1 Corinthians 14:4-11

4Anyone who speaks in a different language only helps himself. But a person who speaks a message from God helps the believers in the church to become strong.

5I would like all of you to speak in different kinds of languages. But even more, I want you to speak God's message clearly to people. Anyone who can speak a message from God is important in the church. He is more important than someone who speaks in different kinds of languages. That person only helps the church if someone can explain what he says. Only in that way will his message help the church to become stronger.

6My Christian friends, if I come to visit you, then I want to help you. But if I speak to you in languages that you do not understand, that will not help you at all. I would need to explain to you what God has shown to me. I would need to help you to understand something. I would need to speak a clear message from God, or teach you something. Only that would help you.

7Think about how people make music with flutes or harps. Those things are not alive. We have to use them to make clear sounds. If we do not use them properly, then nobody can recognize the music.

8Soldiers will not prepare to fight unless they hear a clear sound from the trumpet.

9It is the same for you. You must use your tongue to speak clearly. If not, nobody will understand what you are saying. You will only be speaking words into the air.

10There are many different kinds of languages in this world. They all mean something to the people who speak them.

11Perhaps somebody may speak to me in a language that I do not understand. Then we are like foreign people to each other.