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1 Corinthians 12
New International Version
1 Corinthians 12
New International Version
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,(A) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.(B) 2 You know that when you were pagans,(C) somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.(D) 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,”(E) and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”(F) except by the Holy Spirit.(G)
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit(H) distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone(I) it is the same God(J) at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.(K) 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,(L) to another a message of knowledge(M) by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith(N) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing(O) by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,(P) to another prophecy,(Q) to another distinguishing between spirits,(R) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a](S) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,(T) and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,(U) so it is with Christ.(V) 13 For we were all baptized(W) by[c] one Spirit(X) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free(Y)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(Z) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.(AA)
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(AB) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(AC) 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.(AD)
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.
27 Now you are the body of Christ,(AE) and each one of you is a part of it.(AF) 28 And God has placed in the church(AG) first of all apostles,(AH) second prophets,(AI) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,(AJ) of helping, of guidance,(AK) and of different kinds of tongues.(AL) 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]?(AM) Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire(AN) the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
- 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or languages; also in verse 28
- 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
- 1 Corinthians 12:30 Or other languages
1 Corinthians 12
The Message
1 Corinthians 12
The Message
Spiritual Gifts
12 1-3 What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say “Jesus be damned!” Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
4-11 God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
12-13 You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.
14-18 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, transparent and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
19-24 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?
25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.
27-31 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:
apostles
prophets
teachers
miracle workers
healers
helpers
organizers
those who pray in tongues.
But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.
But now I want to lay out a far better way for you.
1 Corinthians 12
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
1 Corinthians 12
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
12 Now concerning spiritual things, my brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 You know that when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema to Jesus. And no man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit;
5 And there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord;
6 And there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all.
7 And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit.
8 To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom: and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
9 To another, faith in the same spirit; to another, the grace of healing in one Spirit;
10 To another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, diverse kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches.
11 But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will.
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.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members of member.
28 And God indeed hath set some in the church; first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly doctors; after that miracles; then the graces of healing, helps, governments, kinds of tongues, interpretations of speeches.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all doctors?
30 Are all workers of miracles? Have all the grace of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
31 But be zealous for the better gifts. And I shew unto you yet a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12
Expanded Bible
1 Corinthians 12
Expanded Bible
Gifts from the Holy Spirit
12 Now, brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to ·misunderstand [be uninformed] ·about [concerning; or in regard to your question about; see 7:1; 8:1; 16:1] spiritual gifts. 2 You know the way you lived ·before you were believers [L when you were pagans/Gentiles]. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that could not speak. 3 So I want you to understand that no one who is speaking ·with the help of [by means of; in the power of] God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” ·without the help of [L except by means of/in the power of] the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ·ways to serve [ministries] but the same Lord to serve. 6 And there are different ·ways that God works through people [kinds of action; activities] but the same God works ·in all of us in everything we do [L all things in all people]. 7 ·Something from the Spirit can be seen in [L The manifestation/disclosure of the Spirit is given to] each person, for the common good. 8 The Spirit gives one person the ·ability to speak with wisdom [message/word of wisdom], and the same Spirit gives another the ·ability to speak with knowledge [message/word of knowledge]. 9 The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 The Spirit gives to another person ·the power to do miracles [works of power], to another ·the ability to prophesy [L prophecy]. And he gives to another the ·ability to know the difference between good and evil [L discernment/distinguishing of] spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of ·languages [or ecstatic utterance; L tongues] and to another the ·ability to interpret those languages [L interpretation of tongues]. 11 One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit ·decides what to give [L distributes just as he wishes to] each person.
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].
27 ·Together you [L You; C the Greek is plural] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body. 28 In the church God has ·given a place first to [appointed/placed first] apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers, then those who do ·miracles [acts of powers], those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to ·govern [lead], and those who can speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; L different kinds of tongues; v. 10]. 29 ·Not all are apostles [L Not all are apostles, are they? C vv. 29–30 are all rhetorical questions assuming a negative answer]. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles. 30 Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; L in tongues]. Not all interpret those ·languages [L tongues]. 31 But ·you should truly want to have [eagerly desire; be zealous for] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you ·the best way of all [a better/superior way].
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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.