1 Corinthians 14:11

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian church during a direct instruction on spiritual gifts, specifically contrasting unintelligible speech with edifying communication. He speaks to believers gathered for worship who are prioritizing tongues without interpretation.

The words — The Greek δύναμιν (dunamin) literally means "power," and φωνῆς (phōnēs) means "sound" or "voice." Paul uses these terms to state that unintelligible utterance lacks the functional capacity to convey meaning.

The thread — The principle of mutual intelligibility and cross-cultural communication runs through Romans 1:14, where Paul declares his obligation to both Greeks and non-Greeks. The theme of foreignness and communication breakdown is echoed in Acts 28:2 and Acts 28:4, where language barriers shape interaction.

Why it lands — The text demands that communicators prioritize clarity over display, ensuring their words build up the listener rather than alienate them. A reader must evaluate whether their speech or writing conveys understanding rather than mere sound.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.