Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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1 Corinthians 14:1
What does 1 Corinthians 14:1 mean?
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1 Corinthians 14:1
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Paul doesn't just say "want spiritual gifts;" he calls us to earnestly desire them, highlighting that these aren't passive things but something we should actively pursue with great longing. Even more surprisingly, he places the pursuit of love as the foundational goal, before even desiring the gifts, showing that all spiritual stirrings are meant to serve this greater purpose.
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the Corinthians' passionate but often chaotic church gatherings, where the misuse of spiritual gifts, particularly speaking in tongues, has led to disorder and confusion. He's urging them to prioritize love as the foundation for everything, especially for how they exercise their spiritual abilities, so that the church can be built up rather than torn down. This verse kicks off a section where he contrasts love with uncontrolled spiritual displays, arguing for order and intelligibility in worship.
Paul kicks off this chapter with a powerful command, but what does it mean to 'pursue' love, and how does it relate to spiritual gifts?
Paul doesn't just say 'love is good.' He uses the word 'pursue' – the same word used for chasing after something valuable, like a treasure. This isn't passive; it's an active, intentional chase. He immediately contrasts this with 'earnestly desire' the spiritual gifts. While gifts are vital, love is presented as the primary pursuit, the main aim.
The Foundation of Everything
Think of it like building a house. Spiritual gifts are important tools – hammers, saws, levels – but love is the foundation. Without a solid foundation, even the best tools can’t build something that lasts. Paul will go on to show in chapter 13 that even the most spectacular gifts are worthless without love.
Paul wants the Corinthians to desire spiritual gifts, but there’s a crucial why behind this desire. What’s the right way to long for these God-given abilities?
The phrase 'earnestly desire' (or 'eagerly pursue' in some translations) suggests a strong longing, a zeal. Paul wants them to want these gifts! But the context of chapter 14, and especially the preceding chapter 13, clarifies the purpose of this desire.
Gifts for Edification
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The Corinthian church was boasting about spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues, often to the confusion and lack of understanding for others. Paul corrects this by emphasizing that gifts are meant for building up the church (edification). Desiring gifts isn't about personal status or impressing others; it's about wanting to serve and strengthen the body of Christ. The specific gift he highlights – prophecy – is chosen precisely because it’s understandable and builds people up, unlike unintelligible tongues without interpretation.
Understand the original words
agape · Greek Noun
Refers to the self-sacrificial, unconditional, and godly love that seeks the highest good of another, modeled perfectly in God's love for humanity.
pneumatikos · Greek Adjective/Noun
Supernatural abilities or manifestations given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the common good and the edification of the body of Christ.
propheteuo · Greek Verb
The divine gift of declaring God's truth to his people; it involves inspired utterance that instructs, convicts, encourages, and reveals the mind of God.
Paul is writing to a church that is enthusiastic about spiritual gifts but is exercising them in chaotic and self-serving ways. He grounds his instruction in the supremacy of love and urges them to pursue gifts that build up the community, like prophecy, over those that primarily express personal spiritual experience.
c. AD 50-52
Paul Founds Church in Corinth
The Apostle Paul establishes the Christian church in the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Corinth during his second missionary journey.
c. AD 55— this verse
First Letter to the Corinthians Written
Paul writes his first letter (likely 1 Corinthians) from Ephesus to address divisions and issues within the Corinthian church, including their misuse of spiritual gifts.
c. AD 55
Disunity and Factionalism
The church is experiencing deep divisions, with people aligning themselves with different leaders (Paul, Apollos, Peter), leading to arrogance and envy.
c. AD 55
Misuse of Spiritual Gifts
Some believers are exercising spiritual gifts, particularly speaking in tongues, in ways that cause disorder and fail to edify the community, leading to confusion and boasting.
c. AD 55
Emphasis on Love as the More Excellent Way
Paul introduces the famous 'love chapter' (chapter 13) as the foundational principle that should govern all spiritual gifts and interactions within the church.
This verse directly precedes chapter 14 and similarly calls believers to 'earnestly desire the higher gifts,' setting the stage for the discussion on love and prophecy that follows.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13This entire chapter provides the foundational 'more excellent way' of love that Paul insists must undergird all spiritual gifts and activities, highlighting its supreme importance over even prophecy.
1 Corinthians 14:3-5These verses explain *why* prophecy is so highly valued: it builds up the church, while speaking in tongues often does not, directly supporting the desire for this particular gift for the community's benefit.
Romans 12:6-8This passage also discusses spiritual gifts and prophecy within the context of using them for the good of the body of Christ, echoing the theme of serving others with our God-given abilities.
Paul doesn't just say "want spiritual gifts;" he calls us to earnestly desire them, highlighting that these aren't passive things but something we should actively pursue with great longing. Even more surprisingly, he places the pursuit of love as the foundational goal, before even desiring the gifts, showing that all spiritual stirrings are meant to serve this greater purpose.
Paul is addressing the Corinthians' passionate but often chaotic church gatherings, where the misuse of spiritual gifts, particularly speaking in tongues, has led to disorder and confusion. He's urging them to prioritize love as the foundation for everything, especially for how they exercise their spiritual abilities, so that the church can be built up rather than torn down. This verse kicks off a section where he contrasts love with uncontrolled spiritual displays, arguing for order and intelligibility in worship.
Paul is addressing the Corinthians' passionate but often chaotic church gatherings, where the misuse of spiritual gifts, particularly speaking in tongues, has led to disorder and confusion. He's urging them to prioritize love as the foundation for everything, especially for how they exercise their spiritual abilities, so that the church can be built up rather than torn down. This verse kicks off a section where he contrasts love with uncontrolled spiritual displays, arguing for order and intelligibility in worship.
"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." — Paul doesn't just say "want spiritual gifts;" he calls us to earnestly desire them, highlighting that these aren't passive things but something we should actively pursue with great longing. Even mo…
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Last reviewed October 2026