1 Corinthians 14:6
ESV
Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
NIV
Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
NASB
But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching?
CSB
So now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in other tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you with a revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful.
KJV
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
NKJV
But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?
What does 1 Corinthians 14:6 mean?
Paul continues to make the case to the Corinthians that the spiritual gift of prophecy is greater than the gift of tongues, especially when used in church gatherings. Now he begins to refer to his own work with them as an example.Paul founded the church in Corinth. If he had first arrived among them only in a language neither he nor they understood, how would that have helped anyone? If he had not spoken to them using the gift of apostleship to reveal the gospel—or the gift of the "word of knowledge" (1 Corinthians 12:8) or the gift of prophecy or the gift of teaching—would they have received any benefit at all? This seems to follow the common interpretation that Paul's comments here are about how the Corinthians were misunderstanding the gift of tongues, and applying them in the wrong way.
The point here is to remind believers from Corinth of the great benefit they received from trusting in Christ. That benefit came because of what Paul taught them, through the prophetic gifts given to Paul. If Paul had merely spoken in tongues, they would likely have ignored or mocked him, as he will show in the following verses.
