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing^(Y) with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. ¹⁶ Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,^[d] say “Amen”^(Z) to your thanksgiving,^(AA) since they do not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.^(AB)

¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.^(AC)

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^(AD) In regard to evil be infants,^(AE) but in your thinking be adults. ²¹ In the Law^(AF) it is written:

²² Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,^(AH) however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?^{(AI) 24} But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ as the secrets^(AJ) of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”^(AK)

Good Order in Worship

²⁶ What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?^(AL) When you come together, each of you^(AM) has a hymn,^(AN) or a word of instruction,^(AO) a revelation, a tongue^(AP) or an interpretation.^(AQ) Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.^{(AR) 27} If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸ If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹ Two or three prophets^(AS) should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.^{(AT) 30} And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹ For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.^{(AU) 33} For God is not a God of disorder^(AV) but of peace^(AW)—as in all the congregations^(AX) of the Lord’s people.^(AY)

³⁴ Women^[f] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak,^(AZ) but must be in submission,^(BA) as the law^(BB) says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.^[g]

³⁶ Or did the word of God^(BC) originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet^(BD) or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,^(BE) let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.^{(BF) 38} But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.^[h]

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager^(BG) to prophesy,^(BH) and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly^(BI) way.

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel^(BJ) I preached to you,^(BK) which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved,^(BL) if you hold firmly^(BM) to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³ For what I received^(BN) I passed on to you^(BO) as of first importance^[i]: that Christ died for our sins^(BP) according to the Scriptures,^{(BQ) 4} that he was buried,^(BR) that he was raised^(BS) on the third day^(BT) according to the Scriptures,^{(BU) 5} and that he appeared to Cephas,^[j](BV) and then to the Twelve.^{(BW) 6} After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.^{(BX) 7} Then he appeared to James,^(BY) then to all the apostles,^{(BZ) 8} and last of all he appeared to me also,^(CA) as to one abnormally born.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles^(CB) and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted^(CC) the church of God.^{(CD) 10} But by the grace^(CE) of God I am what I am, and his grace to me^(CF) was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them^(CG)—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.^{(CH) 11} Whether, then, it is I or they,^(CI) this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,^(CJ) how can some of you say that there is no resurrection^(CK) of the dead?^{(CL) 13} If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised,^(CM) our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead.^(CN) But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.^{(CO) 18} Then those also who have fallen asleep^(CP) in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.^(CQ)

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,^(CR) the firstfruits^(CS) of those who have fallen asleep.^{(CT) 21} For since death came through a man,^(CU) the resurrection of the dead^(CV) comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.^{(CW) 23} But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits;^(CX) then, when he comes,^(CY) those who belong to him.^{(CZ) 24} Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom^(DA) to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.^{(DB) 25} For he must reign^(DC) until he has put all his enemies under his feet.^{(DD) 26} The last enemy to be destroyed is death.^{(DE) 27} For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[k](DF) Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.^{(DG) 28} When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him,^(DH) so that God may be all in all.^(DI)

²⁹ Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? ³⁰ And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?^{(DJ) 31} I face death every day^(DK)—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² If I fought wild beasts^(DL) in Ephesus^(DM) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

³³ Do not be misled:^(DO) “Bad company corrupts good character.”^{[m](DP) 34} Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God^(DQ)—I say this to your shame.^(DR)

The Resurrection Body

³⁵ But someone will ask,^(DS) “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?”^{(DT) 36} How foolish!^(DU) What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.^{(DV) 37} When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.^{(DW) 39} Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendor,^(DX) the moon another and the stars another;^(DY) and star differs from star in splendor.

⁴² So will it be^(DZ) with the resurrection of the dead.^(EA) The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;^{(EB) 43} it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;^(EC) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.^(ED)

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”^[n];^(EE) the last Adam,^(EF) a life-giving spirit.^{(EG) 46} The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.^{(EH) 47} The first man was of the dust of the earth;^(EI) the second man is of heaven.^{(EJ) 48} As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.^{(EK) 49} And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man,^(EL) so shall we^[o] bear the image of the heavenly man.^(EM)

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood^(EN) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,^(EO) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^{(EP) 51} Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(EQ) We will not all sleep,^(ER) but we will all be changed^(ES)— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(ET) the dead^(EU) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable^(EV) must clothe itself with the imperishable,^(EW) and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[p](EX)

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin,^(EZ) and the power of sin is the law.^{(FA) 57} But thanks be to God!^(FB) He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.^(FC)

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,^(FD) because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.^(FE)