1 Corinthians 14:6

1 Corinthians 14:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
• New International Version (NIV)Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
• English Standard Version (ESV)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?
• New King James Version (NKJV)But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

Context of 1 Corinthians 14:6

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. My 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.

1 Corinthians 14:6 word by word

Νῦν δέ, ἀδελφοί, ἐὰν ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν, τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἢ ἐν γνώσει ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἢ ἐν διδαχῇ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• youσύsu · youG4771
• speakingλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• with tonguesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• shall I profitὠφελέωōpheleō · to helpG5623
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• eitherἤē · orG2228
• byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• revelationἀποκάλυψιςapokalupsis · revelationG602
• knowledgeγνῶσιςgnōsis · knowledgeG1108
• prophesyingπροφητείαprophēteia · prophecyG4394
• doctrineδιδαχήdidachē · teachingG1322

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 14:6

• 1 Corinthians 10:33Copy my example. Whatever I do, I try to make other people happy. I do not try to do what will help me. Instead, I want to help other people. I live in that way so that God will save many people.
• 1 Corinthians 12:7God helps each of us with a gift from his Spirit. He does that so that we can help others.
• 1 Corinthians 13:3I may give all my things to help poor people. I may let other people take my body to burn it. But that would not help me if I do not love others.
• 1 Samuel 12:21Do not worship idols. They are useless things. They cannot help you. They will never save you.
• Jeremiah 16:19Lord, you give me strength. You are the safe place where I can hide. When I am in trouble, I can run to you and be safe. People will come from nations all over the earth, to give you honour. They will say, ‘Our ancestors worshipped false gods. Those gods were useless and they could not help us.
• Jeremiah 23:32Yes, I am against those who have dreams and use them to deceive people. They are using cruel lies to lead the people away from me. I did not send those prophets to speak on my behalf. They do nothing to help my people.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Matthew 16:26A person may get everything in the whole world for himself. But if he loses his life, it will not be any good for him. There is nothing that a person can give to get back his life.
• 2 Timothy 2:14Continue to tell these things to God's people there, so that they remember them. Use God's authority and warn them not to quarrel about words. To quarrel about little things does not help anyone. Instead, it destroys those people who listen.
• Hebrews 13:9Some people teach all kinds of strange new things. Do not let them lead you away from God's true message. It is good that God is very kind to us. That is what makes us strong inside ourselves. Rules about what foods we should eat do not make us strong like that. Those rules have never helped the people who tried to obey them.
• 1 Corinthians 14:26My Christian friends, this is what you should do when you meet together. Some of you may have a song to praise God. Some of you may have a lesson to teach about God. Other people may have a special thing that God has shown to them. Some people may have a message in a special language. Other people may explain what the message means. Do all these things to help the church become stronger.
• Matthew 11:25At this moment, Jesus said, ‘Father, you rule over everything in heaven and on the earth! People who do not know many things can now understand your message. And so I thank you. But you have hidden these things from some other people. Those people think that they understand everything. They think that they are wise.
• Matthew 16:17Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, God has blessed you! No person on earth taught you that. God, my Father in heaven, has shown you this.
• 2 Corinthians 12:1I must continue to praise myself. It will not really help you, but I will tell you anyway. The Lord has shown me special things, like in a dream.
• Ephesians 1:17God is very great! He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that his Holy Spirit will make you wise. I pray that his Holy Spirit will help you to understand what God is like. Then you will know God better and better.
• Philippians 3:15All of us should agree to live like that, if we properly understand God's message. If you think differently about these things, God will show you clearly what is right.
• 1 Corinthians 12:8The Spirit helps some people to speak wise messages. Other people can speak messages that help people to know what is true. It is the same Spirit that helps them to do that.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 14:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Speaking with tongues - Without interpreting. What shall I profit you? - i.e. I shall not profit you; Except I shall speak to you either by revelation - Of some secret thing; or by knowledge, of some mystery; or by prophesying, foretelling some future event; or by doctrine, instructing you what to believe and practice. - See Whitby. These four words are taken in different acceptations by learned men. The general sense of the terms is that given above: but…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Now, brethren, if I come unto you … - The truth which the apostle had been illustrating in an abstract manner, he proceeds to illustrate by applying it to himself. If he should come among them speaking foreign languages, it could be of no use unless it were interpreted to them. Speaking with tongues - Speaking foreign languages; that is, speaking them “only,” without any interpreter. Paul had the power of speaking foreign languages 1 Corinthians 14:18…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 Even an apostle could not edify, unless he spoke so as to be understood by his hearers. To speak words that have no meaning to those who hear them, is but speaking into the air. That cannot answer the end of speaking, which has no meaning; in this case, speaker and hearers are barbarians to each other. All religious services should be so performed in Christian assemblies, that all may join in, and profit by them. Language plain and easy to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-25After highlighting the supreme importance of love (chapter 13), Paul discusses spiritual gifts again. He defines their value by how much they help others, which reflects love (chapter 13). With this in mind, Paul compares the overvalued gift of speaking in tongues with the more helpful gift of prophecy.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Translate, "But now"; seeing there is no edification without interpretation. revelation ... prophesying--corresponding one to the other; "revelation" being the supernatural unveiling of divine truths to man, "prophesying" the enunciation to men of such revelations. So "knowledge" corresponds to "doctrine," which is the gift of teaching to others our knowledge. As the former pair refers to specially revealed mysteries, so the latter pair refers to the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 14:6

• Language
• Preaching
• Tongues (the Gift)

In the dictionaries

• Confusion
• Desire
• Edification
• Except
• Pipe
• Profit
• Tongues, Gift of
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Holy Spirit
• Ministry

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