1 Korintiërs 14

Die genadegawe om God se boodskap te bring

1 Julle moet nooit ophou om lief te wees vir God en vir ander mense nie. Maar julle moet ook bid en hard werk vir die dinge wat die Heilige Gees vir julle gee, en die belangrikste wat Hy vir julle gesê het, is dat julle God se boodskap moet bring vir ander mense. 2 Want wanneer iemand tin tale praat, dan praat hy nie met mense nie, hy praat met God. Niemand verstaan dit nie, want hy praat geheime wat die Gees vir hom gee. 3 Maar wanneer iemand die boodskap van God bring, dan praat hy met mense. En dit maak hulle geloof sterk, dit help hulle om aan te hou glo en dit troos hulle. 4 Wanneer iemand in tale praat, dan maak hy sy eie geloof sterk. Maar wanneer iemand die boodskap van God bring, dan maak hy die mense van die kerk se geloof sterk. 5 Ek wil graag hê dat julle almal in tale moet praat. Maar ek wil nog meer hê, ek wil hê dat julle God se boodskap moet bring. Iemand wat God se boodskap bring, is belangriker as iemand wat in tale praat. Iemand moet tolk en sê wat die persoon sê wat in tale praat. Dan sal dit goed wees vir die gemeente, want dan maak dit die gemeente se geloof sterk. 6 Vriende, dink nou goed hieroor: As ek na julle toe kom en ek praat in tale, dink julle dit kan vir julle help? Nee, ek kan julle net help wanneer ek vir julle iets sê wat God vir my gewys het of wanneer ek vir julle verduidelik wat God wil hê of wanneer ek God se boodskap bring of wanneer ek vir julle iets leer. 7 Dit is dieselfde met musiek-instrumente, dinge wat nie lewe nie. Dink aan ’n tfluit of ’n tharp. As iemand nie ’n fluit reg blaas nie of hy speel nie reg op ’n harp nie, dan sal ’n mens nie weet watter musiek dit is nie. 8 En wanneer iemand nie hard en duidelik op die ttrompet blaas sodat almal dit kan hoor nie, dan sal die soldate nie gereedmaak om oorlog te maak nie. 9 Dit is dieselfde in die gemeente. Wanneer iemand praat, maar julle kan nie verstaan wat hy sê nie, sal julle dan weet wat die persoon wil sê? Nee. Dan is dit soos wanneer iemand praat, maar die wind waai sy woorde weg. 10 Daar is baie tale in die wêreld. En elke taal het mense wat die woorde verstaan. 11 Maar as ek nie verstaan wat iemand sê nie, dan is ek vir hom soos iemand wat die taal praat van ’n ander land en hy is vir my soos iemand van ’n ander land. 12 Dit moenie so wees by julle nie. Julle wil graag die dinge hê wat die Heilige Gees vir julle gee. Daarom moet dit vir julle baie lekker wees om die mense in die gemeente se geloof sterk te maak. 13 Daarom, wanneer iemand in tale praat, dan moet hy ook bid dat hy sal kan sê wat dit beteken. 14 Want wanneer ek in tale bid, dan bid my hart, maar ek dink nie met my verstand wat ek bid nie. 15 Wat moet ek dan doen? Ek sal bid met my hart, maar ek sal ook bid met my verstand. Ek sal vir die Here sing met my hart, maar ek sal ook met my verstand vir die Here sing. 16 Maar onthou: Wanneer jy met jou hart bid en jy prys die Here, dan is daar miskien iemand wat nie die tgenadegawe het om tale te verstaan nie. Kan daardie persoon dan saamstem en “amen” sê wanneer jy vir die Here dankie sê? Nee, want hy verstaan nie wat jy sê nie. 17 Jy sê miskien mooi dankie vir die Here, maar dit maak nie die ander persoon se geloof sterk nie. 18 Ek sê dankie vir God dat ek meer as julle almal in tale praat.

19 Maar vir my is dit beter om in die gemeente net vyf woorde met my verstand te praat as om 1 000 woorde in tale te praat. Want as ek met my verstand praat, dan kan ek vir die gemeente leer.
20 Vriende, julle moenie soos kinders dink nie. Ja, wanneer julle verkeerde dinge wil doen, dan moet julle soos babas wees. Maar julle moet soos grootmense dink.

21 In die Ou Testament is geskryf:
tDie Here sê: “Ek sal met
hierdie volk praat
in tale wat hulle nie ken nie,
in die tale van mense
van ander lande,
maar ook dán sal hulle nie luister
na My nie.”
22 Dit beteken: Die genadegawe om in tale te praat, is ’n tteken vir mense wat nie glo nie. Dit is nie ’n teken vir mense wat glo nie. Maar die genadegawe om God se boodskap te bring, is ’n teken vir mense wat glo, dit is nie ’n teken vir mense wat nie glo nie. 23 Daarom, wanneer die hele gemeente bymekaarkom en daar kom miskien mense in wat nie vir julle ken nie, dan sal hulle dink julle is mal. Of as daar mense inkom wat nie in Christus glo nie, dan sal hulle ook dink julle is mal. 24 Maar as almal die boodskap van God bring, en daar kom iemand in wat nie in Christus glo nie, of dit is iemand wat nie vir julle ken nie, dan sal hy voel almal praat met hom oor die dinge wat verkeerd is in sy lewe. Hy sal voel almal sê vir hom dat God hom sal straf oor sy sondes.

