1 Corinthians 14:1 Commentary, explanation, study verse by verse

“ Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. ”

• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

  Follow after charity - Pursue love 1 Corinthians 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 inf...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

  Follow (1) after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may (a) prophesy. (1) He infers now of what he spoke before: therefore seeing charity is the chiefest of all, before all th...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

  1 Corinthians 14. Prophecy and Speaking with Tongues, their Relative Value and their Place in the Church Gathering. Paul now comes to the direct comparison between the two types of ecstatic speech...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

  charity . love, as in 1 Corinthians 13:1 . desire . covet earnestly, as in 1 Corinthians 12:31 . spiritual . Greek. pneumatikos. See 1 Corinthians 12:1 . that . in order that. Greek. hin...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

  As he had previously exhorted them to follow after the more excellent gifts, ( 1 Corinthians 12:31 ,) so he exhorts them now to follow after love, (806) for that was the distinguished ex...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts , but rather that ye may prophesy. Follow after charity - Most earnestly labor to be put in possession of that love which beareth, believeth, hopeth,...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, &c.— Or, pursue, &c. St. Paul,in this chapter, concludes his answer to the Corinthians concerning spiritual men and their gifts; and havi...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. Follow after charity - as your chief aim, seeing it is "the greatest" ( 1 Corinthians 13:13 ). And desire...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

  Follow after charity ] Seek a loving spirit before all things. And desire] RV 'yet desire earnestly' (cp. 1 Corinthians 12:31 ); do not neglect other gifts. But rather that ] and more especially...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

  XIV. (1) Follow after charity. — Better, Follow after love. The preceding chapter is parenthetical, and the Apostle here returns to the subject with which he had been immediately occupied befo...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

  Chapter 20 SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND PUBLIC WORSHIP Is the first twenty-five verses of this chapter Paul gives his estimate of the comparative value of the two chief spiritual gifts: speaking with tong...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

  the Gift of “Prophesying” 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 The word prophesy is used here, as so largely in Scripture, not in the limited sense of foretelling the future, but of pouring forth heaven-giv...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

  The apostle now submitted certain gifts to the test of love. Prophesying is desirable because it edifies others. Then as to Tongues. It was a gift that enabled men to speak to God, perhaps in prayer,...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

  CONTENTS The Apostle is discoursing in this Chapter, on Spiritual Gifts, and Prophecy. He points out the great Advantage of ministering in the congregation in a Language suited to the Hearers. And t...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

  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 thos...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts , but rather that ye may prophesy. Ver. 1. Follow after charity ] Διωκετε, follow it hot-foot, as they say; pursue and practise it. It is more th...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

  Follow after love Namely, that love, the nature, necessity, and excellence of which are shown at large in the preceding chapter; pursue this, which far exceeds all extraordinary gifts, with zeal, v...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

  Chapter 12 has shown the placing of every gift in its own place in the body by the Spirit of God. Chapter 13 insists on love as the pervading influence for unity and peace in the functioning of the b...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

  On Spiritual Gifts. A. D.  57.       1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

  1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 14 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 Prophecy, for its greater tendency to edification, is preferred before speaking with tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:6-11 Tongues not understood, like...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

  Comparison Of Tongues And Prophecy (14:1-25) 'Go on following after love, and go on being earnestly desirous of what is spiritual (spiritual things). But rather that you may prophesy.' So they ar...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

  CRITICAL NOTES 1 Corinthians 14:1 . Follow after .—Taking up the thought of a “way,” 1 Corinthians 12:31 ; as this whole verse resumes the theme of 12, after the digression or episode of 13 “ P...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Scofield Reference Notes

  rather The subject is still the Greek, "pneumatika". Chapter 12 described the gifts and the Body; Chapter 13 described the love which alone gives ministry of gift any value; Chapter 14 regulat...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

  What is the subject of this chapter? Does it refer to the constant manner in which worship was conducted in the primitive churches; or does it refer to the manner in which men possessed of secondary...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

  EXPOSITION 1 Corinthians 14:1-46 The gift of preaching superior to the gift tongues . 1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity; literally, chase; pursue. The word is one of w...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

  1 Corinthians 12:1 ; 1 Corinthians 12:31 ; 1 Corinthians 13:13 ; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 ; 1 Peter 3:11-13 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:20 ; 1 Timothy 4:14 ; 1 Timothy 5:10 ; 1 Timothy 6:11 ; 2 Peter 1...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Wells of Living Water Commentary

  Talking in Tongues 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. The need for spiritual guidance in the matter of tongues. The church of today is beset by a group of people who very dogmatically...

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• 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

  Follow after love — With zeal, vigour, courage, patience; else you can neither attain nor keep it. And — In their place, as subservient to this. Desire spiritual gifts; but especially that ye may p...

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