1 Corinthians 14 15

1 Corinthians 14:15 kjv

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.

1 Corinthians 14:15 nkjv

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:15 niv

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.

1 Corinthians 14:15 esv

What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

1 Corinthians 14:15 nlt

Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.

1 Corinthians 14 verses

1 Corinthians 14 15 Meaning

1 Corinthians 14:15 outlines a practical resolve for worship: Paul affirms his commitment to engaging in both prayer and singing with both his spirit and his understanding. This establishes a foundational principle for communal worship in the early church, emphasizing the dual necessity of divinely inspired spiritual expression and clear, conscious cognitive engagement to ensure edification for all participants. It promotes a balanced approach where personal spiritual experience complements public intelligibility.

1 Corinthians 14 15 Context

1 Corinthians chapter 14 primarily addresses the proper use and ordering of spiritual gifts, particularly tongues and prophecy, within the Corinthian church's corporate worship gatherings. The overarching theme is the necessity of edification (building up) of the church body. Paul argues that prophecy is superior to speaking in uninterpreted tongues in a public setting because prophecy is intelligible and thus builds up the whole church (1 Cor 14:1-5). The Corinthians seemingly prioritized sensational displays of tongues, even without understanding, leading to chaos and unprofitability for others (1 Cor 14:23). Paul challenges this imbalance by emphasizing that even genuine spiritual expressions must be understandable if they are to benefit the entire community. Verse 15 serves as a direct, practical application of this principle: while he embraces the personal spiritual benefit of praying and singing "with the spirit," he insists that for corporate edification, the "understanding" must also be engaged.

1 Corinthians 14 15 Word analysis

• What then? (Greek: τί οὖν - ti oun) - This is a common rhetorical phrase in Paul's writings, signaling a conclusion or an application based on previous discussion (e.g., Rom 6:1, 7:7, 8:31, 9:14, 10:19). Here, it transitions from a theoretical discussion of spiritual gifts to a practical decision and resolve for Paul's own conduct and by extension, for the Corinthians.
• I will pray (Greek: προσεύξομαι - proseuxomai) - Future active indicative of proseuchomai (to pray, offer vows, worship). This indicates a personal, determined resolution. Paul declares his intentional approach to prayer.
• with the spirit (Greek: τῷ πνεύματι - tō pneumati) - "Pneumati" (spirit) can refer to the human spirit (Rom 1:9), or more profoundly, the Holy Spirit acting within a believer, often in a way that transcends intellectual comprehension (as in speaking in tongues). In this context, it implies a deep, direct, perhaps inarticulate, spiritual communion or expression inspired by the Holy Spirit. This form of prayer or singing may bypass the rational mind.
• and I will pray with the understanding (Greek: καὶ προσεύξομαι τῷ νοΐ - kai proseuxomai tō noi) - "Noi" is the dative of nous (mind, intellect, reason, understanding, perception). This refers to the rational, cognitive faculty. Paul affirms that he will also pray using his intellect, ensuring clarity and comprehension. The pairing ("spirit" and "understanding") is a critical parallel construction highlighting balance.
• I will sing (Greek: ψαλῶ - psalō) - Future active indicative of psallō (to sing psalms, make music, praise, pluck strings). Similar to "I will pray," this signifies Paul's intentional choice in his expression of praise. It applies the same principle to congregational singing.
• with the spirit (Greek: τῷ πνεύματι - tō pneumati) - The same meaning as above, indicating spiritually inspired or expressed singing that may originate beyond conscious articulation, or deeply felt spiritual worship.
• and I will sing with the understanding (Greek: καὶ ψαλῶ τῷ νοΐ - kai psalō tō noi) - Again, "noï" emphasizes singing that is coherent, intellectually apprehended, and meaningful, not only to the singer but also to those listening. The repetition underscores the consistent demand for both spiritual depth and intellectual clarity in all forms of public worship.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding: This forms a crucial parallel structure, demonstrating Paul's embrace of both inspired, non-cognitive prayer (like tongues) and rational, cognitive prayer. He sees value in both but advocates for the latter in public contexts for edification. This directly addresses the Corinthians' issue by validating "praying with the spirit" while simultaneously mandating "praying with the understanding" when in a shared assembly.
• I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding: This second parallel further solidifies the principle, applying it explicitly to musical praise. It extends the requirement for balanced spiritual and intellectual engagement to all forms of vocal worship. Both personal, passionate spiritual overflow and clearly understood, didactic praise are to be pursued.

1 Corinthians 14 15 Bonus section

The context of 1 Corinthians 14 suggests that some Corinthian believers valued the experiential aspect of glossolalia (praying "with the spirit") to such an extent that they neglected its potential to disrupt corporate order or edification if not accompanied by interpretation. Paul is not denigrating spiritual utterances but is instead setting a boundary and a standard for their public expression. This verse can be seen as a polemic against unrestrained and selfish display of spiritual gifts, redirecting the Corinthians towards a mature understanding of agapē (love), which always seeks the good of others (1 Cor 13). The verse advocates for worship that is both experientially deep and didactically effective, contrasting with pagan mystery religions where ecstatic, unintelligible cries might have been common but lacked public instructional value.

1 Corinthians 14 15 Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:15 encapsulates Paul's pastoral counsel regarding spiritual expression in Christian gatherings. It reveals his balanced yet firm approach: while acknowledging the value of direct, spiritual communication with God (praying and singing "with the spirit," which for some scholars relates to glossolalia), he decisively champions the simultaneous engagement of the intellect (praying and singing "with the understanding"). The driving motivation for this dual emphasis is the corporate good: anything shared in a church assembly must contribute to the "edification" (building up) of others. Uninterpreted tongues or spiritually charged but unintelligible utterances, while potentially meaningful to the individual, fail to instruct or encourage the congregation. Therefore, Paul’s resolve becomes a mandate for corporate worship: genuine spirituality is to be married with clarity, so that God is glorified not only by the worshipper's inner spirit but also through accessible, comprehensible truths that strengthen the faith of all present. This principle calls believers to intentionally consider the impact of their worship expressions on others.