1 Corinthians 12–14

12TH CHAPTER

Spiritual Gifts

¹Brothers and sisters, I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding concerning spiritual gifts. ²You know that when you were unbelievers, every time you were led to worship false gods you were worshiping gods who couldn’t even speak. ³So I want you to know that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is cursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 

⁴There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. ⁵There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. ⁶There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person. 

⁷The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone. ⁸The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person the ability to speak with knowledge. ⁹To another person the same Spirit gives ⸤courageous⸥ faith. To another person the same Spirit gives the ability to heal. ¹⁰Another can work miracles. Another can speak what God has revealed. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of languages. Another can interpret languages. ¹¹There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person. 

¹²For example, the body is one unit and yet has many parts. As all the parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether we are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit to drink. 

¹⁴As you know, the human body is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. ¹⁵Suppose a foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body!” Would that mean it’s no longer part of the body? ¹⁶Or suppose an ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I’m not a part of the body!” Would that mean it’s no longer 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? ¹⁸So God put each and every part of the body together as he wanted it. ¹⁹How could it be a body if it only had one part? ²⁰So there are many parts but one body. 

²¹An eye can’t say to a hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²²The opposite is true. The parts of the body that we think are weaker are the ones we really need. ²³The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we give special honor. So our unpresentable parts are made more presentable. ²⁴However, our presentable parts don’t need this kind of treatment. God has put the body together and given special honor to the part that doesn’t have it. ²⁵God’s purpose was that the body should not be divided but rather that all of its parts should feel the same concern for each other. ²⁶If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness. 

²⁷You are Christ’s body and each of you is an individual part of it. ²⁸In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages. ²⁹Not all believers are apostles, are they? Are all of them prophets? Do all of them teach? Do all of them perform miracles ³⁰or have gifts of healing? Can all of them speak in other languages or interpret languages? 

³¹You ⸤only⸥ want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.^a

13TH CHAPTER

Love

¹I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal. ²I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing. ³I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned.^aBut if I don’t have love, none of these things will help me. 

⁴Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. ⁵It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. ⁶It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. ⁷Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. 

⁸Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used. ⁹Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has revealed is incomplete. ¹⁰But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. ¹²Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me. 

¹³So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love. 

14TH CHAPTER

Speak in Ways That Can Be Understood

¹Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially the gift of speaking what God has revealed. ²When a person speaks in another language, he doesn’t speak to people but to God. No one understands him. His spirit is speaking mysteries. ³But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he speaks to people to help them grow, to encourage them, and to comfort them. ⁴When a person speaks in another language, he helps himself grow. But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he helps the church grow. ⁵I wish that all of you could speak in other languages, but especially that you could speak what God has revealed. The person who speaks what God has revealed is more important than the person who speaks in other languages. This is true unless he can interpret what he says to help the church grow. ⁶Brothers and sisters, it wouldn’t do you any good if I came to you speaking in other languages, unless I explained revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or doctrine to you. 

⁷Musical instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. If there is no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played? ⁸For example, if the trumpet doesn’t sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ⁹In the same way, if you don’t speak in a way that can be understood, how will anyone know what you’re saying? You will be talking into thin air. 

¹⁰No matter how many different languages there are in the world, not one of them is without meaning. ¹¹If I don’t know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the person who speaks it and that person will be a foreigner to me. ¹²In the same way, since you’re eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in them so that you help the church grow. ¹³So the person who speaks in another language should pray for an interpretation of what he says. 

¹⁴If I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my mind is not productive. ¹⁵So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind. ¹⁶Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say “Amen!” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don’t know what you’re saying. ¹⁷Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn’t help other people grow. ¹⁸I thank God that I speak in other languages more than any of you. ¹⁹Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language. 

²⁰Brothers and sisters, don’t think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but think like mature people. ²¹God’s word says, 

“Through people who speak foreign languages 

and through the mouths of foreigners 

I will speak to these people, 

but even then they will not listen to me, 

says the Lord.” 

²²So the gift of speaking in other languages is a sign for unbelievers, not for believers. The gift of speaking what God has revealed is a sign for believers, not for unbelievers. ²³Suppose the whole congregation gathers in the same place and you speak in other languages. When outsiders or unbelievers come in, won’t they say that you’re out of your mind? ²⁴Now suppose you speak what God has revealed. When unbelievers or outsiders come in you will show them where they are wrong and convince them that they are sinners. ²⁵The secrets in their hearts will become known, and in this way they will quickly bow with their faces touching the ground, worship God, and confess that God is truly among you. 

Maintain Order in Your Worship Services

²⁶So what does this mean, brothers and sisters? When you gather, each person has a psalm, doctrine, revelation, another language, or an interpretation. Everything must be done to help each other grow. ²⁷If people speak in other languages, only two or three at the most should speak. They should do it one at a time, and someone must interpret what each person says. ²⁸But if an interpreter isn’t present, those people should remain silent in church. They should only speak to themselves and to God. 

²⁹Two or three people should speak what God has revealed. Everyone else should decide whether what each person said is right or wrong. ³⁰If God reveals something to another person who is seated, the first speaker should be silent. ³¹All of you can take your turns speaking what God has revealed. In that way, everyone will learn and be encouraged. ³²People who speak what God has revealed must control themselves. ³³God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace. 

As in all the churches of God’s holy people, ³⁴the women must keep silent. They don’t have the right to speak.…