1 Corinthians
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to
be ignorant.
You know that when you were pagans, you were being led away to
those mute idols, however you may have been led.
So I want you to
understand that no one speaking by God’s spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.”
And no one can say, “Jesus is lord”
but by holy spirit.
Now there are different spiritual gifts,
but the same spirit.
And there are different services, but the same lord.
And there are different activities, but the same God, who works all things in everyone.
To each person is given the
evidence of the spirit for the benefit of all.
One person is given through
the spirit a word of wisdom. Another
is given a word of knowledge in
harmony with the same spirit.
To another is given faith by the same spirit,
and to another gifts of healings by the one spirit.
To another is given the ability to perform miracles; to another prophecy; to another discernment of
spirits; to another the ability to speak different languages,
and to
another the translation of those languages.
But the one and the same spirit
produces all of these, distributing to each person as he
desires.
As the human body is one but has many parts, and although there are
many parts of the body, they are still one body, so also is the Messiah.
For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; we all were made to drink of one spirit.
For the body is not one part, but many.
If a foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
If an ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the
whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
But God has
set each part in the body just as He desired.
If they were all one part, where
would the body be?
So there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” or the head say to the foot, “I do not need you.”
On the contrary, some of those parts of the body that seem
weaker are truly necessary.
And those parts of the body we consider to be less
honorable, to those we give more honor, and our less presentable parts
become much more presentable,
while our presentable parts have no such
need. God has perfectly arranged the body, giving greater honor to its
apparently inferior parts.
This is so that there would be no division in the
body, but the parts should have the same care for one another.
When
one part suffers, all the other parts of the body suffer with it, and
when a part is honored, then all the other parts of the body rejoice
with it.
Now you are the body of Messiah, and each one of you is a part of it.
God has appointed in the church: first Apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then miracles, then gifts of healings, of helping, leadership, and different languages.
Are all Apostles? No. Are all prophets?
No. Are all teachers? No. Do all perform miracles? No.
Do all have gifts of
healing? No. Do all speak in different languages?
No. Do all translate
languages? No.
But you should earnestly desire the higher gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians