1 Corinthians 12–14

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

Intelligibility in Worship

14Follow the way of loveⁿ and eagerly desire^o gifts of the Spirit,^p especially prophecy.^{q 2}For anyone who speaks in a tongue^ar does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;^s they utter mysteries^t by the Spirit. ³But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^u encouraging^v and comfort. ⁴Anyone who speaks in a tongue^w edifies^x themselves, but the one who prophesies^y edifies the church. ⁵I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,^b but I would rather have you prophesy.^z The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^c unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.^a

⁶Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation^b or knowledge^c or prophecy or word of instruction?^{d 7}Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?^{e 9}So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me.^{f 12}So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit,^g try to excel in those that build up^h the church.

¹³For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.^{i 14}For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,^j but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,^k but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing^l with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. ¹⁶Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,^d say “Amen”^m to your thanksgiving,ⁿ since they do not know what you are saying? ¹⁷You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.^o

¹⁸I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.^p

²⁰Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^q In regard to evil be infants,^r but in your thinking be adults. ²¹In the Law^s it is written:

“With other tongues

and through the lips of foreigners

I will speak to this people,

but even then they will not listen to me,^t

says the Lord.”^e

²²Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,^u however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?^{v 24}But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵as the secrets^w of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”^x

Good Order in Worship

²⁶What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?^y When you come together, each of you^z has a hymn,^a or a word of instruction,^b a revelation, a tongue^c or an interpretation.^d Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.^{e 27}If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹Two or three prophets^f should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.^{g 30}And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³²The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.^{h 33}For God is not a God of disorderⁱ but of peace^j—as in all the congregations^k of the Lord’s people.^l

³⁴Women^f should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak,^m but must be in submission,ⁿ as the law^o says. ³⁵If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.^g

³⁶Or did the word of God^p originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷If anyone thinks they are a prophet^q or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,^r let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.^{s 38}But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.^h

³⁹Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager^t to prophesy,^u and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly^v way.