1 Corinthians 14
Introduction
Chapter 14 is the practical climax of Paul's extended discussion of spiritual gifts that began in chapter 12. Having established in chapter 12 that all gifts come from the one Spirit and are given for the common good of the body, and having placed love as the supreme governing principle in chapter 13, Paul now turns to the specific problem that was apparently causing the most disruption in Corinthian worship: the relative value and proper use of tongues and prophecy. The Corinthians, characteristically drawn to the spectacular and the individually impressive, appear to have elevated tongue-speaking above all other gifts, treating it as the mark of superior spirituality. Paul's argument throughout this chapter is that prophecy -- intelligible speech that builds up, encourages, and convicts -- is more valuable in the gathered assembly precisely because it serves others, while uninterpreted tongues, however genuine as a spiritual experience, benefit only the speaker.
The chapter moves from theological principle to practical regulation. Paul first establishes why prophecy is superior to uninterpreted tongues in public worship (vv. 1-25), using a series of vivid analogies -- musical instruments, military trumpets, foreign languages -- to drive home the point that unintelligible speech accomplishes nothing in a community setting. He then lays down concrete rules for orderly worship (vv. 26-40): how many may speak in tongues and under what conditions, how prophets should take turns and be evaluated, and how the entire assembly should function so that "all things are done for building up." The chapter's closing verses (vv. 34-40) contain one of the most debated passages in the Pauline corpus, raising questions about women's participation in worship that have generated centuries of scholarly discussion. Throughout, Paul's governing concern is not to suppress genuine spiritual experience but to ensure that when the church gathers, everything serves the edification of the whole body and reflects the character of a God who is not a God of disorder but of peace.
Prophecy Is Greater Than Tongues (vv. 1-5)
BSB
Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries in the Spirit. But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort. The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.
Translation
Pursue love, and be zealous for the spiritual gifts -- but especially that you may prophesy. For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, since no one hears with understanding; rather, he speaks mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their building up, encouragement, and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the assembly.
Now I want all of you to speak in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues -- unless he interprets, so that the assembly may receive building up.
Notes
Διώκετε τὴν ἀγάπην (diōkete tēn agapēn, "pursue love") -- The verb diōkō means "to pursue, chase, run after" and is often used of persecution (as in "persecute"). Paul uses it here with striking force: love is not something that passively arrives but something to be hunted down with the same intensity with which a persecutor chases his prey. This verb links chapter 14 back to the love hymn of chapter 13 -- the pursuit of love is the context in which all spiritual gifts must be exercised. Without this pursuit, even genuine gifts become "a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (13:1).
ζηλοῦτε τὰ πνευματικά (zēloute ta pneumatika, "be zealous for the spiritual things") -- The verb zēloō means "to be zealous, to earnestly desire, to be eager for." It can carry both positive and negative connotations (cf. 12:31, "eagerly desire the greater gifts," but also 13:4, love "does not envy [zēloi]"). The neuter plural pneumatika ("spiritual things/gifts") is the same word used in 12:1 to introduce the entire discussion. Paul does not suppress the Corinthians' zeal for spiritual gifts but redirects it: mallon de hina prophēteuēte ("but rather, that you may prophesy"). The mallon de ("but rather, but especially") does not cancel the first imperative but prioritizes within it.
γλώσσῃ (glōssē, "tongue") -- The word glōssa means both "tongue" (the physical organ) and "language." Throughout this chapter, Paul uses it to refer to speaking in tongues (lalein glōssais), a form of Spirit-inspired utterance. The singular glōssē here (as opposed to the plural glōssais in v. 5) may refer to the practice in general rather than to multiple languages. The precise nature of glossolalia in Corinth -- whether it involved actual foreign languages (as in Acts 2) or ecstatic speech unintelligible without interpretation -- has been debated since the patristic era. Paul's argument in this chapter does not depend on resolving that question; his point is that whatever its nature, it is unintelligible to the congregation without interpretation.
μυστήρια (mystēria, "mysteries") -- In Pauline usage, mystērion typically refers to God's previously hidden redemptive plan now revealed in Christ (cf. 2:7; 4:1; 15:51; Rom 16:25). Here, however, the sense is different: the tongue-speaker utters "mysteries" in the sense that the content is hidden from human listeners -- not because God has concealed it but because no one present can understand the language. The word thus functions with a certain irony: mysteries in Paul's gospel are meant to be revealed, but in uninterpreted tongues they remain concealed.
οἰκοδομὴν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν (oikodomēn kai paraklēsin kai paramythian, "building up and encouragement and consolation") -- Paul describes the effect of prophecy with three nouns. Οἰκοδομή (oikodomē, "building up, edification") is the architectural metaphor Paul has used since 3:9-14 for the construction of the church. Παράκλησις (paraklēsis, "encouragement, exhortation, comfort") shares its root with paraklētos ("advocate, helper," used of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16). Παραμυθία (paramythia, "consolation, comfort") appears only here in Paul and denotes a gentler, more intimate kind of comfort -- the kind given to someone who is grieving or struggling. Together, the three terms show that prophecy addresses the full range of the congregation's needs: structural growth, active encouragement, and tender consolation.
μείζων δὲ ὁ προφητεύων (meizōn de ho prophēteuōn, "greater is the one who prophesies") -- The comparative meizōn ("greater") is bold. Paul is establishing a hierarchy among gifts, at least in the context of corporate worship. This directly challenges the Corinthians' implicit ranking, which placed tongues at the top. The exception clause -- ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ διερμηνεύῃ (ektos ei mē diermēneuē, "unless he interprets") -- is crucial: interpreted tongues become functionally equivalent to prophecy because the congregation can now understand and be built up. The verb diermēneuō means "to interpret, translate, explain thoroughly" (the prefix dia- intensifies the basic hermēneuō, "to interpret," from which we get "hermeneutics").
Illustrations from Sound and Language (vv. 6-12)
BSB
Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct? Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle? So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
Assuredly, there are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If, then, I do not know the meaning of someone's language, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.
It is the same with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, strive to excel in gifts that build up the church.
Translation
Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching? In the same way, even lifeless things that produce sound -- whether flute or harp -- if they do not give distinct tones, how will what is being played on the flute or harp be recognized? And indeed, if the trumpet gives an unclear call, who will prepare for battle? So it is also with you: unless you produce intelligible speech with the tongue, how will what is being said be known? For you will be speaking into the air.
There are, it may be, many kinds of languages in the world, and none is without meaning. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
So also with you: since you are zealots for spiritual manifestations, seek to abound in them for the building up of the assembly.
Notes
ὠφελήσω (ōphelēsō, "I will benefit") -- Paul puts himself forward as the test case, a rhetorically gracious move. Rather than accusing the Corinthians directly, he asks what good it would do if he came speaking in tongues. The verb ōpheleō ("to help, benefit, profit") is the same word used in 13:3 ("if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing [ōpheloumai]"). The fourfold list that follows -- ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis, "revelation"), γνῶσις (gnōsis, "knowledge"), προφητεία (prophēteia, "prophecy"), διδαχή (didachē, "teaching") -- represents four forms of intelligible, content-bearing speech. All four contribute something the congregation can understand and apply.
ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα (apsycha phōnēn didonta, "lifeless things giving sound") -- The adjective apsychos (from a- "without" + psychē "soul, life") means "without life, inanimate." Paul draws his first analogy from music. The word αὐλός (aulos, "flute, pipe") referred to a double-reed instrument common in Greek culture, used in both religious ceremonies and entertainment. Κιθάρα (kithara, "harp, lyre") was the stringed instrument from which we derive "guitar." Even these lifeless instruments must produce διαστολήν (diastolēn, "distinction, differentiation") in their tones to be meaningful. The noun diastolē means "a separation, a distinction" (cf. Rom 3:22; 10:12, where Paul uses it for the distinction between Jew and Gentile). Without distinct notes, music becomes noise.
ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνὴν δῷ (adēlon salpinx phōnēn dō, "the trumpet gives an unclear call") -- The second analogy shifts to the military sphere. The σάλπιγξ (salpinx, "trumpet") was used in the Roman army to signal advance, retreat, and other tactical commands. The adjective ἄδηλος (adēlos, "unclear, indistinct") -- from a- "not" + dēlos "clear, evident" -- describes a signal that fails to communicate. If the trumpet gives an unclear sound, no one will prepare for battle (polemon). The analogy is pointed: in the Corinthian assembly, uninterpreted tongues are like a bugle sounding random notes during battle -- the congregation cannot respond because they do not know what is being communicated.
εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦντες (eis aera lalountes, "speaking into the air") -- This vivid phrase pictures words dissipating uselessly into empty space, reaching no one. The expression may echo the imagery of a boxer "beating the air" (derōn aera) in 9:26, where Paul described purposeless effort. In both cases, the point is wasted energy: real communication requires a receiver, just as real boxing requires an opponent. Speech without comprehension is speech that accomplishes nothing.
βάρβαρος (barbaros, "foreigner, barbarian") -- This word is onomatopoeic in origin: to Greek ears, foreign languages sounded like "bar-bar-bar" -- unintelligible babble. The term did not necessarily carry the modern connotation of "uncivilized savage," though it could. Here Paul uses it in its more neutral sense: a person whose language one does not understand, making mutual communication impossible. The word appears only here in Paul's letters. His point is devastating in its simplicity: uninterpreted tongues turn fellow believers into foreigners to one another within the very assembly that is supposed to be a community of mutual edification.
ζηλωταί ἐστε πνευμάτων (zēlōtai este pneumatōn, "you are zealots for spirits/spiritual manifestations") -- The noun zēlōtēs ("zealot, enthusiast") is stronger than the verb zēloō used in verse 1. In its political usage, it designated the Jewish Zealot party, militants who burned with passion for Israel's independence. Paul acknowledges the Corinthians' intense eagerness -- they are spiritual zealots. The genitive πνευμάτων (pneumatōn) could mean "spirits" or "spiritual things/manifestations." Rather than dousing their enthusiasm, Paul redirects it: pros tēn oikodomēn tēs ekklēsias zēteite hina perisseuēte ("seek to abound for the building up of the assembly"). The verb περισσεύω (perisseuō, "to abound, overflow, excel") turns their competitive energy toward communal benefit.
Praying with the Spirit and the Mind (vv. 13-19)
BSB
Therefore, the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
What then shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. Otherwise, if you speak a blessing in spirit, how can someone who is uninstructed say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other one is not edified.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Translation
Therefore, let the one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. What then is to be done? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind. I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will also sing praise with the mind. Otherwise, if you pronounce a blessing with the spirit, how will the person occupying the place of the outsider say the "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? For you may indeed be giving thanks well, but the other person is not being built up.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the assembly, I would rather speak five words with my mind -- so that I may also instruct others -- than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Notes
τὸ πνεῦμά μου ... ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου (to pneuma mou ... ho de nous mou, "my spirit ... but my mind") -- Paul draws a distinction between two dimensions of the human person. The πνεῦμα (pneuma, "spirit") here refers to the human spirit as the faculty engaged in tongue-speaking -- the deep, non-rational dimension of the person that communes directly with God. The νοῦς (nous, "mind") is the faculty of rational understanding and conscious thought. When one prays in tongues, the spirit is active but the mind is ἄκαρπος (akarpos, "unfruitful, unproductive") -- it bears no fruit because it does not comprehend what the spirit is expressing. Paul's solution is not to suppress the spirit but to engage both: proseuxomai tō pneumati, proseuxomai de kai tō noi ("I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind"). The kai ("also") is significant -- Paul wants both, not one at the expense of the other.
ψαλῶ (psalō, "I will sing praise") -- The verb psallō originally meant "to pluck" (a stringed instrument), then "to sing to the accompaniment of a harp," and by the New Testament era, "to sing praise, to sing a psalm." It is the root of the English word "psalm." Paul applies the same spirit-and-mind principle to singing as to prayer, indicating that the Corinthian worship involved both spoken prayer and sung praise in tongues. Early Christian worship was evidently musical from its inception, and Paul insists that congregational singing, like congregational prayer, should be intelligible.
ὁ ἀναπληρῶν τὸν τόπον τοῦ ἰδιώτου (ho anaplērōn ton topon tou idiōtou, "the one filling the place of the uninstructed person") -- This is a fascinating phrase. The noun ἰδιώτης (idiōtēs) is the root of the English word "idiot," but in Greek it simply meant "a private person, a layperson, one without specialized knowledge." In this context it likely refers to a believer or interested visitor who does not have the gift of tongues and therefore cannot follow what is being said. The expression anaplērōn ton topon ("filling the place, occupying the position") suggests a recognized category of people in the worship assembly -- those who sit in the role of non-tongue-speakers. Paul's concern is that this person cannot say Ἀμήν (Amēn) to the thanksgiving. The congregational "Amen" was an early and deeply important worship practice (cf. 2 Cor 1:20; Rev 5:14), signifying personal assent and participation. If someone cannot understand the prayer, their "Amen" becomes hollow.
