1 Corinthians 14:1

Amplified Bible

Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people].

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Love should be the goal of your life, but you should also want to have the gifts that come from the Spirit. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy.

Revised Standard Version
Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Labour for love and covet spretuall giftes: and most chefly forto prophesye.

Hebrew Names Version
Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

International Standard Version
Keep on pursuing love, and keep on desiring spiritual gifts, especially the ability to prophesy.Numbers 11:25,29; 1 Corinthians 12:31;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

New Century Version
You should seek after love, and you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Update Bible Version
Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts], but rather that you may prophesy.

Webster's Bible Translation
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.

English Standard Version
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

World English Bible
Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Follow after love: and desire spiritual gifts; but especially that ye may prophesy.

Weymouth's New Testament
Be eager in your pursuit of this Love, and be earnestly ambitious for spiritual gifts, but let it be chiefly so in order that you may prophesy.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sue ye charite, loue ye spiritual thingis, but more that ye prophecien.

English Revised Version
Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.

Berean Standard Bible
Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Contemporary English Version
Love should be your guide. Be eager to have the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophecy.

American Standard Version
Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

Bible in Basic English
Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.

Complete Jewish Bible
Pursue love! However, keep on eagerly seeking the things of the Spirit; and especially seek to be able to prophesy.

Darby Translation
Follow after love, and be emulous of spiritual [manifestations], but rather that ye may prophesy.

Etheridge Translation
Follow (then) after love, and be emulous of the gifts of the Spirit, but especially that you may prophesy.

Murdock Translation
Follow after love; and be emulous of the gifts of the Spirit, and especially, that ye may prophesy.

King James Version (1611)
Follow after charitie, and desire spirituall giftes, but rather that yee may prophesie.

New Living Translation
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.

New Life Bible
You should want to have this love. You should want the gifts of the Holy Spirit and most of all to be able to speak God's Word.

New Revised Standard
Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Folowe after loue, and couet spirituall giftes, and rather that ye may prophecie.

George Lamsa Translation
FOLLOW after love, and desire spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Pursue love; nevertheless be envious of the spiritual gifts, - and, rather, that ye may be prophesying.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Follow after charity, be zealous for spiritual gifts; but rather that you may prophesy.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Folowe after loue, and couet spirituall [giftes] but most chiefelie that ye may prophesie.

Good News Translation
It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message.

Christian Standard Bible®
Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.

King James Version
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

Lexham English Bible
Pursue love, and strive for spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Literal Translation
Pursue love, and seek eagerly the spiritual things, but rather that you may prophesy.

Young's Literal Translation
Pursue the love, and seek earnestly the spiritual things, and rather that ye may prophecy,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Laboure for loue. Couet spirituall giftes, but specially that ye maye prophecye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Cultivate social virtue; then desire spiritual gifts, but chiefly that of explaining the prophetical writings.

THE MESSAGE
Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.

New English Translation
Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

New King James Version
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Love should be your highest achievement, but I ain't saying you shouldn't want some of these other special abilities the Holy Ghost gives—especially the gift of telling folks the truth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Legacy Standard Bible
Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Contextual Overview

¹Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people].²For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people but to God; for no one understands him or catches his meaning, but by the Spirit he speaks mysteries [secret truths, hidden things]. ³But [on the other hand] the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification [to promote their spiritual growth] and [speaks words of] encouragement [to uphold and advise them concerning the matters of God] and [speaks words of] consolation [to compassionately comfort them]. ⁴One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church [promotes growth in spiritual wisdom, devotion, holiness, and joy]. ⁵Now I wish that all of you spoke in unknown tongues, but even more [I wish] that you would prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater [and more useful] than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he translates or explains [what he says], so that the church may be edified [instructed, improved, strengthened].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Follow: Proverbs 15:9, Proverbs 21:21, Isaiah 51:1, Romans 9:30, Romans 14:19, 1 Timothy 5:10, 1 Timothy 6:11, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 3:11-13, 3 John 1:11

charity: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 2 Timothy 2:22, 2 Peter 1:7

desire: 1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Corinthians 12:31, Ephesians 1:3

prophesy: 1 Corinthians 14:3-5, 1 Corinthians 14:24, 1 Corinthians 14:25, 1 Corinthians 14:37, 1 Corinthians 14:39, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:9, Numbers 11:25-29, Romans 12:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 1 Timothy 4:14

Reciprocal: Acts 19:6 - and prophesied 1 Corinthians 11:4 - or 1 Corinthians 12:10 - prophecy 1 Corinthians 14:5 - for 1 Corinthians 14:6 - prophesying 1 Corinthians 14:12 - forasmuch 1 Corinthians 16:14 - General Ephesians 4:16 - edifying 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - ever 1 Timothy 1:5 - charity 1 Peter 3:13 - followers 1 Peter 4:8 - fervent

Cross-References

Genesis 10:22
The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram;

Genesis 11:2
And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they settled there.

Isaiah 11:11
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again acquire with His hand a second time The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, from [Lower] Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush (Ethiopia), from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Aram], And from the coastlands bordering the [Mediterranean] Sea.

Isaiah 21:2
A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one deals treacherously, and the destroyer destroys. Go up, Elam! Lay siege, Media! All the groaning [caused by Babylon's ruthless oppressions] I [the LORD] have brought to an end.

Isaiah 22:6
Elam took up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.

