Neville Goddard on 1 Corinthians 14:6-12 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Corinthians 14 in context

Scripture Focus

6Now, 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?

7And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

8For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

9So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

10There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

11Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

12Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

1 Corinthians 14:6-12

Biblical Context

Paul argues that spiritual gifts must be intelligible; without plain meaning, even holy sounds profit nothing and listeners may remain strangers to the message. The goal is edification of the church.

Neville's Inner Vision

Paul’s admonition is not a rejection of spiritual manifestations but a map for the inner language of consciousness. In Neville’s terms, the ‘tongue’ is a state of awareness, a vibration of imagination that must land as revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or doctrine in the mind that listens. If the inner sound has no clear meaning, it becomes air—sound without effect, like a trumpet sounding uncertainly in battle. Therefore, the true gift lies in aligning your inner speech with a definite meaning so that the one who hears discovers a state of consciousness that can be understood. The world of many voices represents the many states you can inhabit; none is without signification, yet none should govern you if you have not identified its meaning for you. The edifying of the church points to the cultivation of a shared inner atmosphere—an atmosphere built by clear, purposeful thought and feeling. When you assume that your thoughts and words carry a discernible revelation, you co-create a church within you that nourishes all who listen.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Assume the feeling that your inner speech is instantly understood and edifying; repeat a simple revision like, 'I speak clearly and they understand me, I edify my inner church.' Then rest in that state until it feels real.