1 Corinthians 14:9-19

9In the same way, if you don’t speak in a way that can be understood, how will anyone know what you’re saying? You will be talking into thin air.

10No matter how many different languages there are in the world, not one of them is without meaning.

11If I don’t know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the person who speaks it and that person will be a foreigner to me.

12In the same way, since you’re eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in them so that you help the church grow.

13So the person who speaks in another language should pray for an interpretation of what he says.

14If I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my mind is not productive.

15So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind.

16Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say “Amen!” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don’t know what you’re saying.

17Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn’t help other people grow.

18I thank God that I speak in other languages more than any of you.

19Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language.