εὐχαριστίᾳ (eucharistia, "thanksgiving") -- This word, from eu ("well") + charizomai ("to give graciously"), means "gratitude, thanksgiving." It is the root of the English word "Eucharist," which came to designate the Lord's Supper because of the thanksgiving prayer that accompanied it. Here it refers to a prayer of thanksgiving offered in the assembly. Paul concedes that the tongue-speaker may be giving thanks kalōs ("well, beautifully") -- the prayer may be genuinely inspired and spiritually rich. But this does not matter if the other person οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται (ouk oikodomeitai, "is not being built up"). The passive voice emphasizes that edification is something that happens to a person through intelligible speech -- it cannot occur when the speech is incomprehensible.
πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μου ... μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ (pente logous tō noi mou ... myrious logous en glōssē, "five words with my mind ... ten thousand words in a tongue") -- The contrast is deliberately hyperbolic: five versus ten thousand, a ratio of 1:2,000. The number μυρίους (myrious, "ten thousand, a myriad") is the same word Paul used in 4:15 for "ten thousand guardians." It represents the largest discrete number in the Greek numeral system. Paul has already established his credentials -- glossais lalō ("I speak in tongues") more than all of them -- and so he cannot be accused of devaluing the gift from ignorance or jealousy. But he would rather speak a mere five comprehensible words that instruct others than an ocean of unintelligible speech.
κατηχήσω (katēchēsō, "I may instruct") -- The verb katēcheō means "to instruct, teach, inform orally." It is composed of kata- ("down") + ēcheō ("to sound, resound") -- literally, to sound down into someone's ears, to instill knowledge through oral instruction. It is the root of the English word "catechism." Luke uses it in Luke 1:4 and Acts 18:25 for oral instruction in the faith. Paul's choice of this word reinforces his point: the purpose of speech in the assembly is to inform and teach, which requires intelligibility.
The Sign Function of Tongues and Prophecy (vv. 20-25)
BSB
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. It is written in the Law:
"By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord."
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all, and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, "God is truly among you!"
Translation
Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Rather, in evil be infants, but in your thinking become mature. In the law it is written: "By people of other tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord."
So then, tongues are a sign not for those who believe but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. Therefore, if the whole assembly comes together in one place and all are speaking in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are raving mad? But if all are prophesying and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is examined by all, the hidden things of his heart become exposed -- and so, falling on his face, he will worship God, declaring, "God is truly among you!"
Notes
μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν (mē paidia ginesthe tais phresin, "do not become children in your thinking") -- The noun φρήν (phrēn, plural phrenes) refers to the diaphragm and, by extension in Greek thought, to the seat of the intellect and will -- the capacity for understanding and judgment. Paul uses the dative phresin to specify the sphere in which they are acting childishly: their mental faculties, their powers of discernment. The word παιδία (paidia, "children") denotes young children, not infants. Paul draws a sharp distinction: in regard to κακίᾳ (kakia, "evil, malice"), they should be νηπιάζετε (nēpiazete, "be infants") -- utterly inexperienced and naive. But in thinking they should be τέλειοι (teleioi, "mature, complete, fully developed"), the same word used in 2:6 for those who are "mature" enough to receive God's deeper wisdom. The Corinthians' fascination with tongues as a sign of spiritual superiority reveals immature thinking, not spiritual depth.
ἑτερογλώσσοις (heteroglōssois, "in other tongues, in foreign languages") -- This compound adjective (heteros "other, different" + glōssa "tongue") appears only here in the New Testament. Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:11-12, where the prophet warned Israel that because they refused to listen to God's clear message, God would speak to them through the unintelligible speech of foreign invaders -- the Assyrians. The "strange tongues" of the Assyrians were a sign of judgment, not blessing. Israel's refusal to understand their own prophets led to God communicating through a language they could not understand. Paul applies this typologically to the Corinthian situation: tongues function as a sign of judgment upon unbelief, not as a gift that primarily benefits believers.
σημεῖον (sēmeion, "sign") -- The word sēmeion denotes a sign that points beyond itself to a deeper reality. In the Old Testament background (Isa 28:11-12), the "sign" of foreign tongues was a sign of God's judgment on a disobedient people. Paul's logic in verse 22 has puzzled commentators, since it seems to be contradicted by the scenario in verses 23-25, where tongues actually drive unbelievers away rather than serving as a positive sign for them. The resolution likely lies in understanding "sign" in its Isaiah context: tongues are a negative sign for unbelievers -- a sign of judgment that confirms them in their unbelief (they say "you are mad") rather than converting them. Prophecy, by contrast, is a positive sign for believers that also has the effect of convicting unbelievers when they happen to be present.
