1 Corinthians 14:15 Meaning and Explanation
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul resolves to pray and sing both with his spirit and with his understanding, joining the two together.
What Does 1 Corinthians 14:15 Mean?
Having named the tension between spirit and understanding, Paul answers his own question. His resolve is not to choose one over the other but to unite them, in both prayer and song, so that worship is whole.
This is a beautiful vision of devotion: the spirit's fervor and the mind's comprehension flowing together in praise. God is worshipped neither by empty feeling nor by cold thought, but by the whole person fully present. Paul models a worship that is both heartfelt and intelligible, both moved and meaningful. To love God with heart and mind, in prayer and in song, is to offer Him a complete and pleasing sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 14:15 in the Original Language
psallō (ψάλλω), 'sing' -- to sing praise, originally to pluck a stringed instrument, here joined with the understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 14:15
What does 1 Corinthians 14:15 mean?
Paul resolves to pray and sing both with his spirit and with his understanding, joining the two together.