Chapter 12

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

1 Now concerning aspiritual gifts, brethren, bI do not want you to be unaware.

2 aYou know that when you were pagans, you were bled astray to the cmute idols, however you were led.

3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking 1aby the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is 2baccursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is cLord,” except 1aby the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are avarieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

6 There are varieties of effects, but the same aGod who works all things in all persons.

7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit afor the common good.

8 For to one is given the word of awisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of bknowledge according to the same Spirit;

9 to another afaith 1by the same Spirit, and to another bgifts of 2healing 1by the one Spirit,

10 and to another the 1effecting of 2amiracles, and to another bprophecy, and to another the 3cdistinguishing of spirits, to another various dkinds of tongues, and to another the einterpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, adistributing to each one individually just as He wills.

12 For even aas the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, bso also is Christ.

13 For 1aby one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether bJews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to cdrink of one Spirit.

14 For athe body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason 1any the less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason 1any the less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But now God has aplaced the members, each one of them, in the body, bjust as He desired.

19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now athere are many members, but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

22 On the contrary, 1it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

23 and those members of the body which we 1deem less honorable, 2on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,

24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

25 so that there may be no 1division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is 1honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are aChrist’s body, and bindividually members of it.

28 And God has 1aappointed in bthe church, first capostles, second dprophets, third eteachers, then 2fmiracles, then ggifts of healings, helps, hadministrations, various ikinds of tongues.

29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of 1miracles, are they?

30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not ainterpret, do they?

31 But aearnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.

Chapter 13

The Excellence of Love

1 If I speak with the atongues of men and of bangels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a cclanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of aprophecy, and know all bmysteries and all cknowledge; and if I have dall faith, so as to eremove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 And if I agive all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I bsurrender my body 1to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love ais patient, love is kind and bis not jealous; love does not brag and is not carrogant,

5 does not act unbecomingly; it adoes not seek its own, is not provoked, bdoes not take into account a wrong suffered,

6 adoes not rejoice in unrighteousness, but brejoices with the truth;

7 1abears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of 1aprophecy, they will be done away; if there are btongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

9 For we aknow in part and we prophesy in part;

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I 1became a man, I did away with childish things.

12 For now we asee in a mirror 1dimly, but then bface to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also chave been fully known.

13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the 1greatest of these is alove.

Chapter 14

Prophecy a Superior Gift

1 aPursue love, yet bdesire earnestly cspiritual gifts, but especially that you may dprophesy.

2 For one who aspeaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one 1understands, but 2in his spirit he speaks bmysteries.

3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for aedification and bexhortation and consolation.

4 One who aspeaks in a tongue bedifies himself; but one who cprophesies bedifies the church.

5 Now I wish that you all aspoke in tongues, but beven more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who aspeaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive cedifying.

6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of arevelation or of bknowledge or of cprophecy or of dteaching?

7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?

8 For if athe 1bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

9 So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be aspeaking into the air.

10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of 1languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.

11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a 1abarbarian, and the one who speaks will be a 1barbarian 2to me.

12 So also you, since you are zealous of 1spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the aedification of the church.

13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

15 aWhat is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will bsing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

16 Otherwise if you bless 1in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the 2ungifted say athe “Amen” at your bgiving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

17 For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not aedified.

18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Instruction for the Church

20 aBrethren, bdo not be children in your thinking; yet in evil cbe infants, but in your thinking be mature.

21 In athe Law it is written, “bBy men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord.

22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but aprophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.

23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and 1ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ayou are mad?

24 But if all aprophesy, and an unbeliever or an 1ungifted man enters, he is bconvicted by all, he is called to account by all;

25 athe secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will bfall on his face and worship God, cdeclaring that God is certainly among you.

26 aWhat is the outcome then, bbrethren? When you assemble, ceach one has a dpsalm, has a eteaching, has a erevelation, has a ftongue, has an ginterpretation. Let hall things be done for edification.

27 If anyone speaks in a atongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must binterpret;

28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.

29 Let two or three aprophets speak, and let the others bpass judgment.

30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.

31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;

32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;

33 for God is not a God of aconfusion but of 1peace, as in ball the churches of the csaints.

34 The women are to akeep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but bare to subject themselves, just as cthe Law also says.

35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is 1improper for a woman to speak in church.

36 1Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?

37 aIf anyone thinks he is a prophet or bspiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you care the Lord’s commandment.

38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he 1is not recognized.

39 Therefore, my brethren, adesire earnestly to bprophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.

40 But aall things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.