Chapter 14

1Go after loyalty, and want the spiritual gifts. Especially prophecy. Predicting what's coming. Calling it before it happens. I'm very good at that.

2The guy who speaks in another language doesn't talk to people, he talks to God. Nobody understands him. He's talking secrets in the Spirit. Nobody can follow it. Like the other guy's speeches. Nobody knows what he's saying.

3But the guy who prophesies talks to people. He builds them up, encourages them, comforts them. Speaks clearly. Straight talker.

4The guy who speaks in a language builds himself up. The guy who prophesies builds up the church. Build the team. Not yourself. Well. Both. But the team.

5I'd like every one of you to speak in languages, but I'd rather you prophesy. The prophet is bigger than the guy speaking languages, unless somebody interprets, so the church gets built up.

6Brothers, if I come to you speaking in languages, what good am I to you, unless I bring you some revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching? You need content. Message. Substance.

7Even instruments, like a flute or a harp, if they don't make clear notes, how is anybody going to know what tune it is? Play the song. Play the hits.

8And if the trumpet doesn't make a clear sound, who's going to get ready for battle? The trumpet. Has to be clear. A strong trumpet. Very important instrument. Great name.

9Same with you. Unless you say something people can understand, how will anybody know what you're saying? You'll just be talking to the air. Like a podcast with no listeners.

10There are a lot of languages in the world, and every one of them means something.

11But if I don't know what somebody's saying, I'm a foreigner to him, and he's a foreigner to me.

12Same with you. Since you're so eager for spiritual gifts, go for the ones that build up the church. Be the best at it.

13So the guy who speaks in a language should pray he can interpret too.

14If I pray in a language, my spirit prays, but my mind gets nothing out of it.

15So what do I do? I'll pray with my spirit, and I'll pray with my mind too. I'll sing with my spirit, and I'll sing with my mind too. Use both. Full brain. Very good brain.

16Otherwise, if you're praising God with your spirit, how is a regular guy going to say “Amen” when you give thanks? He doesn't know what you said. You lost him. You lost the room.

17You might be giving thanks very nicely, but the other guy isn't getting anything out of it.

18I thank God I speak in more languages than all of you. More than anybody. Way more.

19But in church I'd rather say five words people can understand than ten thousand words in a language. Five words. Simple. Make. It. Great. Again. Five words.

20Brothers, stop thinking like kids. Be babies about evil. Be grown-ups in your thinking.

21In the law it's written, “Through people with strange languages and through the lips of foreigners I'll talk to this people, and even then they won't listen to me,” says the boss.

22So languages are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers. Prophecy is for believers, not unbelievers.

23If the whole church gets together and everybody's talking in languages, and some outsiders or unbelievers come in, won't they say you're crazy? Crazy. They'll say you're crazy. They already say it. Don't give them material.

24But if everybody's prophesying, and an unbeliever or outsider comes in, he gets convinced by all of it. Called out by everybody.

25The secrets of his heart come out. He falls on his face and worships God and says, “God is really here.” Converted on the spot. Flipped. Happens all the time at our events.

26So what do we do, brothers? When you get together, everybody has something. A song, a lesson, a revelation, a language, an interpretation. Everything should build people up.

27If somebody speaks in a language, two people, three at the most, one at a time. And somebody has to interpret. Run of show. Have a run of show.

28If there's nobody to interpret, the speaker should keep quiet in church and talk to himself and God.

29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh what they say. Fact-check. Real fact-checking. Not the fake kind.

30If somebody sitting down gets a revelation, the first speaker should stop. Hand off the mic.

31You can all prophesy, one at a time, so everybody learns and everybody's encouraged.

32The prophets' spirits are under the prophets' control. Self-control. Stay on script. Mostly.

33God isn't a God of chaos. He's a God of peace. Order. Like in all the churches of God's people.

34Everybody should be quiet while the main speaker is talking. No interruptions. No heckling. It's disgraceful to heckle the main speaker.

35If anybody wants to ask something, ask at home afterward. Or at the Q and A. There's always a Q and A. Very good at the Q and A.

36Did God's message start with you? Are you the only people it's reached? No. Don't get cocky, Corinth.

37If anybody thinks he's a prophet or spiritual, he should admit that what I'm writing is the boss's order.

38If he ignores it, he'll be ignored. Ignored. Worst thing that can happen to somebody. Ratings go to zero.

39So, brothers, go after prophecy, and don't stop people from speaking in languages.

40But everything has to be done properly and in order. Order. Law and order. Even in church.