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20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures[a]:

“I will speak to my own people
    through strange languages
    and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,”[b]
    says the Lord.

22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:21a Greek in the law.
  2. 14:21b Isa 28:11-12.

20 Brothers, stop being[a] childish in your thinking. Be like infants with respect to evil, but think like adults. 21 In the Law it is written,

“By means of foreign languages
    and through the mouths of foreigners
I will speak to this people,
    but even then they will not listen to me,”[b]
        declares the Lord.

22 Foreign languages, then, are meant to be a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers, while prophecy is meant, not for unbelievers, but for believers.

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