1 Corinthians 14:38

1 Corinthians 14:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
• New International Version (NIV)But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:38

36Remember that God's message did not start from you in Corinth! You are not the only people who have heard it, either. 37Someone may think that he has the gift to speak messages from God. Or he may think that he has received other spiritual gifts. Anyone who thinks like that should agree with what I have written to you. He should recognize that it is what the Lord himself is telling his people to do. If anyone refuses to accept this, you should not accept that person. 39My Christian friends, this is what I am saying to you: It is good when you want to speak clear messages from God. And if anyone has the gift to speak in a special language, do not stop them. 40But you must do everything in a proper way that helps people.

1 Corinthians 14:38 word by word

εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοεῖται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• be ignorantἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:38

• Hosea 4:17The people of Israel enjoy their idols. Do not go near them!
• Matthew 7:6Do not give special things that are for God to dogs. The dogs will turn round and attack you. Do not throw valuable things to pigs. The pigs will only stand on them and bury them in the dirt.’
• Matthew 15:14Do not listen to what the Pharisees say. They are blind, but they try to show people which way to go. A blind person cannot lead another blind person. If he does, then both of them will fall into a deep hole.’
• 1 Timothy 6:3Some people teach a false message that is different. Their message does not agree with the true message that our Lord Jesus Christ taught. They do not teach people to live in a way that pleases God.
• 2 Timothy 4:3Do this, because a time will come when people will not listen to God's true message. Instead, they will want to hear all kinds of new messages that will make them happy. So they will find many teachers for themselves who will tell them what they want to hear.
• Revelation 22:11Let everybody continue to live as they choose. Everyone who does wrong things will continue to do wrong things. Everyone who is disgusting will continue to be disgusting. Everyone who does right things will continue to do right things. Everyone who belongs to God will continue to be holy.’

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38But if any man be ignorant - If he affect to be so, or pretend that he is ignorant; let him be ignorant - let him be so at his peril.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38But if any be ignorant … - If anyone affects to be ignorant of my authority, or whether I have a right to command. If he affects to doubt whether I am inspired, and whether what I utter is in accordance with the will of God. Let him be ignorant - At his own peril, let him remain so, and abide the consequences. I shall not take any further trouble to debate with him. I have stated my authority. I have delivered the commands of God. And now, if he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-40Verses 34-40 When the apostle exhorts Christian women to seek information on religious subjects from their husbands at home, it shows that believing families ought to assemble for promoting spiritual knowledge. The Spirit of Christ can never contradict itself; and if their revelations are against those of the apostle, they do not come from the same Spirit. The way to keep peace, truth, and order in the church, is to seek that which is good for it, to bear…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-40Paul provides clear instructions for using spiritual gifts in the church. He stresses the importance of expressing them in an orderly manner. In the early Christian community, church meetings were not led by professional pastors or priests. Instead, everyone shared what God had given them to strengthen the church.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3838. if any man be ignorant--wilfully; not wishing to recognize these ordinances and my apostolic authority in enjoining them. let him be ignorant--I leave him to his ignorance: it will be at his own peril; I feel it a waste of words to speak anything further to convince him. An argument likely to have weight with the Corinthians, who admired "knowledge" so much.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:38

• Pride

In the dictionaries

• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Holy Spirit
• Ministry
• Prophecy; Prophets

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