1 Corinthians 14:17

17 Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn't help other people grow.

1 Corinthians 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 14:17

For thou verily givest thanks well
In very proper words, and pertinent expressions, with great affection and devotion, suitable to the service;

but the other is not edified;
the rest of the people, who do not understand the language in which thanks are given; "thy friend", as the Syriac version reads it; or thy next neighbour, he that stands by thee, receives no manner of profit by it, because he does not understand what is said.

1 Corinthians 14:17 In-Context

15 So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind.

16 Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say "Amen!" to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don't know what you're saying.

17 Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn't help other people grow.

18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than any of you.

19 Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language.