1 Corinthians 14:23 BSB

1 Corinthians 14:23

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

If therefore the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues, and there come in men unlearned or unbelieving, will they not say that ye are mad?

KJV

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

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Commentary

1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

Be come together into one place - For public worship. And all speak with tongues - All speak with a variety of unknown tongues; all speak foreign languages. The idea is, that the church would usually speak the same language with the people among whom they dwelt; and if they made use of foreign languages which were unintelligible to their visitors, it would leave the impression that the church was a bedlam. And there come in - those that are “unlearned.” Those that are unacquainted with foreign languages, and to whom, therefore, what was said would be unintelligible.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Yet - Sometimes prophecy is of more use, even to unbelievers, than speaking with tongues. For instance: If the whole church be met together - On some extraordinary occasion. It is probable, in so large a city, they ordinarily met in several places.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

22 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἐὰν	ean	If	G1437 →
οὖν	oun	therefore	G3767 →
συνέλθῃ	sunelthē	shall gather	G4905 →
ἡ	hē	the	G3588 →
ἐκκλησία	ekklēsia	church	G1577 →
ὅλη	holē	whole	G3650 →
ἐπὶ	epi	together	G1909 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
αὐτὸ	auto	place	G846 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
πάντες	pantes	all	G3956 →
λαλῶσιν	lalōsin	shall speak	G2980 →
γλώσσαις,	glōssais	in tongues	G1100 →
εἰσέλθωσιν	eiselthōsin	may come in	G1525 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
ἰδιῶται	idiōtai	uninstructed ones	G2399 →
ἢ	ē	or	G2228 →
ἄπιστοι,	apistoi	unbelievers,	G571 →
οὐκ	ouk	surely	G3756 →
ἐροῦσιν	erousin	they will say	G4483 →
ὅτι	hoti	that	G3754 →
μαίνεσθε;	mainesthe	you are mad?	G3105 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Acts 26:24
At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
leads to
- Mark 3:21
  When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
  Reached by 3 independent paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13–14
  And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23
  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- 2 Corinthians 5:13
  If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
- 1 Corinthians 4:10
  We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.
Through
1 Corinthians 11:18
First of all, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
leads to
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
  for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?
Through
John 10:20
Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
leads to
- John 7:20
  “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
Through
Hosea 9:7
The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and…
leads to
- Acts 26:24–25
  At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

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