1 Corinthians 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

12 Now concerning what comes from the Spirit:^[a] brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. ² You know that when you were pagans, you used to be led off to the idols^(A) that could not speak.^{(B) 3} Therefore I am informing you 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.

⁴ Now there are different gifts,^(C) but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.^{[b] 7} A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person^(D) to produce what is beneficial:

¹¹ But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

Unity Yet Diversity in the Body

¹² For as the body is one^(K) and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.^{(L) 13} For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.^{(M) 14} So the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. ¹⁷ If 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? ¹⁸ But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted.^{(N) 19} And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰ Now there are many parts, yet one body.

²¹ So the 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!” ²² But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable,^(O) we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. ²⁴ But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵ so that there would be no division^(P) in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶ So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ,^(Q) and individual members of it. ²⁸ And God has placed these in the church:^(R)

³¹ But desire^(W) the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.