The First to the Corinthians

12 Now concerning the spiritual gifts,+ brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were people of the nations,* you were influenced and led astray to those voiceless idols,+ following wherever they might lead you. 3 Now I would have you know that nobody when speaking by God’s spirit says: “Jesus is accursed!” and nobody can say: “Jesus is Lord!” except by holy spirit.+

4 Now there are different gifts, but there is the same spirit;+ 5 and there are different ministries,+ and yet there is the same Lord; 6 and there are different activities,* and yet it is the same God who performs them all in everyone.+ 7 But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for a beneficial purpose.+ 8 For to one is given speech* of wisdom through the spirit, to another speech of knowledge according to the same spirit, 9 to another faith+ by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing+ by that one spirit, 10 to yet another operations of powerful works,+ to another prophesying, to another discernment of inspired expressions,+ to another different tongues,*+ and to another interpretation of tongues.+ 11 But all these operations are performed by the very same spirit, distributing to each one respectively just as it wills.

12 For just as the body is one but has many members, and all the members of that body, although many, are one body,+ so too is the Christ. 13 For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit.

14 For, indeed, the body is made up not of one member but of many.+ 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am no part of the body,” that does not make it no part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am no part of the body,” that does not make it no part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If it were all hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged each of the body members just as he pleased.

19 If they were all the same member, where would the body be? 20 But now they are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” or again, the head cannot say to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary, 23 and the parts of the body that we think to be less honorable we surround with greater honor,+ so our unseemly parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 whereas our attractive parts do not need anything. Nevertheless, God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that had a lack, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but its members should have mutual concern for one another.+ 26 If one member suffers, all the other members suffer with it;+ or if a member is glorified, all the other members rejoice with it.+

27 Now you are Christ’s body,+ and each of you individually is a member.+ 28 And God has assigned the respective ones in the congregation: first, apostles;+ second, prophets;+ third, teachers;+ then powerful works;+ then gifts of healings;+ helpful services; abilities to direct;+ different tongues.+ 29 Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform powerful works, do they? 30 Not all have gifts of healings, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they?+ Not all are interpreters,* are they?+ 31 But keep striving for* the greater gifts.+ And yet I will show you a surpassing way.+