1 Corinthians 12:1–31
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,z brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.a 2 You know that when you were pagans,b somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.c 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,”d and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”e except by the Holy Spirit.f
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spiritg distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyoneh it is the same Godi at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.j 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,k to another a message of knowledgel by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faithm by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healingn by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,o to another prophecy,p to another distinguishing between spirits,q to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,a r and to still another the interpretation of tongues.b 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,s and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,t so it is with Christ.u 13 For we were all baptizedv byc one Spiritw so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or freex—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.y 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.z
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placeda the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.b 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.c
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ,d and each one of you is a part of it.e 28 And God has placed in the churchf first of all apostles,g second prophets,h third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,i of helping, of guidance,j and of different kinds of tongues.k 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tonguesd?l Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desirem the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 5:1–6:20
5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.l 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourningm and have put out of your fellowshipn the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.o As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesusp on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man overq to Satanr for the destruction of the flesh,a, b so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.s
6 Your boasting is not good.t Don’t you know that a little yeastu leavens the whole batch of dough?v 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.w 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened breadx of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associatey with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this worldz who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sisterc a but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolaterb or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.c
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outsided the church? Are you not to judge those inside?e 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”d f
6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?g 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?h And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you.i Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?j 6 But instead, one brotherk takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!l
7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?m 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.n 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?o Do not be deceived:p Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterersq nor men who have sex with mena r 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlerss will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were.t But you were washed,u you were sanctified,v you were justifiedw in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.x “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”y The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,z and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,a and he will raise us also.b 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?c Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”b d 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.c e
18 Flee from sexual immorality.f All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.g 19 Do you not know that your bodies are templesh of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;i 20 you were bought at a price.j Therefore honor God with your bodies.k