Isaiah 37:12
'Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Jeremiah 25:25
all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam (Persia), and all the kings of Media;

Ezekiel 32:24
"Elam [a conquest of Assyria] is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who made their terror spread in the land of the living and bore their shame and defeat with those who went down to the pit.

Daniel 1:2
The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his god.

Zechariah 5:11
And he said to me, "To the land of Shinar (Babylon) to build a temple for her; and when it is prepared, she shall be set there on her own pedestal."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Follow after charity,.... The apostle having so highly commended charity, or love, in the preceding chapter, presses here to an eager pursuit after it; that is, to an exercise of it, and after those things which make for it, and will serve to maintain and increase it: and everything he has said in praise of it before serves as an argument, or reason, to follow hard after it, with an eagerness used in hunting, and with such violence as persecutors express in pursuing and laying hold on those they seek after, to which there is an allusion in the word here used:

and desire spiritual gifts: for though he had given charity the preference to them, he did not mean that they should despise and neglect them, or treat them with indifference, and be unconcerned about them; but, on the other hand, that they should be very zealous for them, ambitious of them, and earnestly covet them; since being rightly used and kept in their proper place, they were greatly beneficial and profitable to the churches of Christ, and the glory of God:

but rather that ye may prophesy: of all the gifts of the Spirit, the apostle prefers prophesying, and recommends this to the Corinthians, as what they should be chiefly desirous of, and more desirous of than of speaking with tongues, which many among them were so very fond of: by which he means, not so much the gift of foretelling future events, though there was such a gift bestowed on some persons in those times, and, in certain cases, was very profitable to the churches; but a gift of preaching the word, or explaining the prophecies of the Old Testament, and of praying and singing of psalms, all which, as appears from some following parts of this chapter, were included in it; and that not in an ordinary, but in an extraordinary way; a person possessed of this gift could at once, without the use of means, or help of study, preach the word, and open the more difficult parts of Scripture; he had an extraordinary gift of prayer, which he could make use of when he pleased, and at once compose and deliver out a psalm, or hymn, in the public congregation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Follow 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 great object, and while you do not make the desire of spiritual gifts the occasion of envy or strife, to desire the miraculous endowments of the Spirit and to seek to excel in those endowments which he imparts; see the note at 1 Corinthians 12:31. The main thing was to cultivate a spirit of love. Yet it was not improper also to desire to be so endowed as to promote their highest usefulness in the church. On the phrase “spiritual gifts,” see the note at 1 Corinthians 12:1.

But rather that ye may prophesy - But especially, or particularly desire to be qualified for the office of prophesying. The apostle does not mean to say that prophecy is to be preferred to love or charity; but that, of the spiritual gifts which it was proper for them to desire and seek, prophecy was the most valuable. That is, they were not most earnestly and especially to desire to be able to speak foreign languages or to work miracles; but they were to desire to be qualified to speak in a manner that would be edifying to the church. They would naturally, perhaps, most highly prize the power of working miracles and of speaking foreign languages. The object of this chapter is to show them that the ability to speak in a plain, clear, instructive manner, so as to edify the church and convince sinners, was a more valuable endowment than the power of working miracles, or the power of speaking foreign languages.

On the meaning of the word “prophesy,” see the note at Romans 11:6. To what is said there on the nature of this office, it seems necessary only to add an idea suggested by Prof. Robinson (Greek and English Lexicon, under the article, Προφήτης Prophētēs), that the prophets were distinguished from the teachers (διδάσκαλοι didaskaloi), “in that, while the latter spoke in a calm, connected, didactic discourse adapted to instruct and enlighten the hearers, the prophet spoke more from the impulse of sudden inspiration, from the light of a sudden revelation at the moment (1 Corinthians 14:30, ἀποκάλυφθη apokalupthē), and his discourse was probably more adapted, by means of powerful exhortation, to awaken the feelings and conscience of the hearers.” The idea of speaking from “revelation,” he adds, seems to be fundamental to the correct idea of the nature of the prophecy here referred to. Yet the communications of the prophets were always in the vernacular tongue, and were always in intelligible language, and in this respect different from the endowments of those who spoke foreign languages.

The same truth might be spoken by both; the influence of the Spirit was equally necessary in both; both were inspired; and both answered important ends in the establishment and edification of the church. The gift of tongues, however, as it was the most striking and remarkable, and probably the most rare, was most highly prized and coveted. The object of Paul here is, to show that it was really an endowment of less value, and should be less desired by Christians than the gift of prophetic instruction, or the ability to edify the church in language intelligible and understood by all, under the immediate influences of the Holy Spirit.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XIV.

We should earnestly desire spiritual gifts; but prophesying

is to be preferred, because it is superior to the gift of

tongues, 1, 2.

Prophesying defined, 3.

How to regulate this supernatural gift of tongues, in teaching

for the edification of the Church, 4-13.

In praying and giving thanks, 14-17.

Those who speak with tongues should interpret that others may

be edified, 18-22

What benefit may accrue from this in the public assemblies,

23-28.

How the prophets or teachers should act in the Church, 29-33.

Women should keep silence in the church, 34, 35.

All should be humble, and every thing should be done in love,

36-40.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIV.

Verse 1 Corinthians 14:1. Follow after charity — Most earnestly labour 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 your carnal minds-but labour rather to get the gifts of God's Spirit, by which ye may grow in grace, and be useful to others-and particularly desire that ye may prophesy-that ye may be able to teach and instruct others in the things of their salvation.