25 Hy sal sê dit is waar dat daar slegte dinge diep in sy hart is, dinge waarvan niemand weet nie. En dan sal hy buig en vir God aanbid en sê: “God is regtig hier by julle.”

Wat die gemeente moet doen wanneer hulle bymekaarkom

33 Want God wil hê dat alles wat julle doen, reg moet wees wanneer julle bymekaarkom, dit moenie deurmekaar wees nie, want God hou van vrede.
Vroue praat nie in een van die gemeentes nie, 34 en hulle moet dit ook nie by julle doen nie. God wil dit nie hê nie, die vroue moet luister na hulle mans. Die Ou Testament sê dieselfde. 35 As die vroue iets wil weet, dan moet hulle dit by die huis vir hulle mans vra, want dit is nie mooi wanneer ’n vrou in die kerk praat nie.

36 Julle is nie die eerste gemeente wat die boodskap van God gebring het nie, en julle is ook nie die enigste gemeente wat die boodskap gehoor het nie.
37 As iemand ’n profeet of ’n tgeestelike mens is, dan sal hy weet dat die dinge wat ek vir julle skryf, dinge is wat die Here self sê. 38 En as iemand nie aanvaar wat ek skryf nie, dan sal die Here hom ook nie aanvaar nie. 39 My vriende, daarom moet julle aanhou om God se boodskap te bring, maar julle moenie die mense keer wat in tale praat nie. 40 En julle moet onthou, alles moet só gebeur dat niks deurmekaar is in die gemeente nie, en elke ding moet ’n beurt kry op die regte tyd.

1 Corinthians 14

The Gifts the Holy Spirit Gives

1 Follow the way of love. You should also want the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Most of all, you should want the gift of prophecy.
2 Anyone who speaks in a language he had not known before doesn't speak to people. He speaks only to God. In fact, no one understands that person. What he says with his spirit remains a mystery.3 But anyone who prophesies speaks to people. He says things to make them stronger, to give them hope and to comfort them.4 Those who speak in other languages build themselves up. But those who prophesy build up the church.
5 I would like all of you to speak in other languages. But I would rather have you prophesy. Those who prophesy are more helpful than those who speak in other languages. But that is not the case if those who speak in other languages explain what they have said. Then the whole church can be built up.
6 Brothers and sisters, suppose I were to come to you and speak in other languages. What good would I be to you? None! I would need to come with new truth or knowledge, or a prophecy or a teaching.
7 Here are some examples. Certain objects make sounds. Take a flute or a harp. No one will know what the tune is unless different notes are played.8 Also, if the trumpet call isn't clear, who will get ready for battle?
9 It's the same with you. You must speak words that people understand. If you don't, no one will know what you are saying. You will just be speaking into the air.
10 It is true that there are all kinds of languages in the world. And they all have meaning.11 But if I don't understand what someone is saying, I am a stranger to that person. And that person is a stranger to me.
12 It's the same with you. You want to have gifts of the Spirit. So try to do your best in using gifts that build up the church.
13 For that reason, those who speak in languages they had not known before should pray that they can explain what they say.14 If I pray in another language, my spirit prays. But my mind does not pray.15 So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit. But I will also sing with my mind.
16 Suppose you are praising God with your spirit. And suppose there are visitors among you who don't understand what's going on. How can they say "Amen" when you give thanks? They don't know what you are saying.17 You might be giving thanks well enough. But the others are not being built up.
18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you do.19 But in the church I would rather speak five words that people can understand than 10,000 words in another language. Then I would be teaching others.
20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. Be like babies as far as evil is concerned. But be grown up in your thinking.

21 In the Law it is written,
"Through people who speak unfamiliar languages
and through the lips of strangers
I will speak to these people.
But even then they will not listen to me." (Isaiah 28:11,12)
That is what the Lord says.
22 So speaking in other languages is a sign for those who don't believe. It is not a sign for those who do believe. But prophecy is for believers. It is not for those who don't believe.
23 Suppose the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in other languages. And suppose visitors or unbelievers come in. Won't they say you are out of your minds?24 But suppose unbelievers or visitors come in while everyone is prophesying. Then they will be shown by all who speak that they are sinners. They will be judged by all.25 The secrets of their hearts will be brought out into the open. They will fall down and worship God. They will exclaim, "God is really here among you!"

Proper Worship

26 Brothers and sisters, what should we say then? When you come together, every one of you brings something. You bring a hymn or a teaching or a word from God. You bring a message in another language or explain what was said. All of those things must be done to make the church strong.
27 No more than two or three people should speak in another language. And they should speak one at a time. Then someone must explain what was said.28 If there is no one to explain, the speakers should keep quiet in the church. They can speak to themselves and to God.
29 Only two or three prophets are supposed to speak. Others should decide if what is being said is true.30 What if a message from God comes to someone else who is sitting there? Then the one who is speaking should stop.
31 Those who prophesy can all take turns. In that way, everyone can be taught and be given hope.32 Those who prophesy should control their speaking.33 God is not a God of disorder. He is a God of peace.
As in all the churches of God's people,34 women should remain silent in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak. They must follow the lead of those who are in authority, as the Law says.35 If they have a question about something, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for women to speak in church meetings.
36 Did the word of God begin with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?37 Suppose some think they are prophets or have gifts of the Holy Spirit. They should agree that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.38 Anyone who does not recognize that will not be recognized.
39 Brothers and sisters, you should want to prophesy. And don't stop people from speaking in languages they had not known before.40 But everything should be done in a proper and orderly way.