1 Corinthians 14-15

New American Standard Bible 1995

Prophecy a Superior Gift

14 ^(A)Pursue love, yet ^(B)desire earnestly ^(C)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(D)prophesy. ² For one who ^(E)speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one ^[a]understands, but ^[b]in his spirit he speaks ^(F)mysteries. ³ But one who prophesies speaks to men for ^(G)edification and ^(H)exhortation and consolation. ⁴ One who ^(I)speaks in a tongue ^(J)edifies himself; but one who ^(K)prophesies ^(L)edifies the church. ⁵ Now I wish that you all ^(M)spoke in tongues, but ^(N)even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who ^(O)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive ^(P)edifying.

⁶ But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(Q)revelation or of ^(R)knowledge or of ^(S)prophecy or of ^(T)teaching? ⁷ Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? ⁸ For if ^(U)the ^[c]bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be ^(V)speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of ^[d]languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a ^[e](W)barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a ^[f]barbarian ^[g]to me. ¹² So also you, since you are zealous of ^[h]spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the ^(X)edification of the church.

¹³ Therefore let one 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 (Y)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will ^(Z)sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. ¹⁶ Otherwise if you bless ^[i]in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ^[j]ungifted say ^(AA)the “Amen” at your ^(AB)giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^(AC)edified. ¹⁸ I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Instruction for the Church

^20 (AD)Brethren, ^(AE)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil ^(AF)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. ²¹ In ^(AG)the Law it is written, “^(AH)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. ²² So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(AI)prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. ²³ Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ^[k]ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(AJ)you are mad? ²⁴ But if all ^(AK)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ^[l]ungifted man enters, he is ^(AL)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ^25 (AM)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(AN)fall on his face and worship God, ^(AO)declaring that God is certainly among you.

^26 (AP)What is the outcome then, ^(AQ)brethren? When you assemble, ^(AR)each one has a ^(AS)psalm, has a ^(AT)teaching, has a ^(AU)revelation, has a ^(AV)tongue, has an ^(AW)interpretation. Let ^(AX)all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a ^(AY)tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must ^(AZ)interpret; ²⁸ but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three ^(BA)prophets speak, and let the others ^(BB)pass judgment. ³⁰ But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; ³² and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; ³³ for God is not a God of ^(BC)confusion but of ^[m]peace, as in ^(BD)all the churches of the ^(BE)saints.

³⁴ The women are to ^(BF)keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but ^(BG)are to subject themselves, just as ^(BH)the Law also says. ³⁵ If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is ^[n]improper for a woman to speak in church. ^36 [o]Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?

^37 (BI)If anyone thinks he is a prophet or ^(BJ)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^(BK)are the Lord’s commandment. ³⁸ But if anyone does not recognize this, he ^[p]is not recognized.

³⁹ Therefore, my brethren, ^(BL)desire earnestly to ^(BM)prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. ⁴⁰ But ^(BN)all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

15 Now ^(BO)I make known to you, brethren, the ^(BP)gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, ^(BQ)in which also you stand, ² by which also you are saved, ^(BR)if you hold fast ^[q]the word which I preached to you, ^(BS)unless you believed in vain.

³ For ^(BT)I delivered to you ^[r]as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died ^(BU)for our sins ^(BV)according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was ^(BW)raised on the third day ^(BX)according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that ^(BY)He appeared to ^(BZ)Cephas, then ^(CA)to the twelve. ⁶ After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some ^(CB)have fallen asleep; ⁷ then He appeared to ^[s](CC)James, then to ^(CD)all the apostles; ⁸ and last of all, as ^[t]to one untimely born, ^(CE)He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am ^(CF)the least of the apostles, ^[u]and not fit to be called an apostle, because I ^(CG)persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by ^(CH)the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I ^(CI)labored even more than all of them, yet ^(CJ)not I, but the grace of God with me. ¹¹ Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

¹² Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there ^(CK)is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and ^(CL)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. ¹⁵ Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^[v]against God that He ^(CM)raised ^[w]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(CN)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who ^(CO)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are ^(CP)of all men most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But now Christ ^(CQ)has been raised from the dead, the ^(CR)first fruits of those who ^(CS)are asleep. ²¹ For since ^(CT)by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(CU)as in Adam all die, so also in ^[x]Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(CV)the first fruits, after that ^(CW)those who are Christ’s at ^(CX)His coming, ²⁴ then comes the end, when He hands over ^(CY)the kingdom to the ^(CZ)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(DA)all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(DB)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be ^(DC)abolished is death. ²⁷ For ^(DD)He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “^(DE)All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. ²⁸ When ^(DF)all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that ^(DG)God may be all in all.

²⁹ Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? ³⁰ Why are we also ^(DH)in danger every hour? ³¹ I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, ^(DI)I die daily. ³² If ^[y]from human motives I ^(DJ)fought with wild beasts at ^(DK)Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, ^(DL)let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. ^33 (DM)Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” ^34 (DN)Become sober-minded ^[z]as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have ^(DO)no knowledge of God. ^(DP)I speak this to your shame.

³⁵ But ^(DQ)someone will say, “How are ^(DR)the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” ^36 (DS)You fool! That which you ^(DT)sow does not come to life unless it dies; ³⁷ and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of ^[aa]something else. ³⁸ But God gives it a body just as He wished, and ^(DU)to each of the seeds a body of its own. ³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. ⁴⁰ There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

^42 (DV)So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown ^[ab](DW)a perishable body, it is raised ^[ac](DX)an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in ^(DY)glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a ^(DZ)natural body, it is raised a ^(EA)spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first ^(EB)man, Adam, became a living soul.” The ^(EC)last Adam became a ^(ED)life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is ^(EE)from the earth, ^[ad](EF)earthy; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, ^(EG)so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ Just as we have ^(EH)borne the image of the earthy, ^[ae]we ^(EI)will also bear the image of the heavenly.

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brethren, that ^(EJ)flesh and blood cannot ^(EK)inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[af]the perishable inherit ^[ag](EL)the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a ^(EM)mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be ^(EN)changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for ^(EO)the trumpet will sound, and ^(EP)the dead will be raised ^[ah]imperishable, and ^(EQ)we will be changed. ⁵³ For this ^[ai]perishable must put on ^[aj](ER)the imperishable, and this ^(ES)mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this ^[ak]perishable will have put on ^[al]the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “^(ET)Death is swallowed up in victory. ^55 (EU)O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of ^(EV)death is sin, and ^(EW)the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but ^(EX)thanks be to God, who gives us the ^(EY)victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^58 (EZ)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in ^(FA)the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.