1 Corinthians 14:1

1 Corinthians 14:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
• New International Version (NIV)Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:1

So you must always want to love other people. Also, want very much to receive spiritual gifts from God. More than anything else, want to speak messages from God. 2If someone speaks in a different language, he is speaking only to God. The people who hear him do not understand his message. God's Spirit is causing him to speak about secret things. It does not help people. 3But if someone speaks a clear message from God, he helps the people who hear him. He helps them to become stronger as believers. He helps them to be happy and strong in their troubles.

1 Corinthians 14:1 word by word

Διώκετε τὴν ἀγάπην· ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ πνευματικά, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα προφητεύητε.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Follow afterδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377
• charityἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• andδέde · thenG1161
• desireζηλόωzēloō · be eagerG2206
• spiritualπνευματικόςpneumatikos · spiritualG4152
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye may prophesyπροφητεύωprophēteuō · to prophesyG4395

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:1

• Proverbs 15:9The Lord hates the way that wicked people live. But he loves people who want to do what is right.
• Proverbs 21:21If you are kind and faithful, you will live a long life! Other people will respect you and they will be kind to you.
• Isaiah 51:1‘Listen to me, you people who want to do what is right. You people who want to serve the Lord, listen to me! Think about the rock that you are a part of. Think about the ground that they dug you out from.
• Romans 9:30So, we must think about what all this means. The Gentiles were not trying to become right with God. But some of them have now become right with him. God has accepted them as right, because they have believed in Jesus Christ.
• Romans 14:19So then, we should try to live in a way that brings peace. We should try to help each other so that we become stronger as God's people.
• 1 Timothy 5:10People should know that she has done good things. For example, she must have been a good mother to her children. She must have received visitors into her home. She must have helped God's people as their servant. She must have taken care of people who had problems. She must have continued to do all kinds of good things like that.
• 1 Timothy 6:11But you, Timothy, are a servant of God. So keep away from all bad things like that. Instead, always try to do what is right. Serve God in a way that pleases him. Choose to trust God and to love other people. Continue to be strong when you have trouble. Be kind to people.
• Hebrews 12:14Do everything that you can to live in peace with other people. Make yourself separate from bad things. Nobody will see the Lord unless their life is good and clean.
• 1 Peter 3:11Stop doing evil things. Instead, do things that are good. Try to be friends with people. Help people to live in peace with each other.
• 3 John 1:11My friend, do not copy what bad people do. Instead, you should copy the good things that people do. The person who does good things shows that he belongs to God. But anyone who does bad things does not know God.
• 1 Corinthians 13:1I may be able to speak many different languages that people or angels speak. But that is worth nothing if I do not love other people. I would only be making a loud noise, like someone who hits a piece of metal.
• 2 Timothy 2:22Be careful not to do the kind of bad things that young people often want to do. Instead, always try to do what is right and fair. Continue to trust God. Love other people and live in peace with them. Join with people who are clean inside and who pray to the Lord.
• 2 Peter 1:7You should not only please God, but you should be kind to other believers. You should not only love other believers, but you must also love all people.
• 1 Corinthians 12:1My Christian friends, I want you to understand clearly about spiritual gifts.
• Ephesians 1:3We praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us in very many ways. Because we belong to Christ, we enjoy all the good things that come from heaven. God blesses our spirits with those good things.
• 1 Corinthians 14:3But if someone speaks a clear message from God, he helps the people who hear him. He helps them to become stronger as believers. He helps them to be happy and strong in their troubles.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Follow after charity - Most earnestly labor to be put in possession of that love which beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things. It may be difficult to acquire, and difficult to retain this blessed state, but it is essential to your present peace and eternal happiness. This clause belongs to the preceding chapter. Desire spiritual gifts - Ye are very intent on getting those splendid gifts which may add to your worldly consequence, and please…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Follow after charity - Pursue love 1 Corinthians 13:1; that is, earnestly desire it; strive to possess it; make it the object of your anxious and constant solicitude to obtain it, and to be influenced by it always. Cultivate it in your own hearts, as the richest and best endowment of the Holy Spirit, and endeavor to diffuse its happy influence on all around you. And desire spiritual gifts - I do not forbid you, while you make the possession of love your…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Prophecy preferred to the gift of tongues. (1-5) The unprofitableness of speaking in unknown languages. (6-14) Exhortations to worship that can be understood. (15-25) Disorders from vain display of gifts; (26-33) and from women speaking in the church. (34-40) Verses 1-5 Prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, is compared with speaking with tongues. This drew attention, more than the plain interpretation of Scripture; it gratified pride more, but…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Among all the special abilities the Spirit provides (see study note on 1 Corinthians 12:1–14:40), Paul urges the Corinthians to seek the ability to prophesy because it benefits the church more (see 12:10) .Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251Co 14:1-25. Superiority of Prophecy over Tongues. 1. Follow after charity--as your first and chief aim, seeing that it is "the greatest" (1Co 13:13). and desire--Translate, "Yet (as a secondary aim) desire zealously (see on 1Co 12:31) spiritual gifts." but rather--"but chiefly that ye may prophesy" (speak and exhort under inspiration) (Pr 29:18; Ac 13:1; 1Th 5:20), whether as to future events, that is, strict prophecy, or explaining obscure parts of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:1

• Love
• Miracles
• Preaching

In the dictionaries

• Spiritual Gifts
• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• Affect; Affection
• 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