1 Corinthians 14:1
in 1 Corinthians 14Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
KJV
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 14
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Follow after charity - Pursue love 1Co 13:1; that is, earnestly desire it; strive to possess it; make it the object of your anxious and constant solicitude to obtain it, and to be influenced by it always. Cultivate it in your own hearts, as the richest and best endowment of the Holy Spirit, and endeavor to diffuse its happy influence on all around you.
This site's exposition
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy: the chapter opens with two imperatives in one breath, diokete, pursue love as a hunter pursues game, and zeloute, be zealous for the gifts, refusing to let chapter 13 be read as a brake on chapter 12's desire. Prophesy is named ahead of the rest at once, before the chapter has argued the case, because Paul already knows where the comparison with tongues will land. The bench reads the verse as the letter's own summary of what follows, love as the engine and prophecy as the gift chapter 14 will spend forty verses commending.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Paul says that prophecy is the highest gift after love because it is to the benefit and advantage of the church, since by it everybody learns the principles of God's law.
If now so great is the virtue of love, with good reason doth he add and say, "Follow after love." For there is surely need of "following," and a kind of vehement running after her: in such sort doth she fly from us, and so many are the things which trip us up in that direction. Wherefore we have ever need of great earnestness in order to overtake her. And to point out this, Paul said not, "follow love," but, "pursue" her; stirring us up, and inflaming us to lay hold on her.
Thus, inasmuch as he had with exactness rehearsed unto them all the excellence of love, he exhorts them in what follows, with alacrity to lay hold of it. Wherefore also he said, "Follow after:" for he that is in chase beholds that only which is chased, and towards that he strains himself, and leaves not off until he lay hold of it. He that is in chase, when by himself he cannot, by those that are before him he doth overtake the fugitive, beseeching those who are near with much eagerness to seize and keep it so seized for him until he shall come up. This then let us also do. When of ourselves we do not reach unto love, let us bid them that are near her to hold her, till we come up with her, and when we have apprehended, no more let her go, that she may not again escape us. For continually she springs away from us, because we use her not as we ought, but prefer all things unto her. Therefore we ought to make every effort, so as perfectly to retain her. For if this be done, we require not henceforth much labor, nay rather scarce any; but taking our ease, and keeping holidays, we shall march on in the narrow path of virtue. Wherefore he saith, "Follow after her." Then that they might not suppose that for no other end he brought in the discourse of charity, except that he might extinguish the gifts, he subjoins as follows: "Yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts; but rather that ye may prophesy."
The Medieval Church2 voices
Having stated that charity excels the other gifts, the Apostle then compares the other gifts to each other, showing the excellence of prophecy over the gift of tongues. In regard to this he does two things: first, he shows that prophecy excels the gift of …
Having shown that love is a great gift, he next encourages the pursuit of it. He did not say: seek love, but "pursue love," demanding intense effort. For it flees from us, and one must run far to overtake it.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Lest they think that he exalted love with the aim of disparaging the gifts, he adds: "desire spiritual gifts," that is, the charisms, but especially prophecy. He said this against the fact that the Corinthians were puffed up by the gift of tongues.
The Reformation1 voice
Now he assigns the first place to prophecy. Covet, therefore, spiritual gifts -- that is, "Neglect no gift, for I exhort you to seek after them all, provided only prophecy holds the first place."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): Follow after charity, pursue it. The original, diokete, when spoken of a thing, signifies a singular concern to obtain it; and is commonly taken in a good and laudable sense.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Follow after charity,....
He goes on to show them how unprofitable the speaking of foreign languages is, and useless to the church; it is like piping in one tone, like sounding a trumpet without any certain note, like talking gibberish; whereas gifts should be used for the good of the church,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
1Th 5:20), whether as to future events, that is, strict prophecy, or explaining obscure parts of Scripture, especially the prophetical Scriptures or illustrating and setting forth questions of Christian doctrine and practice. Our modern preaching is the successor of prophecy, but without the inspiration.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Follow after charity - Most earnestly labor to be put in possession of that love which beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things. It may be difficult to acquire, and difficult to retain this blessed state, but it is essential to your present peace and eternal happiness. This clause belongs to the preceding chapter. Desire spiritual gifts - Ye are very intent on getting those splendid gifts which may add to your worldly consequence, and please your carnal minds - but labor rather to get the gifts of God’s Spirit, by which ye may grow in grace, and be useful to others - and particularly desire that ye may prophesy - that ye may be able to teach and instruct others in the things of their salvation.
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Διώκετε | diokete | do earnestly pursue | G1377 → | 45 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγάπην· | agapen | love; | G26 → | 114 times |
| ζηλοῦτε | zeloute | do earnestly desire | G2206 → | 11 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνευματικά, | pneumatika | spiritual gifts, | G4152 → | 26 times |
| μᾶλλον | mallon | especially | G3123 → | 81 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| προφητεύητε. | propheteuete | you may prophesy. | G4395 → | 28 times |
Διώκετεdo earnestly pursue
dioketeG1377 →45 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀγάπην·love;
agapenG26 →114 times
ζηλοῦτεdo earnestly desire
zelouteG2206 →11 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
πνευματικά,spiritual gifts,
pneumatikaG4152 →26 times
μᾶλλονespecially
mallonG3123 →81 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
προφητεύητε.you may prophesy.
propheteueteG4395 →28 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 12:14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- 1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.
- Matthew 5:8–9
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- 1 Peter 3:11
He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Through
1 Corinthians 16:14Do everything in love.
it leads to
- John 13:34–35
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
- 1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
- John 13:34–35
Through
1 Timothy 4:14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
- 2 Timothy 1:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 34; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 35; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.