1 Corinthians 14:20

1 Corinthians 14:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
• New International Version (NIV)Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:20

18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. 21It is written in the law, I will speak to this people by people of other tongues and by the lips of foreigners, and even then, they will not listen to me, says the Lord. 22Speaking in tongues, then, is intended as a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

1 Corinthians 14:20 word by word

Ἀδελφοί, μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε, ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν τέλειοι γίνεσθε.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• notμήmē · notG3361
• childrenπαιδίονpaidion · childG3813
• in understandingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• in understandingφρήνphrēn · thinkingG5424
• howbeitἀλλάalla · butG235
• in maliceκακίαkakia · evilG2549
• be ye childrenνηπιάζωnēpiazō · be childlikeG3515
• butδέde · thenG1161
• menτέλειοςteleios · perfectG5046

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:20

• 1 Corinthians 3:1For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.
• Psalms 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers because your decrees are my meditation.
• Isaiah 11:3His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears,
• Romans 16:19The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.
• Ephesians 4:14Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
• Philippians 1:9And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,
• Hebrews 5:12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
• Hebrews 6:1Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,
• 2 Peter 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
• Psalms 131:1Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too wondrous for me.
• Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.
• Matthew 18:3“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Matthew 19:4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that he who created them in the beginning made them male and female,
• Mark 10:15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
• 1 Peter 2:2Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Be not children in understanding - There are three words here to which we must endeavor to affix the proper sense. 1. signifies children in general, but particularly such as are grown up, so as to be fit to send to school in order to receive instruction; 2. , from , not, and , I speak, signifies an infant; one that cannot yet speak, and is in the lowest stage of infancy; 3. , from , I complete or perfect, signifies those who are arrived at perfect…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Brethren, be not children in understanding - Be not childish; do not behave like little children. They admire, and are astonished at what is striking, novel, and what may be of no real utility. They are pleased with anything that will amuse them, and at little things that afford them play and pastime. So your admiration of a foreign language and of the ability to speak it, is of as little solid value as the common sports and plays of boys. This, says…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 15-25 There can be no assent to prayers that are not understood. A truly Christian minister will seek much more to do spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause to himself. This is proving himself the servant of Christ. Children are apt to be struck with novelty; but do not act like them. Christians should be like children, void of guile and malice; yet they should not be unskilful as to the word of righteousness, but only as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20To understand these matters maturely, consider the purpose of spiritual gifts. Do not treat them as ends for personal enjoyment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Brethren--an appellation calculated to conciliate their favorable reception of his exhortation. children in understanding--as preference of gifts abused to nonedification would make you (compare 1Co 3:1; Mt 10:16; Ro 16:19; Ep 4:14). The Greek for "understanding" expresses the will of one's spirit, Ro 8:6 (it is not found elsewhere); as the "heart" is the will of the "soul." The same Greek is used for "minded" in Ro 8:6. men--full-grown. Be childlike…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:20

• Children
• Commandments
• Language
• Malice
• Preaching
• Righteous
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Child
• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• Babe
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings