18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19 nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

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. 21 In (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. 22 So 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. 23 Therefore 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? 24 But 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:21 I.e., Old Testament, Isaiah
  2. 1 Corinthians 14:23 See note 2 v 16
  3. 1 Corinthians 14:24 See note 2 v 16

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.(A)

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

“With other tongues
    and through the lips of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
    but even then they will not listen to me,(E)
says the Lord.”[a]

22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,(F) 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?(G) 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(H) of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”(I)

Good Order in Worship

26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?(J) When you come together, each of you(K) has a hymn,(L) or a word of instruction,(M) a revelation, a tongue(N) or an interpretation.(O) Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11,12