Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 12 - New International Version (2024)

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Listen to 1 Corinthians 12

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12Now about the gifts of the Spirit,^(A) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.^(B) ²You know that when you were pagans,^(C) somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.^(D) ³Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,”^(E) and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,”^(F) except by the Holy Spirit.^(G)

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit^(H) 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^(I) it is the same God^(J) at work.

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.^(K) ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,^(L) to another a message of knowledge^(M) by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith^(N) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing^(O) by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers,^(P) to another prophecy,^(Q) to another distinguishing between spirits,^(R) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a]^(S) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,^(T) 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,^(U) so it is with Christ.^(V) ¹³For we were all baptized^(W) by^[c] one Spirit^(X) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free^(Y)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.^(Z) ¹⁴Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.^(AA)

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^(AB) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.^(AC) ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.^(AD)

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,^(AE) and each one of you is a part of it.^(AF) ²⁸And God has placed in the church^(AG) first of all apostles,^(AH) second prophets,^(AI) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,^(AJ) of helping, of guidance,^(AK) and of different kinds of tongues.^(AL) ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]?^(AM) Do all interpret? ³¹Now eagerly desire^(AN) the greater gifts.