Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;

but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

Foundations for Living

And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ.

Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops.

I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say.

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

The Excellence of Love

If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edification.

But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching?

So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be talking to the air.

So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible to me.

Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret.

I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

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.

In the Law it is written: “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.

Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane?

If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;

but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.