1 Corinthians 12

Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

¹Now concerning spiritual gifts: ^a brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. ²You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute ^b idols. ^{c 3}Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are different gifts, ^d but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. ⁷A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person ^e for the common good: ⁸to one ^f is given a message of wisdom ^g through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, ⁹to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing ^h by the one Spirit, ¹⁰to another, the performing of miracles, ⁱ to another, prophecy, ^j to another, distinguishing between spirits, ^k to another, different kinds of tongues, ^l to another, interpretation of tongues. ¹¹One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

Unity Yet Diversity in the Body

¹²For just as the body is one ^m and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body #— #so also is Christ. ^{n 13}For we were all baptized by ^o one Spirit into one body #— #whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free #— #and we were all given one Spirit to drink. ^{p 14}Indeed, the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. ^{q 19}And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you! ” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you! ” ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. ²³And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, ^r we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, ²⁴which our respectable parts do not need.

Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵so that there would be no division ^s in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, ^t and individual members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed these in the church: ^u first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, ^v next miracles, ^w then gifts of healing, ^x helping, leading, various kinds of tongues. ^{y 29}Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ^{z 31}But desire ^aa the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.