1 Corinthians 14:1-18 SEEK love earnestly, be eager for spiritual gifts, but most to prophesy.

Riverside⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ SEEK love earnestly, be eager for spiritual gifts, but most to prophesy. ² For he who speaks with a tongue speaks not to men, but to God. For no one understands, and he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. ³ But he who prophesies speaks to men what will build up, encourage, and comfort. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church. ⁵ I wish you all to speak with tongues, but I wish more to have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may receive upbuilding. ⁶ Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what benefit will I be to you unless I speak to you in a revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching. ⁷ Inanimate things that give a sound, such as the flute or harp, — unless they give a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is being played on flute or harp? ⁸ If the trumpet gives a dubious sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ And so you, if you do not give by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is said? For you will be talking into the air. ¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a barbarian to him who is speaking, and he will be a barbarian to me. ¹² And so you, since you are eager for spiritual gifts, seek to abound in what will build up the church. ¹³ Therefore let him who speaks with a tongue pray to interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What then? I will pray with the spirit and with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit and with the understanding. ¹⁶ If you thank God with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the ordinary man say Amen to your thanksgiving? For he does not know what you are saying. ¹⁷ You give thanks excellently, but the other is not helped by it. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak with tongues more than any of you.