Spiritual Gifts

1With regard to spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led. 3So I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all. 8For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.

Different Members in One Body

12For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body – though many – are one body, so too is Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. 14For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. 15If the foot says, “Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 16And if the ear says, “Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 17If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? 18But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. 19If they were all the same member, where would the body be? 20So now there are many members, but one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot, “I do not need you.” 22On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, 23and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, 24but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, 25so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. 26If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it.

27Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. 28And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues. 29Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? 30Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they? 31But you should be eager for the greater gifts.

And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.