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1 CORINTHIANS 14
F. The Excelling of Prophesying
1. Building Up the Church More
  1. Pursue love, and desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
  2. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one hears, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
  3. But he who prophesies speaks building up and encouragement and consolation to men.
  4. He who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but he who prophesies builds up the church.
  5. I desire that you all speak in tongues, but especially that you would prophesy; and greater is he who prophesies than he who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, that the church may receive building up.
  6. But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you, unless I speak to you either in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or in teaching?
  7. Yet even lifeless things, whether flute or harp, in giving a sound, if they give no distinction in the tones, how will what is played on the flute or on the harp be known?
  8. For also if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
  9. So also you, unless you give with the tongue a word easy to understand, how will what is being said be known? For you will be speaking into the air.
  10. There are perhaps many kinds of voices in the world, and not one is without significance.
  11. If then I do not know the meaning of the voice, I will be to him who is speaking a barbarian, and he who is speaking a barbarian to me.
  12. So also you, since you are zealous of spirits, seek that you may excel for the building up of the church.
  13. Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
  14. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
  15. What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray also with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing also with the mind.
  16. Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how shall he who fills the place of the unlearned in tongues say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?
  17. For you give thanks well, but the other is not built up.
  18. I thank God, I speak in tongues more than all of you,
  19. But in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

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