Part 13

014:017 Rightly enough you are giving thanks, and yet your neighbor is not benefited.

014:018 I speak in a tongue, thank God, more than all of you;

014:019 but in the Church I would rather speak five words with my understanding--so as to instruct others also--than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

014:020 Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.

014:021 In the Law it stands written, "`By men of unknown tongues and by the lips of an unknown nation will I speak to this People, but even then they will not listen to Me', says the Lord."

014:022 This shows that the gift of tongues is intended as a sign not to those who believe but to unbelievers, but prophecy is intended not for unbelievers but for those who believe.

014:023 Accordingly if the whole Church has assembled and all are speaking in `tongues,' and there come in ungifted men, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are all mad?

014:024 If, on the other hand, every one is prophesying and an unbeliever or an ungifted man comes in, he is convicted by all and closely examined by all,

014:025 and the hidden evils of his heart are brought to light. And, as the result, he will fall on his face and worship God, and will report to others that of a truth God is among you.

014:026 What then, brethren? Whenever you assemble, there is not one of you who is not ready either with a song of praise, a sermon, a revelation, a `tongue,' or an interpretation. Let everything be done with a view to the building up of faith and character.

014:027 If there is speaking in an unknown tongue, only two or at the most three should speak, and they should do so one at a time, and one should interpret;

014:028 or if there is no interpreter, let the man with the gift be silent in the Church, speaking to himself and to God.

014:029 But if there are Prophets, let two or three speak and let the rest judge.

014:030 And if anything is revealed to some one else who is seated there, let the first be silent.

014:031 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged:

014:032 and the spirits of Prophets yield submission to Prophets.

014:033 For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace, as He is in all the Churches of His people.

014:034 Let married women be silent in the Churches, for they are not permitted to speak. They must be content with a subordinate place, as the Law also says;

014:035 and if they wish to ask questions, they should ask their own husbands at home. For it is disgraceful for a married woman to speak at a Church assembly.

014:036 Was it from you that God's Message first went forth, or is it to you only that it has come?

014:037 If any one deems himself to be a Prophet or a man with spiritual gifts, let him recognize as the Lord's command all that I am now writing to you.

014:038 But if any one is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

014:039 The conclusion, my brethren, is this. Be earnestly ambitious to prophesy, and do not check speaking with tongues;

014:040 only let everything be done in a becoming and orderly manner.

015:001 But let me recall to you, brethren, the Good News which I brought you, which you accepted, and on which you are standing,

015:002 through which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first.

015:003 For I repeated to you the all-important fact which also I had been taught, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;

015:004 that He was buried; that He rose to life again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,