1 Corinthians 12–13

Chapter 12

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

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

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

³Therefore 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 by the Holy Spirit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁰and 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.

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

¹²For 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.

¹³For ^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.

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

¹⁵If 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.

¹⁶And 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.

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

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

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

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

²¹And 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.”

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

²³and 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,

²⁴whereas 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,

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

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

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

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

²⁹All 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?

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

³¹But ^aearnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.

Chapter 13

The Excellence of Love

¹If 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.

²If 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.

³And 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.

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

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

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

^71abears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love 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.

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

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

¹¹When 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.

¹²For 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.

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