μαίνεσθε (mainesthe, "you are raving, you are mad") -- The verb mainomai means "to be out of one's mind, to rave, to be insane." It is used in Acts 26:24, where Festus says to Paul, "You are out of your mind (mainē), Paul! Your great learning is driving you mad!" In Acts 12:15, the servant girl Rhoda is told "You are mad" when she reports Peter's escape from prison. The word evokes the perception of ecstatic, uncontrolled behavior. Paul's scenario is devastating: if an outsider walks into a Corinthian worship service where everyone is speaking in tongues simultaneously, the natural conclusion is not "God is present" but "these people are insane." The very gift meant to glorify God ends up making the church look deranged.
ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ πάντων, ἀνακρίνεται ὑπὸ πάντων (elenchetai hypo pantōn, anakrinetai hypo pantōn, "he is convicted by all, he is examined by all") -- Two parallel verbs describe the effect of prophecy on the unbeliever. Ἐλέγχω (elenchō, "to convict, reprove, expose") means to bring someone's sin or error to light in a way that produces inner conviction (cf. John 16:8, where the Spirit "convicts" the world of sin). Ἀνακρίνω (anakrinō, "to examine, investigate") is the same forensic term Paul used in 2:14-15 and 4:3-4 for judicial scrutiny. The combined effect is that prophetic speech penetrates the unbeliever's defenses, exposing τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας (ta krypta tēs kardias, "the hidden things of the heart"). This language echoes 4:5, where Paul said the Lord at his coming would "reveal the intentions of hearts." Through prophecy, something of that eschatological unveiling happens in the present.
Ὄντως ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν (ontōs ho theos en hymin estin, "God is truly among you") -- This exclamation echoes Isaiah 45:14 (LXX), where the nations acknowledge that God is present in Israel: "Surely God is in you." The adverb ὄντως (ontōs, "truly, really, actually") emphasizes the genuineness of the experience. The unbeliever, having been convicted and laid bare by prophetic speech, falls on his face (pesōn epi prosōpon) in an act of worship -- prostration before God. This is Paul's vision for what corporate worship should accomplish: not the display of spectacular gifts but the manifestation of God's presence so powerfully that even outsiders are driven to their knees.
Order in Worship (vv. 26-33)
BSB
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a psalm or a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done to build up the church.
If anyone speaks in a tongue, two, or at most three, should speak in turn, and someone must interpret. But if there is no interpreter, he should remain silent in the church and speak only to himself and God.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace -- as in all the churches of the saints.
Translation
What then, brothers and sisters? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, an interpretation -- let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and let one person interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others evaluate what is said. But if something is revealed to another person who is seated, let the first be silent. For you are all able to prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace -- as in all the assemblies of the saints.
Notes
ἕκαστος ψαλμὸν ἔχει, διδαχὴν ἔχει, ἀποκάλυψιν ἔχει, γλῶσσαν ἔχει, ἑρμηνείαν ἔχει (hekastos psalmon echei, didachēn echei, apokalypsin echei, glōssan echei, hermēneian echei, "each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation") -- The fivefold repetition of echei ("has") paints a vivid picture of the Corinthian assembly: it was not a passive audience listening to one speaker but an active, participatory gathering in which multiple members contributed. The ψαλμός (psalmos, "psalm") may refer to a spontaneous hymn or song of praise composed under the Spirit's influence (cf. Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). This picture of worship is strikingly different from modern services dominated by a single preacher. Paul's concern is not to eliminate this participatory energy but to channel it: πάντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν γινέσθω (panta pros oikodomēn ginesthō, "let all things be done for building up").
ἀνὰ μέρος (ana meros, "each in turn, one at a time") -- The phrase means "in succession, one by one" -- the opposite of simultaneous speech. Paul lays down a specific numerical limit for tongue-speakers: κατὰ δύο ἢ τὸ πλεῖστον τρεῖς (kata dyo ē to pleiston treis, "two or at most three"). The word πλεῖστον (pleiston, superlative of polys) is emphatic: three is the absolute maximum. Each must wait his turn, and there must be an interpreter. If no interpreter is available (ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ διερμηνευτής, ean de mē ē diermēneutēs), the tongue-speaker must σιγάτω (sigatō, "let him be silent") in the assembly. The imperative sigatō is the same verb used in verse 30 for the first prophet yielding to a new revelation and in verse 34 for women (see below). Paul is not prohibiting the gift itself; the tongue-speaker may continue to speak heautō kai tō theō ("to himself and to God") -- privately, silently, in personal communion with God.
