1 Corinthians 12-14

New American Standard Bible

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning ^(A)spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, ^(B)I do not want you to be unaware. ^2 (C)You know that when you were ^[a]pagans, you were ^(D)led ^[b]astray to the ^(E)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking ^[c](F)by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is ^[d](G)accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is ^(H)Lord,” except ^[e](I)by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now there are ^(J)varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ There are varieties of effects, but the same ^(K)God who works all things in all persons. ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit ^(L)for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given the word of ^(M)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of ^(N)knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another ^(O)faith ^[f]by the same Spirit, and to another ^(P)gifts of ^[g]healing ^[h]by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the ^[i]effecting of ^[j](Q)miracles, and to another ^(R)prophecy, and to another the ^[k](S)distinguishing of spirits, to another various ^(T)kinds of tongues, and to another the ^(U)interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ^(V)distributing to each one individually just as He ^[l]wills.

¹² For just ^(W)as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, ^(X)so also is Christ. ¹³ For ^[m](Y)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether ^(Z)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to ^(AA)drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For ^(AB)the body is not one part, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[n]any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[o]any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has ^(AC)arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, ^(AD)just as He desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now ^(AE)there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, ^[p]it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³ and those parts of the body which we ^[q]consider less honorable, ^[r]on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no ^[s]division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is ^[t]honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are ^(AF)Christ’s body, and ^(AG)individually parts of it. ²⁸ And God has ^[u](AH)appointed in ^(AI)the church, first ^(AJ)apostles, second ^(AK)prophets, third ^(AL)teachers, then ^[v](AM)miracles, then ^(AN)gifts of healings, helps, ^(AO)administrations, and various ^(AP)kinds of tongues. ²⁹ All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of ^[w]miracles, are they? ³⁰ All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not ^(AQ)interpret, do they? ³¹ But ^(AR)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the ^(AS)tongues of mankind and of ^(AT)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(AU)clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of ^(AV)prophecy and know all ^(AW)mysteries and all ^(AX)knowledge, and if I have ^(AY)all faith so as to ^(AZ)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I ^(BA)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I ^(BB)surrender my body so that I may ^[x]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

⁴ Love ^(BC)is patient, love is kind, it ^(BD)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ^(BE)arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it ^(BF)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, ^(BG)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ^6 (BH)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(BI)rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it ^[y](BJ)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^[z](BK)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are ^(BL)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. ⁹ For we ^(BM)know in part and prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. ¹¹ When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I ^[aa]became a man, I did away with childish things. ¹² For now we ^(BN)see in a mirror ^[ab]dimly, but then ^(BO)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also ^(BP)have been fully known. ¹³ But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the ^[ac]greatest of these is ^(BQ)love.

Prophecy a Superior Gift

14 ^(BR)Pursue love, yet earnestly ^(BS)desire ^(BT)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(BU)prophesy. ² For the one who ^(BV)speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one ^[ad]understands, but ^[ae]in his spirit he speaks ^(BW)mysteries. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for ^(BX)edification, ^[af](BY)exhortation, and consolation. ⁴ The one who ^(BZ)speaks in a tongue ^(CA)edifies himself; but the one who ^(CB)prophesies ^(CC)edifies the church. ⁵ Now I wish that you all ^(CD)spoke in tongues, but ^(CE)rather that you would prophesy; and greater is the one who prophesies than the one who ^(CF)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive ^(CG)edification.

⁶ But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(CH)revelation, or of ^(CI)knowledge, or of ^(CJ)prophecy, or of ^(CK)teaching? ⁷ Yet even lifeless instruments, whether flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? ⁸ For if ^(CL)the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? ⁹ So you too, unless you produce intelligible speech by the tongue, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will just be ^(CM)talking to the air. ¹⁰ There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of ^[ag]languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning. ¹¹ So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^(CN)unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible ^[ah]to me. ¹² So you too, since you are eager to possess ^[ai]spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the ^(CO)edification of the church.

¹³ Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue is to pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. ^15 (CP)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will ^(CQ)sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the mind also. ¹⁶ For otherwise, if you bless God ^[aj]in the spirit only, how will the one who occupies the place of the ^[ak]outsider know to say ^(CR)the “Amen” at your ^(CS)giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you are saying? ¹⁷ For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^(CT)edified. ¹⁸ I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ nevertheless, in church I prefer to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Instruction for the Church

^20 (CU)Brothers and sisters, ^(CV)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil ^(CW)be infants, but in your thinking be mature. ²¹ In ^(CX)the ^[al]Law it is written: “^(CY)By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. ²² So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(CZ)prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for those who believe. ²³ Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and ^[am]outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(DA)you are insane? ²⁴ But if all ^(DB)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ^[an]outsider enters, he is ^(DC)convicted by all, he is called to account by all; ^25 (DD)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(DE)fall on his face and worship God, ^(DF)declaring that God is certainly among you.

^26 (DG)What is the outcome then, ^(DH)brothers and sisters? When you assemble, ^(DI)each one has a ^(DJ)psalm, has a ^(DK)teaching, has a ^(DL)revelation, has a ^(DM)tongue, has an ^(DN)interpretation. ^(DO)All things are to be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a ^(DP)tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to ^(DQ)interpret; ²⁸ but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Have two or three ^(DR)prophets speak, and have the others ^(DS)pass judgment. ³⁰ But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be ^[ao]exhorted; ³² and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; ³³ for God is not a God of ^(DT)confusion, but of peace.

As in ^(DU)all the churches of the ^[ap](DV)saints, ³⁴ the women are to ^(DW)keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but ^(DX)are to subject themselves, just as ^(DY)the Law also says. ³⁵ If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is ^[aq]improper for a woman to speak in church. ³⁶ Or was it from you that the word of God first went out? Or has it come to you only?

^37 (DZ)If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or ^(EA)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^(EB)are the Lord’s commandment. ³⁸ But if anyone does not recognize this, ^[ar]he is not recognized.

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, ^(EC)earnestly desire to ^(ED)prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But ^(EE)all things must be done properly and in an orderly way.