1 Corinthians 14:20
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
19 But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
21 It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- KJV
- Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
- WEB
- Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.
- ASV
- Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.
- DARBY
- Brethren, be not children in [your] minds, but in malice be babes; but in [your] minds be grown [men].
- BLB
- Brothers, do not be children in the minds. But in evil be little children; and in thinking be mature.
- ÅB
- Brødre! vær ikke barn i forstand, men vær barn i ondskap; i forstand derimot skal dere være fullvoksne!
- OTB
- Brødre og søstre, vær ikke barn i deres tenkning; når det gjelder ondskap, vær spedbarn, men i deres tenkning, vær modne.
- B1930
- Brødre! vær ikke barn i forstand, men vær barn i ondskap; i forstand derimot skal I være fullvoksne!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
Read in context1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.
Read in contextRomans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
Read in contextMatthew 18:3
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Read in context2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Read in context1 Corinthians 2:6
Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
Read in contextEphesians 4:14–15
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
Read in contextPhilippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
Read in context