1 Corinthians 14:20 Parallel Translations

Brothers and sisters, don't think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but think like mature people.(GOD'S WORD®)

KJV:

Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

ASV:

Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

BBE:

My brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil be as little children, but in mind be of full growth.

DBY:

Brethren, be not children in your minds, but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men.

ERV:

Brethren, be not children in mind: howbeit in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

WEY:

Brethren, do not prove yourselves to be children in your minds. As regards evil, indeed, be utter babes, but as regards your minds prove yourselves to be men of ripe years.

WBS:

Brethren, be not children in understanding: yet in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

WEB:

Brothers, don't be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

YLT:

Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

1 Corinthians 14:20 Cross References

XREF:

Psalm 131:2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.

Matthew 18:3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Romans 16:19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

1 Peter 2:2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, (NASB ©1995)

Commentaries and Concordances

GSB:

14:20 {9} Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
(9) Now he reproves those freely for their childish folly, who do not see how this gift of tongues which was given to the profit of the Church, is turned by their ambition into an instrument of cursing, seeing that this same cursing is also contained among the punishments with which God punished the stubbornness of his people, that he dispersed them amongst strangers whose language they did not understand.

PNT:

14:20 Be not children in understanding. Use manly good sense and judgment in the church. To babble in an unknown tongue is like a child.
Howbeit in malice be ye children. To vainly choose a course that would merely excite wonder, and not edify, would seem to partake of malice rather than love.

WES:

14:20 Be not children in understanding - This is an admirable stroke of true oratory! to bring down the height of their spirits, by representing that wherein they prided themselves most, as mere folly and childishness. In wickedness be ye infants - Have all the innocence of that tender age. But in understanding be ye grown men - Knowing religion was not designed to destroy any of our natural faculties, but to exalt and improve them, our reason in particular.

MHC:

14:15-25 There can be no assent to prayers that are not understood. A truly Christian minister will seek much more to do spiritual good to men's souls, than to get the greatest applause to himself. This is proving himself the servant of Christ. Children are apt to be struck with novelty; but do not act like them. Christians should be like children, void of guile and malice; yet they should not be unskilful as to the word of righteousness, but only as to the arts of mischief. It is a proof that a people are forsaken of God, when he gives them up to the rule of those who teach them to worship in another language. They can never be benefitted by such teaching. Yet thus the preachers did who delivered their instructions in an unknown tongue. Would it not make Christianity ridiculous to a heathen, to hear the ministers pray or preach in a language which neither he nor the assembly understood? But if those who minister, plainly interpret Scripture, or preach the great truths and rules of the gospel, a heathen or unlearned person might become a convert to Christianity. His conscience might be touched, the secrets of his heart might be revealed to him, and so he might be brought to confess his guilt, and to own that God was present in the assembly. Scripture truth, plainly and duly taught, has a wonderful power to awaken the conscience and touch the heart.

CONC:

Adults Babes Babies Brethren Brothers Evil Full Grown Growth Howbeit Indeed Infants Malice Mature Mind Minds Perfect Prove Regard Regards Ripe Stop Thinking Thoughts Understanding Utter Yet Yourselves

Adults Babes Babies Children Evil Full Grown Growth Howbeit Indeed Infants Little Malice Mature Minds Perfect Prove Regard Regards Ripe Stop Thinking Thoughts Understanding Utter Yourselves

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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

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