compare the base of G1169 (δειλός) and G1249 (διάκονος)) · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
charity
ἀγάπην·agapēn
G26
love · noun — accusative singular feminine
and
δὲde
G1161
but · conjunction
desire
ζηλοῦτεzēloute
G2206
to have warmth of feeling for or against · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
spiritual
πνευματικά,pneumatika
G4152
non-carnal · adjective — accusative plural neuter
but
δὲde
G1161
but · conjunction
rather
μᾶλλονmallon
G3123
(adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or rather · adverb
that
ἵναina
G2443
compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
prophesy
προφητεύητε.prophēteuēte
G4395
to foretell events · verb — present active subjunctive, 2nd person plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
1 Corinthians 14:3-5 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14:1-5
The apostle, in the foregoing chapter, had himself preferred, and advised the Corinthians to prefer, Christian charity to all spiritual gifts. Here he teaches them, among spiritual gifts, which they should prefer, and by what rules they should make comparison. He begins the chapter,
I. With an exhortation to charity (Co1 14:1): Follow after charity, pursue it. The original, diōkete, when spoken of a thing, signifies a singular concern to obtain it; and is commonly taken in a good and laudable sense. It is an exhortation to obtain charity, to get this excellent disposition of mind upon any terms, whatever pains or prayers it may cost: as if he had said, "In whatever you fail, see you do not…
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 th…
Follow after charity,.... The apostle having so highly commended charity, or love, in the preceding chapter, presses here to an eager pursuit after it; that is, to an exercise of it, and after those things which make for it, and will serve to maintain and increase it: and everything he has said in praise of it before serves as an argument, or reason, to follow hard after it, with an eagerness used in hunting, and with such violence as persecutors express in pursuing and laying hold on those they seek after, to which there is an allusion in the word here used:
and desire spiritual gifts: for though he had given charity the preference to them, he did not mean that they should despise and negl…
The Church Fathers
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 Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Timothy, Epistles Of Paul To — The Epistles to Timothy and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles, because they are principally devoted to directions about the work of the pastor of a church. The First Epistle was probably written…
Tongues, Gift of — Granted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), in fulfilment of a promise Christ had made to his disciples (Mark 16:17). What this gift actually was has been a subject of much discussion. Some have…
Love To Man · Saints should: Follow after — Saints should: Follow after
Miraculous Gifts Of The Holy Spirit · Enumerated — Enumerated
Preaching · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
1 Corinthians 14:1-6
1. Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1. Sectamini caritatem: aemulamini spiritualia, magis autem ut prophetetis.
2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
2. Nam qui loquitur lingua, non hominibus loquitur sed Deo: nullus enim audit; Spiritu vero loquitur mysteria.
3. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
3. Caeterum qui prophetat, heminibus loquitur ad aedificationem, exhortationem, et consolationem.
4. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth hi…
Having emphasized the supreme importance of love (ch 13), Paul returns to the subject of spiritual gifts. Their relative value is defined by the benefit they give to others, which is characteristic of love (ch 13). In that light, Paul contrasts the over-valued gift of tongues with the more beneficial gift of prophecy.
14:1 Of all the special abilities the Spirit gives (see study note on 12:1–14:40), Paul encourages the Corinthians to seek the ability to prophesy (see 12:10) because of its greater benefit to the church.
