1 Corinthians 14:20
New International Version
Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

New Living Translation
Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.

English Standard Version
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Berean Standard Bible
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Berean Literal Bible
Brothers, do not be children in the minds. Yet in the evil, be little children; but in the thinking, be full grown.

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

New King James Version
Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

New American Standard Bible
Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

NASB 1995
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

NASB 1977
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.

Legacy Standard Bible
Brothers, do not be children in your thinking; rather in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Amplified Bible
Brothers and sisters, do not be children [immature, childlike] in your thinking; be infants in [matters of] evil [completely innocent and inexperienced], but in your minds be mature [adults].

Christian Standard Bible
Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

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

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
My brethren, do not be children in your intellects, but be infants in evil and be fully mature in your intellects.

Contemporary English Version
My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Brethren, do not become children in sense: but in malice be children, and in sense be perfect.

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

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

Good News Translation
Do not be like children in your thinking, my friends; be children so far as evil is concerned, but be grown up in your thinking.

International Standard Version
Brothers, stop being childish in your thinking. Be like infants with respect to evil, but think like adults.

Literal Standard Version
Brothers, do not become children in the understanding, but in the evil be children, and in the understanding become perfect;

Majority Standard Bible
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

New American Bible
Brothers, stop being childish in your thinking. In respect to evil be like infants, but in your thinking be mature.

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

New Revised Standard Version
Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.

New Heart English Bible
Brothers, do not be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

Webster's Bible Translation
Brethren, be not children in understanding: yet in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Weymouth New Testament
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.

World English Bible
Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

Young's Literal Translation
Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Prophecy and Tongues
19But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. 21It is written in the Law: “By strange tongues and foreign lips I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord.”…

Cross References
Psalm 131:2
Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Jeremiah 4:22
"For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good."

Matthew 18:3
"Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mark 10:15
Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Luke 18:17
Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Romans 1:13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.


Treasury of Scripture

Brothers, be not children in understanding: however, in malice be you children, but in understanding be men.

not.

1 Corinthians 3:1,2
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ…

1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Psalm 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

malice.

Psalm 131:1,2
A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me…

Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

but.

Psalm 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

men.

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Philippians 3:15
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

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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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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
1 Corinthians 14
1. Prophecy is commended,
2. and preferred before speaking in tongues,
6. by a comparison drawn from musical instruments.
12. Both must be referred to edification,
22. as to their true and proper end.
26. The true use of each is taught,
27. and the abuse rebuked.
34. Women in the churches.














(20) Howbeit in malice be ye children.--Better, however in evil be ye infants. There are three grades spoken of here in the original--infants, children, full-grown men. Their conduct in exalting these "tongues," against which he has been warning them, is a proof that they are yet children in knowledge. They ought to be full-grown; the only thing in which they ought to be children is evil, and in that they cannot be too young, too inexperienced; they should be merely "infants." (A similar thought occurs in 1Corinthians 2:6; 1Corinthians 3:1; 1Corinthians 13:10-11.)

Verse 20. - Be not children in understanding; rather, in your minds. Your tendency to overvalue glossolaly shows you to be somewhat childish. It is remarkable that this is the only verse of the New Testament in which the common Greek word "mind" (phren) occurs. Howbeit in malice be ye children; better, but in wickedness be babes. The Authorized Version misses the climax involved in the change of the word. The Christian should always be childlike (Matthew 11:25; Matthew 19:4), but never childish (1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:14). Be men; rather, become or prove yourselves full-grown; literally, perfect.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Brothers,
Ἀδελφοί (Adelphoi)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

stop
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

thinking
φρεσίν (phresin)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5424: Probably from an obsolete phrao; the midrif, i.e. the feelings (also in the plural) the mind or cognitive faculties).

like children.
παιδία (paidia)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3813: Neuter diminutive of pais; a childling, i.e., an infant, or a half-grown boy or girl; figuratively, an immature Christian.

In [regard to]
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

evil
κακίᾳ (kakia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2549: From kakos; badness, i.e. depravity, or malignity, or trouble.

be infants,
νηπιάζετε (nēpiazete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3515: To be childlike, childish, infantile. From nepios; to act as a babe, i.e. innocently.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

in [your]
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

thinking
φρεσὶν (phresin)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5424: Probably from an obsolete phrao; the midrif, i.e. the feelings (also in the plural) the mind or cognitive faculties).

be
γίνεσθε (ginesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

mature.
τέλειοι (teleioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5046: From telos; complete; neuter completeness.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers don't be children in thoughts yet (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 14:19
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