οἱ ἄλλοι διακρινέτωσαν (hoi alloi diakrinetōsan, "let the others evaluate") -- When prophets speak, the congregation is not to accept everything uncritically. The verb διακρίνω (diakrinō, "to judge, evaluate, distinguish, discern") means to sift and weigh what has been said. "The others" (hoi alloi) could refer to the other prophets specifically or to the congregation as a whole. This principle of prophetic evaluation is found elsewhere in Paul (1 Thess 5:19-21: "Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies, but test all things") and in John (1 John 4:1: "test the spirits"). Early Christian prophecy was not regarded as infallible; it required communal discernment.
πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται (pneumata prophētōn prophētais hypotassetai, "the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets") -- This statement directly counters any claim that ecstatic experience overrides personal self-control. The verb ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō, "to subject, to place under, to subordinate") is a key Pauline word for ordered relationships (cf. Rom 13:1; Eph 5:21; Col 3:18). The plural "spirits" (pneumata) likely refers to the prophetic impulse or inspiration within each prophet -- not the Holy Spirit himself but the human spirit as moved by the Holy Spirit. Paul's point is that genuine inspiration does not produce uncontrollable behavior. A true prophet can wait his turn, can yield the floor, can remain silent when order requires it. If someone claims the Spirit is compelling them to speak out of turn, Paul says they are mistaken about the nature of the Spirit's work.
ἀκαταστασίας ... εἰρήνης (akatastasias ... eirēnēs, "disorder ... peace") -- The noun ἀκαταστασία (akatastasia, "disorder, instability, confusion") describes the chaos that results when everyone speaks at once, when gifts are exercised without regard for others, when the assembly becomes a spiritual free-for-all. Paul says this does not reflect God's character. The word is used in Luke 21:9 for "wars and tumults" and in James 3:16 for the "disorder" that accompanies selfish ambition. By contrast, God is a God of εἰρήνη (eirēnē, "peace") -- the Hebrew shalom, denoting not merely the absence of conflict but wholeness, harmony, and well-being. Orderly worship is not a concession to human preference but a reflection of the divine character. The closing phrase -- ὡς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῶν ἁγίων (hōs en pasais tais ekklēsiais tōn hagiōn, "as in all the assemblies of the saints") -- may belong with what follows (v. 34) or with what precedes. Either way, it appeals to the universal practice of the churches as a standard.
Women in the Assembly and Final Summary (vv. 34-40)
BSB
Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.
Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord's command. But if anyone ignores this, he himself will be ignored.
So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.
Translation
Let the women be silent in the assemblies, for it is not permitted for them to speak; rather, let them be subordinate, just as the law also says. And if they wish to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the assembly.
Or did the word of God go out from you? Or did it reach you alone?
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or a spiritual person, let him recognize that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. But if anyone disregards this, he is disregarded.
So then, my brothers and sisters, be zealous for prophesying, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But let all things be done properly and in order.
Notes
Textual and Interpretive Issues in vv. 34-35 -- These verses are among the most contested in the New Testament. Several important manuscripts (notably the Western text, including D, F, G, and some Old Latin witnesses) place verses 34-35 after verse 40 rather than in their current position. This displacement has led some scholars to suggest that the verses are a later interpolation -- a marginal gloss that was inserted into different locations in different manuscript traditions. However, no manuscript omits the verses entirely, and the earliest and most reliable manuscripts (P46, Aleph, B, A) include them in their current position. A significant interpretive alternative holds that in verses 34-35, Paul is quoting a Corinthian slogan or position -- a view he then refutes sharply in verse 36 with the indignant rhetorical questions "Or did the word of God go out from you? Or did it reach you alone?" On this reading, the silencing of women reflects the Corinthians' restrictive practice, not Paul's own teaching, especially since Paul has already assumed in 11:5 that women pray and prophesy in the assembly. Others argue that the "silence" here is limited to the evaluation of prophecy (v. 29) or to disruptive questioning, not to all forms of speech. The tension with 11:5 remains a major challenge for any interpretation that takes verses 34-35 as Paul's universal prohibition.
