Passage

1 Corinthians 14.29

Book: 1 Corinthians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

27. If any man speaketh in a tongue, let it be by two, or at the most three, and that in turn; and let one interpret: 28. but if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

29. And let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern.

But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence. 31. For ye all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted; (1 Corinthians 14:27-31, ASV)

WEB

27. If any man speaks in another language, let it be two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret. 28. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself, and to God.

29. Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let the others discern.

But if a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first keep silent. 31. For you all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted. (1 Corinthians 14:27-31, WEB)

KJV

27. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. ^{two: by two or three sentences separately} 28. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

29. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. (1 Corinthians 14:27-31, KJV)

YLT

27. if an [unknown] tongue any one do speak, by two, or at the most, by three, and in turn, and let one interpret; 28. and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, and to himself let him speak, and to God.

29. And prophets, let two or three speak, and let the others discern,

and if to another sitting [anything] may be revealed, let the first be silent; 31. for ye are able, one by one, all to prophesy, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted, (1 Corinthians 14:27-31, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle, with Sosthenes named as co-sender
Audience: the church at Corinth, a divided congregation in a wealthy Roman colony
Location: written from Ephesus during the third missionary journey
Time period: c. AD 53-55

Theological reading

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

The instruction that prophecy in the assembly is to be assessed, and it is given to the congregation rather than to an office.

Diakrino is the verb, to discriminate or evaluate, and the implication is significant: prophetic utterance in the church is not self-authenticating. It is offered and then weighed by the others.

That constrains any account of New Testament prophecy on which such speech carries the authority of the Hebrew prophets, whose oracles were not put to congregational assessment. Whether this indicates a different category of prophecy or a different setting is a live question among continuationists and cessationists alike; see Pneumatology.

The practical effect is a community with a check built into its most immediate claim to divine speech, which is the same disposition commended of the Bereans at Acts 17:11.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Christians Cannot Judge Objection Defeater

Concepts:

Lexicon:

G1253 - diakrisis

Passages:

1 Thessalonians 5.21

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.