Instructions for Worship

¹Y’all should pursue love, yet y’all should also earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that y’all may prophesy.

²For the one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to humans, but to God. Indeed no one understands, but in the Spirit that person speaks mysteries.

³But the human who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.

⁴The one who speaks in another tongue edifies themself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.

⁵Now I would like all y’all to speak in tongues, but even more that y’all would prophesy. For the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

⁶But now, siblings, if I come to y’all speaking in tongues, how would I help y’all unless I speak to y’all with revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

⁷Even lifeless things that make sounds, such as a pipe or harp, if they don’t make distinct sounds, how would it be known what is piped or harped?

⁸For if a trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who would get prepared for war?

⁹So it is with y’all. Unless y’all speak words clearly with your tongue, how would anyone know what is being said? Y’all would be speaking into the air.

¹⁰There are, perhaps, many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without meaning.

¹¹If then I don’t know the meaning of the language, I would be a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker would be a foreigner to me.

¹²So it is with y’all. Since y’all are zealous for spiritual gifts, y’all should seek to excel in the edification of the church.

¹³Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret it.

¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

¹⁵What should I do? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my mind. I will play an instrument with the spirit, and I will also play an instrument with the mind.

¹⁶Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the one who fills the place of the uneducated say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they don’t know what you are saying?

¹⁷For you are certainly giving thanks with excellence, but the other person is not edified.

¹⁸I thank God I speak in tongues more than all y’all.

¹⁹However, in the church I would rather speak five words with my mind so that I might instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰Siblings, y’all must not be like children in your thinking. Instead, y’all must be like babies regarding evil, but mature in y’all’s thinking.

²¹In the law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even then they won’t listen to me, says the Lord [YHWH].”[#Isaiah 28:11-12]

²²Therefore tongues are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers, but for believers.

²³Therefore if the whole church is gathered together and everyone speaks in tongues, and uneducated or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that y’all are crazy?

²⁴But if everyone prophecies, and an unbeliever or uneducated person comes in, they will be convicted by all and judged by all.

²⁵And thus the secrets of their heart are revealed. So they will fall down on their face and worship God, declaring that God is among y’all indeed.

Three Silences for Worship

²⁶What is the outcome then, siblings? When y’all come together, each has a psalm, or a teaching, or a revelation, or a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.

²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be two or at the most three, each in turn, and someone must interpret.

²⁸But if there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep silent in the church, and speak to themselves and to God.

²⁹Let two or three of the prophets speak, and let the others discern.

³⁰But if someone sitting down receives a revelation, the first must keep silent.

³¹For y’all can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.

³²And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,

³³for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

³⁴Women should keep silent in the church, for they are not permitted to speak but must remain in submission, as the law also says.

³⁵If they desire to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a wife to be talking in the church.

³⁶Did the word of God come out from y’all? Or did it come to y’all alone?

³⁷If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let them recognize the things which I write to y’all, that they are the commandment of the Lord.

³⁸But if anyone is ignorant of this, let them be ignored.

³⁹Therefore, siblings, y’all should desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.

⁴⁰But let all these things be done decently and in order.