σιγάτωσαν (sigatōsan, "let them be silent") -- The verb σιγάω (sigaō, "to be silent, to keep quiet") is the same word used in verse 28 for the tongue-speaker who must be silent when no interpreter is present, and in verse 30 for the prophet who must yield the floor. In those earlier uses, sigaō clearly does not mean absolute silence for all time but situational silence -- being quiet in specific circumstances for the sake of orderly worship. If the same contextual meaning applies here, then the "silence" enjoined on women may refer to a specific type of speech in a specific context (such as the evaluation of prophecies in v. 29, or disruptive questioning), not to a total ban on women speaking in any capacity.
ὑποτασσέσθωσαν (hypotassesthōsan, "let them be subordinate") -- The verb hypotassō appears again (cf. v. 32), here in the middle/passive imperative. The reference to ὁ νόμος (ho nomos, "the law") is puzzling, as no specific Old Testament text commands women's silence in worship. Some scholars suggest Paul refers to Genesis 3:16 ("your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you"), others to the general tenor of the Torah regarding gender roles, and still others to Jewish synagogue custom that had taken on the force of law. If Paul is quoting a Corinthian position (see note above), then "as the law says" would be their appeal, not his own -- and his rebuttal follows in verse 36.
αἰσχρὸν γάρ ἐστιν γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ (aischron gar estin gynaiki lalein en ekklēsia, "for it is shameful for a woman to speak in the assembly") -- The adjective αἰσχρός (aischros, "shameful, disgraceful") is a strong word. Paul uses it in 11:6 for a woman being shorn, and in Ephesians 5:12 for things that are "shameful even to mention." The absolute character of this statement -- combined with the assumption in 11:5 that women do prophesy and pray in the assembly -- is precisely what generates the interpretive tension. If Paul wrote both 11:5 and 14:35, then either the "speaking" prohibited here is a specific kind of speech (disruptive questioning, prophetic evaluation) rather than all speech, or Paul is quoting and rejecting a Corinthian position.
ἢ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξῆλθεν, ἢ εἰς ὑμᾶς μόνους κατήντησεν (ē aph' hymōn ho logos tou theou exēlthen, ē eis hymas monous katēntēsen, "Or did the word of God go out from you? Or did it reach you alone?") -- These two sharp rhetorical questions use the particle ἤ (ē, "or"), which in Greek can introduce an indignant objection to what has just been said. On the "Corinthian quotation" reading, Paul is responding with outrage: "Do you think you are the source of God's word? Do you think you are its only recipients?" -- thus rejecting the restrictive position of verses 34-35. On the traditional reading, the questions are directed at anyone who would resist Paul's instructions: the Corinthians do not have the authority to set their own rules for worship, since the gospel did not originate with them. Either way, the verse powerfully asserts that no single church has the right to establish its own norms independently of the broader apostolic tradition.
εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοεῖται (ei de tis agnoei, agnoeitai, "if anyone disregards, he is disregarded") -- This terse sentence plays on the verb ἀγνοέω (agnoeō, "to be ignorant of, to not recognize, to disregard"). Some manuscripts read agnoeitō ("let him be ignorant"), making it a dismissive imperative: "if anyone refuses to acknowledge this, let him remain in his ignorance." The reading agnoeitai (present passive: "he is not recognized, he is disregarded") may carry a divine passive -- the person who refuses to recognize Paul's authority will himself not be recognized by God. The wordplay is pointed: willful ignorance of apostolic teaching results in being ignored by the very authority one has dismissed.
εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν (euschēmonōs kai kata taxin, "properly and according to order") -- The chapter's final words encapsulate Paul's entire argument. The adverb εὐσχημόνως (euschēmonōs, "decently, properly, with good form") derives from eu ("well") + schēma ("form, appearance") and conveys the idea of behavior that is fitting and honorable. The noun τάξις (taxis, "order, arrangement, proper sequence") was used in military and civic contexts for the orderly arrangement of troops or the structured proceedings of an assembly. Paul's vision for Christian worship is not spontaneous chaos or rigid formalism but Spirit-filled order -- gifts exercised freely but within a structure that serves the common good. The same God who is "not a God of disorder but of peace" (v. 33) desires worship that reflects his character: dynamic yet ordered, passionate yet purposeful, free yet disciplined.