1 Corinthians 14:6
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Paul's question here isn't about his own spiritual gifting, but about the purpose of those gifts in connecting with others. He’s emphasizing that the ultimate goal of spiritual expression in a community is to build others up through understandable communication, not to showcase an impressive, but inaccessible, gift.
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?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the chaotic and often showy way the Corinthian church was using spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. He's just explained how those gifts should be exercised for the building up of the whole community, and this verse directly questions the value of a gift if it's not understandable or doesn't bring divine insight to others. He's pushing them to consider the purpose behind their spiritual expression: to edify, not just to impress.
Imagine attending a concert where the band plays beautiful music, but only they can understand the lyrics. Paul is asking a similar question about spiritual gifts.
Gifts for Building Up
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a community really excited about spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. But Paul brings a dose of reality. He's saying, "Hey, if you're using a gift, it needs to have a purpose for the people around you."
Intelligible Communication is Key
He contrasts speaking in tongues with other gifts like revelation (making something previously hidden known), knowledge (understanding and explaining truth), prophecy (forth-telling God's message), and teaching (instructing believers). These are all about communicating something understandable and beneficial to others. Without this clarity, the gift, no matter how amazing, doesn't actually serve the community.
God doesn't give us gifts to impress each other, but to build His church. Paul is passionate about this!
Building Each Other Up
The core idea here is "edification" – building up, strengthening, encouraging. Paul wants the Corinthian church to understand that the primary measure of a spiritual gift's value is its ability to edify others.
Beyond Personal Experience
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Speaking in tongues, while a valid gift, can be a purely personal experience if there's no interpretation. Paul isn't saying the gift is bad; he's saying it needs a bridge to reach others. If it doesn't convey understanding, revelation, or knowledge, it's like a beautiful song with no one to hear its melody or understand its words.
Understand the original words
adelphos · Greek Noun
A title of affection and spiritual equality used among believers in the early church, emphasizing their shared relationship as children of the one God.
glōssa · Greek Noun
The supernatural gift of speaking in languages not learned by the speaker, used in the early church for the edification of the speaker or the church.
apokalypsis · Greek Noun
A divine communication of truth that was previously hidden or unknown, made known by God to or through a person by the Holy Spirit.
gnōsis · Greek Noun
The possession of spiritual truth or insight, often referring to a deeper understanding of God’s nature, His will, or His word given by the Spirit.
phrophēteia · Greek Noun
A gift of the Spirit involving the inspired utterance of God’s message to His people, intended to build up, encourage, and comfort the church.
didachē · Greek Noun
The process of instructing others in the truth of God’s Word, involving the systematic explanation and application of doctrine.
Paul is writing to a church that is a mix of Jewish and Gentile believers, many of whom are new to Christian practices. The 'gift of tongues' was particularly prized, but Paul insists that spiritual gifts must edify the whole community, not just the individual speaker.
c. AD 40-50
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Paul establishes churches throughout Asia Minor and Cyprus, laying the groundwork for his letters.
c. AD 50-52
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
Paul visits Corinth, a vibrant but morally complex Greek city, and founds the church there.
c. AD 53-57— this verse
Paul's Third Missionary Journey
Paul likely writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus during this extended period, addressing issues that had arisen in the Corinthian church.
c. AD 55-57
Tensions within the Corinthian Church
Reports reach Paul of divisions, moral problems, and disputes over spiritual gifts, prompting him to write this letter.
This passage directly precedes the verse in question and explains that speaking in tongues, while beneficial for the speaker's personal connection with God, is not inherently understandable or beneficial to others without interpretation.
1 Corinthians 14:12Paul continues this line of thought by encouraging the church to seek gifts that build up the community, highlighting that intelligibility and clear communication are key to spiritual edification.
1 Corinthians 14:19Here, Paul explicitly states his own preference for speaking five understandable words that would teach others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue, underscoring the verse's point about the necessity of clear communication for benefiting others.
1 Corinthians 14:3-5These verses explain the contrasting value of prophecy, which builds up the church, over tongues, which only edifies the speaker unless interpreted, directly supporting the argument made in verse 6.
Paul's question here isn't about his own spiritual gifting, but about the purpose of those gifts in connecting with others. He’s emphasizing that the ultimate goal of spiritual expression in a community is to build others up through understandable communication, not to showcase an impressive, but inaccessible, gift.
Paul is addressing the chaotic and often showy way the Corinthian church was using spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. He's just explained how those gifts should be exercised for the building up of the whole community, and this verse directly questions the value of a gift if it's not understandable or doesn't bring divine insight to others. He's pushing them to consider the purpose behind their spiritual expression: to edify, not just to impress.
Paul is addressing the chaotic and often showy way the Corinthian church was using spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. He's just explained how those gifts should be exercised for the building up of the whole community, and this verse directly questions the value of a gift if it's not understandable or doesn't bring divine insight to others. He's pushing them to consider the purpose behind their spiritual expression: to edify, not just to impress.
"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?" — Paul's question here isn't about his own spiritual gifting, but about the purpose of those gifts in connecting with others. He’s emphasizing that the ultimate goal of spiritual expression in a comm…
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Last reviewed October 2026
