Speaking messages that come directly from God will help believers much more than speaking messages in unknown languages.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

14 You must want to love others more than you want anything else. But you should also eagerly desire the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers. And you should desire most of all to have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God [MTY]. 2-3 2-3I say that because those who speak messages that come directly from God are speaking in languages that they and the other believers in the congregation know, and so they are able to strengthen them spiritually and to encourage and comfort them. But those who speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned are not speaking to people. Instead, they are only speaking to God. No one understands them. By the power/guidance of God’s Spirit (OR, From within their own spirit) they speak things that others do not know. 4 Those who speak in languages that they have not learned are receiving a blessing for themselves, but those who speak messages that come directly from God are giving a blessing to all the believers in the congregation because they are speaking in a language that the congregation knows.

5 I would like you all to have the ability to speak in languages [MTY] you have not learned. But I would like even more for you to have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. People can speak messages in a language that they have not learned, but if there is no one there who can explain the meaning, that situation is not as helpful to the congregation as speaking messages that come directly from God in the language that the congregation knows.

6 My fellow believers, suppose I came and spoke to you in a language that none of you knows and I did not explain the meaning of what I told you. Even if I told you something that God had revealed to me, or told you some message that had come directly from him, or taught you something that you needed to know, ◄that certainly would not help you!/how would that help you?► [RHQ] 7 It is like lifeless musical instruments, like flutes and harps for example. When they are played, if the notes are not played {if those playing those instruments do not play the notes} clearly, no one will know what tune is being played {what tune they are playing}. [RHQ] 8 If someone playing the trumpet wants to signal that the soldiers should prepare to fight a battle, the soldiers certainly will not get ready if the call to battle is not played {he does not play the call to battle} clearly. [RHQ] 9 It is the same with you! If you do not speak words that other people can understand, ◄no one will know what you are saying./how will anyone know what you are saying?► [RHQ] It will be as though you are just speaking to the air! 10 There are many different languages in the world, and all of them convey meaning [LIT] to the people who know those languages. 11 But if we do not understand the language that others are speaking, it will be as though they are foreigners to us, and we will be foreigners to them. 12 So I say this to you: Because you are eager to have the abilities that God’s Spirit gives, earnestly desire those abilities that will do the most to help all the believers in the congregation.

13 So, those who have the ability to speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned should pray that God will give them the ability to explain the meaning of what they say. 14 If they pray in a language [MTY] that they have not learned, their spirits are praying, but they are not using their minds. 15 So I will tell you [RHQ] what we should do. At times we may pray, using only our spirits, in languages we have not learned. And at other times we should pray using our minds, thinking about the words that we are praying. Similarly, at times we may sing using only our spirits, using languages that we have not learned, and at other times we should sing using our minds, thinking about the words that we are singing. 16 Suppose that any one of you praises God (OR, thanks God for what he has done), using only your (sg) spirit and not using your mind. Maybe some people will be present who do not know about the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers. Because they do not know what you are saying, after you thank God, they will not [RHQ] know when to say “Amen!/I agree!” 17 You may be thanking God very well, but you are not helping them. 18 I thank God that I speak in languages [MTY] that I have not learned more than any of you do. 19 But during a worship service, in order that others will understand what I am saying, I would prefer to speak five words using my mind, in order that I may teach others, rather than to speak 10,000 words in a language [MTY] that is not understood by the congregation.

20 My fellow believers, stop being like little children in the way that you think about these abilities that God’s Spirit gives. Instead, think about them in a mature way. If you really want to be like little children, do as few wicked things as babies do! 21 When the Jews long ago refused to obey God, he warned them about what would happen when he allowed their enemies to punish them. In the Scriptures it is written {the prophet Isaiah wrote} what the Lord God said about that,

They didn’t listen to prophets speaking their own language, so I will send people from foreign lands to attack my people.

Those foreigners will speak languages that my people do not know [DOU].

In that way, I will warn my people,

but they will still not pay attention to what I say.

22 If we speak in languages [MTY] that we have not learned, unbelievers who are there will realize that the Spirit of God is truly among us. That will warn them that they need to fear God. But believers do not need such a warning. 23 Suppose during the worship service everyone started to speak in languages [MTY] that they have not learned. If unbelievers or people who do not know about the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to believers come in and hear that, they will surely think that you are crazy. [RHQ] 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not know about those abilities comes in while all of you believers are one by one speaking messages that come directly from God, everything that you say will show that person that he is a sinner and that God will punish him if he does not turn from his sinful behavior. 25 He will realize that God knows the evil things that he has done that, things that other people do not know. Then he will kneel down and worship God and say, “God is truly among you!”