Bible Verses About Preaching

for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal.

Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear;

and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of “wisdom” but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit,

so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.

Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world’s leaders, who are in the process of passing away.

On the contrary, we are communicating a secret wisdom from God which has been hidden until now but which, before history began, God had decreed would bring us glory.

Not one of this world’s leaders has understood it; because if they had, they would not have executed the Lord from whom this glory flows.

Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us.

These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit.

Pursue love! However, keep on eagerly seeking the things of the Spirit; and especially seek to be able to prophesy.

For someone speaking in a tongue is not speaking to people but to God, because no one can understand, since he is uttering mysteries in the power of the Spirit.

But someone prophesying is speaking to people, edifying, encouraging and comforting them.

A person speaking in a tongue does edify himself, but a person prophesying edifies the congregation.

I wish you would all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you would all prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless someone gives an interpretation, so that the congregation can be edified.

Brothers, suppose I come to you now speaking in tongues. How can I be of benefit to you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

Even with lifeless musical instruments, such as a flute or a harp, how will anyone recognize the melody if one note can’t be distinguished from another?

And if the bugle gives an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle?

It’s the same with you: how will anyone know what you are saying unless you use your tongue to produce intelligible speech? You will be talking to the air!

There are undoubtedly all kinds of sounds in the world, and none is altogether meaningless;

but if I don’t know what a person’s sounds mean, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker will be a foreigner to me.

Likewise with you: since you eagerly seek the things of the Spirit, seek especially what will help in edifying the congregation.

Therefore someone who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit does pray, but my mind is unproductive.

So, what about it? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

Otherwise, if you are giving thanks with your spirit, how will someone who has not yet received much instruction be able to say, “Amen,” when you have finished giving thanks, since he doesn’t know what you are saying?