1 Corinthians 12:12–30

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?