1 Corinthians 12:12–30

UNITY YET DIVERSITY IN THE BODY

¹²For just 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^B one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.^{m 14}Indeed, the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If 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? ¹⁸But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.^{n 19}And if they were all the same 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!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. ²³And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable,^o we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, ²⁴which our respectable parts do not need.

Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵so that there would be no division^p in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ,^q and individual members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed these in the church:^r first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,^s next miracles,^t then gifts of healing,^u helping, leading, various kinds of 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 interpret?^v