Font Size
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
New International Version
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
New International Version
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,(A) so it is with Christ.(B) 13 For we were all baptized(C) by[a] one Spirit(D) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free(E)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(F) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.(G)
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed(H) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(I) 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.(J)
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink.
14 For the body also is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot should say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they all were one member, where would be the body?
20 But now there are many members indeed, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand: I need not thy help; nor again the head to the feet: I have no need of you.
22 Yea, much more those that seem to be the more feeble members of the body, are more necessary.
23 And such as we think to be the less honourable members of the body, about these we put more abundant honour; and those that are our uncomely parts, have more abundant comeliness.
24 But our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, giving to that which wanted the more abundant honour,
25 That there might be no schism in the body; but the members might be mutually careful one for another.
26 And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it; or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it.
Read full chapter
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Expanded Bible
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Expanded Bible
The Body of Christ Works Together
12 A person’s body is ·one thing [a unity; L one], but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. 13 Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body ·through [by; in] one Spirit. And we were all made to ·share in [L drink of] the one Spirit.
14 [L For] The ·human body [L body] is not made up of one part, but of many. 15 The foot might say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. 16 The ear might say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, ·it would not be able to [L how would it…?] hear. If the whole body were an ear, ·it would not be able to [L how would it…?] smell.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” 22 ·No! [L On the contrary,] Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are ·really necessary [essential; indispensable]. 23 And the parts of the body we think are less ·deserving [honorable] are the parts to which we give ·the most [special; greater] honor. We ·give special respect to [or treat with special modesty] the parts ·we want to hide [that are shameful/unpresentable]. 24 The more ·respectable [presentable] parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave ·more [special] honor to the parts that need it 25 so ·our body would not be divided [or there would be no division in the body]. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. 26 If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is ·honored [glorified], all the other parts ·share its honor [L rejoice with it].
Read full chapter
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.