1 Corinthians 12–13

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12Now 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

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit^g distributes them. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone^h it is the same Godⁱ at work.

⁷Now 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 knowledge^l by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith^m by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healingⁿ by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers,^o to another prophecy,^p to another distinguishing between spirits,^q to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^ar 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

¹²Just 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 baptized^v by^c one Spirit^w so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free^x—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

¹⁵Now 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. ¹⁶And 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. ¹⁷If 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? ¹⁸But in fact God has placed^a 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? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.^c

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷Now 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 church^f 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? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^d?^l Do all interpret? ³¹Now eagerly desire^m the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

13If I speak in the tongues^an of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy^o and can fathom all mysteries^p and all knowledge,^q and if I have a faith^r that can move mountains,^s but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor^t and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^bu but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient,^v love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.^{w 5}It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,^x it is not easily angered,^y it keeps no record of wrongs.^{z 6}Love does not delight in evil^a but rejoices with the truth.^{b 7}It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.^c

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,^d they will cease; where there are tongues,^e they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part^f and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when completeness comes,^g what is in part disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood^h behind me. ¹²For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;ⁱ then we shall see face to face.^j Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.^k

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.^l But the greatest of these is love.^m