The Wise and Foolish Builders^(A)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice^(B) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(C) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,^{(D) 29} because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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:

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)