People’s Open Bible
1 Corinthians 12
Spirit Gifts Build Church Unity
Open in the reader →1Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
2You know that when you were Gentiles, you were led away to the mute idols, however you were led.
3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,” and no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
6And there are varieties of workings, but it is the same God who works all things in all people.
7But to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
8For to one is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, and to another a message of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healings by the one Spirit,
10to another, workings of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discernments of spirits; to another, kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues.
11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as he wills.
12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Messiah.
13For indeed, in one Spirit we all were baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether servants or free—and we all were given to drink one Spirit.
14For the body is not one member, but many.
15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” it is not for this reason not of the body, is it?
16And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ it is not for this reason not of the body.
17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18But as it is, God arranged the members, each one of them, in the body just as he desired.
19If all were one member, where would the body be?
20But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21But 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.’
22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary,
23and those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have greater decorum,
24but our presentable parts have no need. Instead, God has composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
25so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same concern for one another.
26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if a member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27You are the body of Messiah, and members individually.
28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues.
29Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all work miracles, do they?
30Not all have gifts of healings, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they?
31But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more surpassing way.
Composed from original Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Ge’ez manuscripts, rendered in multiple passes to stay as close to the originals as possible. About this project