1 Corinthians 14:20

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Instead, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Rom 16:19 : 19 Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
  • 1 Pet 2:2 : 2 And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,
  • Matt 18:3 : 3 and said,“I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!
  • Heb 5:12-13 : 12 For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.
  • Ps 119:99 : 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your rules.
  • 1 Cor 2:6 : 6 Wisdom from God Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.
  • 2 Pet 3:18 : 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the honor both now and on that eternal day.
  • Phil 3:15 : 15 Therefore let those of us who are“perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.
  • Heb 6:1-3 : 1 Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, 2 teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this is what we intend to do, if God permits.
  • Matt 19:4 : 4 He answered,“Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
  • Mark 10:15 : 15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
  • 1 Cor 3:1-2 : 1 Immaturity and Self-deception So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,
  • 1 Cor 13:11 : 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.
  • Eph 4:14-15 : 14 So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. 15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.
  • Phil 1:9 : 9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight
  • Ps 131:1-2 : 1 A song of ascents, by David. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor do I have a haughty look. I do not have great aspirations, or concern myself with things that are beyond me. 2 Indeed, I have calmed and quieted myself like a weaned child with its mother; I am content like a young child.
  • Isa 11:3 : 3 He will take delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by mere appearances, or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.
  • Matt 11:25 : 25 Jesus’ Invitation At that time Jesus said,“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 1 Cor 13:10-11
    2 verses
    79%

    10but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.

    11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways.

  • Eph 4:13-15
    3 verses
    78%

    13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God– a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.

    14So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.

    15But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

  • 1 Cor 14:19
    77%

    19but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

  • Heb 5:12-14
    3 verses
    76%

    12For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.

    13For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

    14But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

  • Eph 5:17
    75%

    17For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is.

  • 1 Pet 1:14
    74%

    14Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance,

  • 1 Cor 3:1-3
    3 verses
    74%

    1Immaturity and Self-deception So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

    2I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,

    3for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?

  • 1 Pet 2:1-2
    2 verses
    73%

    1So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

    2And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,

  • 1 Cor 14:21
    73%

    21It is written in the law:“By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me,” says the Lord.

  • 1 Cor 12:1
    72%

    1Spiritual Gifts With regard to spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

  • 2 Cor 6:13
    71%

    13Now as a fair exchange– I speak as to my children– open wide your hearts to us also.

  • 1 Cor 14:38-39
    2 verses
    71%

    38If someone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

    39So then, brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid anyone from speaking in tongues.

  • 1 Cor 16:13-14
    2 verses
    71%

    13Final Challenge and Blessing Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.

    14Everything you do should be done in love.

  • 1 Cor 2:13-14
    2 verses
    71%

    13And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

    14The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

  • 1 Cor 14:12
    71%

    12It is the same with you. Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, seek to abound in order to strengthen the church.

  • Rom 14:16
    71%

    16Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.

  • Phil 3:15
    71%

    15Therefore let those of us who are“perfect” embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.

  • 1 Cor 4:6
    71%

    6I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn“not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

  • 1 Cor 10:15
    71%

    15I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say.

  • 2 Cor 11:6
    71%

    6And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

  • 1 Cor 14:1-2
    2 verses
    71%

    1Prophecy and Tongues Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

    2For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands; he is speaking mysteries by the Spirit.

  • Eph 4:20
    70%

    20But you did not learn about Christ like this,

  • 1 Cor 14:15
    70%

    15What should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing praises with my spirit, but I will also sing praises with my mind.

  • 1 Cor 2:5-6
    2 verses
    70%

    5so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

    6Wisdom from God Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.

  • Eph 5:7
    70%

    7Therefore do not be sharers with them,

  • Rom 16:19
    70%

    19Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

  • 1 John 3:18
    70%

    18Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.

  • 1 Cor 14:9-10
    2 verses
    70%

    9It is the same for you. If you do not speak clearly with your tongue, how will anyone know what is being said? For you will be speaking into the air.

    10There are probably many kinds of languages in the world, and none is without meaning.

  • Eph 4:17
    70%

    17Live in Holiness So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

  • 2 Tim 2:7
    70%

    7Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this.

  • 1 Thess 5:4-5
    2 verses
    70%

    4But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

    5For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.

  • 1 Cor 3:18
    70%

    18Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.

  • Jas 1:16
    70%

    16Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

  • 1 Cor 1:10
    70%

    10Divisions in the Church I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose.

  • Phil 2:15
    70%

    15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world