1 Corinthians 14:6 Meaning and Explanation
“Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul asks what good his visit would do if he only spoke in tongues, without bringing revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching.
What Does 1 Corinthians 14:6 Mean?
Paul makes himself the example, imagining his own arrival in Corinth. He asks a plain question: what would the people gain if all he offered were unintelligible speech, with no clear content to receive?
He names four kinds of speech that actually feed a soul, revelation, knowledge, prophecy, and teaching, each of which puts something graspable into the listener's hands. The test of any spiritual gift is profit to the hearer. Words must carry truth a person can take hold of and live by. This is how Christ taught, opening the Scriptures so hearts could understand and burn within them.
1 Corinthians 14:6 in the Original Language
didachē (διδαχή), 'doctrine' -- teaching, the act and content of instruction that shapes understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 14:6
What does 1 Corinthians 14:6 mean?
Paul asks what good his visit would do if he only spoke in tongues, without bringing revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching.