Book of Common Prayer

Praying with mind as well as spirit

¹³ So the one who speaks in a tongue should pray to be able to say the same thing in clear speech. ¹⁴ If I pray in a tongue, you see, my spirit prays, but my mind remains fruitless. ¹⁵ Why is that important? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind as well. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind as well. ¹⁶ You see, if you say a blessing in the spirit, how can someone who isn’t one of the inner circle say the “Amen” to your prayer? They won’t know what you’re talking about! ¹⁷ You may well be giving thanks in fine style, but the other person isn’t being built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my mind, to teach other people, than a thousand words in a tongue.

Signs for believers and unbelievers

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, don’t be children in your thinking. Be babies when it comes to evil, but in your thinking be grown-ups. ²¹ This is what it says in the law: “I will speak to this people in foreign languages and with the lips of strangers, and even so they won’t listen to me, says the Lord.” ²² So tongues are not meant for believers, but are a warning for unbelievers; while prophecy is not designed for unbelievers, but for those who come to faith. ²³ What I mean is this: if the whole assembly comes together and everybody speaks in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers come in, they’ll say you’re crazy, won’t they? ²⁴ But if everyone prophesies, and outsiders or unbelievers come in, they will be called to account by everyone, judged by everyone, ²⁵ the secrets of their hearts will be laid bare, and so they will fall down on their faces and worship God, declaring that “God is truly among you.”

Warnings and encouragements

²⁴ “The disciple isn’t greater than the teacher; the slave isn’t greater than the master. ²⁵ It’s quite enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave to be like the master. If they called the master of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ think what they’re going to call his family!

²⁶ “Don’t be afraid of them. Nothing is hidden, you see, that won’t come to light; nothing is secret that won’t be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ears, announce from the roofs of the houses.

²⁸ “Don’t be afraid of people who can kill the body, but can’t kill the soul. The one you should be afraid of is the one who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. ²⁹ How much would you get for a couple of sparrows? A single copper coin if you’re lucky? And not one of them falls to the ground without your father knowing about it. ³⁰ When it comes to you—why, every hair on your head is counted. ³¹ So don’t be afraid! You’re worth much more than a great many sparrows.”

Jesus causes division

³² “So: everyone who owns up in front of others to being on my side, I will own them before my father in heaven. ³³ But anyone who disowns me in front of others, I will disown that person before my father in heaven.