1 CorinthiansChapter 12

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¹Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know about spiritual gifts. ²You know that when you were pagans, you were pulled and led away to idols that could not speak. ³So I want you to know this. No one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is cursed." And no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ways to serve, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different ways of working. But it is the same God who does all the work in all people. ⁷Each person is given a way to show the Spirit. It is given to help everyone. ⁸The Spirit gives one person a message of wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person a message of knowledge. ⁹The same Spirit gives faith to another. That one Spirit gives gifts of healing to another. ¹⁰To another he gives the power to do miracles. Another can prophesy. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of tongues. And still another can explain what the tongues mean. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit. He gives them to each person, just as he decides. ¹²The body is one thing, but it has many parts. It has many parts, but they all make one body. It is the same with Christ. ¹³For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. It does not matter if we are Jews or Greeks, slaves or free. We were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴The body is not made of one part. It is made of many. ¹⁵Suppose the foot said, "I am not a hand, so I don't belong to the body." That would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And suppose the ear said, "I am not an eye, so I don't belong to the body." That would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? ¹⁸But God has put each part in the body just where he wanted it. ¹⁹If they were all one 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!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²²In fact, the parts of the body that seem weaker are the ones we cannot do without. ²³And the parts we think are less honored, we treat with more honor. The parts we don't show are treated with special care to keep them covered. ²⁴But the parts we show don't need this. God has put the body together. He has given more honor to the parts that lacked it. ²⁵This way there will be no split in the body. Instead, its parts will care for each other the same. ²⁶If one part hurts, every part hurts with it. If one part is honored, every part is glad with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ. Each of you is a part of it. ²⁸In the church God has put apostles first, prophets second, and teachers third. Then come those who do miracles and those with gifts of healing. There are also those who help, those who lead, and those who speak in different tongues. ²⁹Are 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 explain tongues? ³¹But you should eagerly want the greater gifts. And now I will show you the very best way.