1 Corinthians 12–13

Diversity of Spiritual Gifts

12Now concerning what comes from the Spirit: ^rbrothers, I do not want you to be unaware. ²You know that when you were pagans, you used to be led off to the idols ^sthat could not speak. ^t3Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are different gifts, ^ubut the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. ^v7A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person ^wto produce what is beneficial:

⁸to one ^xis given a message of wisdom ^y

through the Spirit,

to another, a message of knowledge

by the same Spirit,

⁹to another, faith by the same Spirit,

to another, gifts of healing ^zby the one Spirit,

¹⁰to another, the performing of miracles, ^a

to another, prophecy, ^b

to another, distinguishing between spirits, ^c

to another, different kinds of languages,

to another, interpretation of languages.

¹¹But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

Unity Yet Diversity in the Body

¹²For as the body is one ^dand has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. ^e13For we were all baptized by ^fone Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. ^g14So 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,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to 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 now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. ^h19And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰Now there are many parts, yet one body.

²¹So the 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!” ²²But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, ⁱwe clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. ²⁴But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵so that there would be no division ^jin 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, ^kand individual members of it. ²⁸And God has placed these in the church: ^l

first apostles, second prophets,

third teachers, ^mnext miracles, ⁿ

then gifts of healing, ^ohelping,

managing, various kinds of languages.

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets?

Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?

³⁰Do all have gifts of healing?

Do all speak in other languages?

Do all interpret? ^p

³¹But desire ^qthe greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.

Love: The Superior Way

13If I speak human or angelic languages

but do not have love, ^r

I am a sounding gong ^sor a clanging cymbal.

²If I have the gift of prophecy ^t

and understand all mysteries

and all knowledge,

and if I have all faith

so that I can move mountains ^u

but do not have love, I am nothing.

³And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor,

and if I give my body in order to boast ^v

but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, ^wlove is kind.

Love does not envy, ^x

is not boastful, is not conceited, ^y

⁵does not act improperly,

is not selfish, ^zis not provoked, ^a

and does not keep a record of wrongs.

⁶Love finds no joy in unrighteousness

but rejoices in the truth. ^b

⁷It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures ^call things.

⁸Love never ends. ^d

But as for prophecies,

they will come to an end;

as for languages, they will cease;

as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

⁹For we know in part,

and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when the perfect comes,

the partial will come to an end.

¹¹When I was a child,

I spoke like a child,

I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child.

When I became a man,

I put aside childish things.

¹²For now we see indistinctly, ^eas in a mirror, ^f

but then face to face. ^g

Now I know in part,

but then I will know fully, ^h

as I am fully known. ⁱ

¹³Now these three remain:

faith, hope, ^jand love.

But the greatest of these is love.