Chapter 12

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

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

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

3 Therefore 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 1aby the Holy Spirit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 and 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.

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

12 For 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.

13 For 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.

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

15 If 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.

16 And 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.

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

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

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

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

21 And 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.”

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

23 and 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,

24 whereas 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,

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

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

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

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

29 All 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?

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

31 But aearnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.