Summary

The word spirits in this verse refers, as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, to the manifestations or gifts of the Spirit. Paul’s statement that the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets can be interpreted in roughly two ways. According to the first interpretation, Paul is speaking to the control that a prophet has over his own prophesies. For the sake of peace and order (1 Corinthians 14:33), every prophet should judge carefully whether the time is right for him to speak or not. No prophet can say that he had been overpowered by the Spirit and that he had no other choice but to speak.

According to the second interpretation, Paul says that a prophet’s prophetic gift is subject to other prophets. In other words: a prophet’s prophesies should be weighed by other prophets. After all, there is no prophet who possesses all knowledge and understanding. When a prophet is speaking and another prophet realizes (through the help of the Holy Spirit) that something more needs to be said, or that a clearer explanation needs to be given, the other prophet should be allowed to speak.

The second interpretation fits the context better. While it is true that prophecy is not an ecstatic act and that a prophet remains in control of his senses, this truth is probably not what Paul has in mind here. This verse is a continuation of 1 Corinthians 14:31, where Paul gave the first motivation for his instruction: If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent (1 Corinthians 14:30). Here in 1 Corinthians 14:32 Paul gives the second motivation, namely, that the spiritual gift of a prophet must continually be weighed and scrutinized by the other prophets in the church.