1 Corinthians 12 (NLT) (2024)

Spiritual Gifts

12Now, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. ²You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. ³So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. ⁶God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

⁷A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. ⁸To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice^[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.^{[c] 9}The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. ¹⁰He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,^[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. ¹¹It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

One Body with Many Parts

¹²The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,^[e] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.^[f]

¹⁴Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

¹⁸But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

²²In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. ²³And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. ²⁵This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. ²⁶If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

²⁷All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. ²⁸Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

²⁹Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? ³⁰Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! ³¹So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Spiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity

12Now ^(A)concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: ²You know ^(B)that^[a] you were Gentiles, carried away to these ^(C)dumb^[b] idols, however you were led. ³Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus ^[c]accursed, and ^(D)no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

^4(E)There are ^[d]diversities of gifts, but ^(F)the same Spirit. ^5(G)There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God ^(H)who works ^[e]all in all. ⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸for to one is given ^(I)the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another ^(J)the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ^9(K)to another faith by the same Spirit, to another ^(L)gifts of healings by ^[f]the same Spirit, ^10(M)to another the working of miracles, to another ^(N)prophecy, to another ^(O)discerning of spirits, to another ^(P)different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ^(Q)distributing to each one individually ^(R)as He wills.

Unity and Diversity in One Body^(S)

¹²For ^(T)as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, ^(U)so also is Christ. ¹³For ^(V)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—^(W)whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and ^(X)have all been made to drink ^[g]into one Spirit. ¹⁴For in fact the body is not one member but many.

¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? ¹⁸But now ^(Y)God has set the members, each one of them, in the body ^(Z)just as He pleased. ¹⁹And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

²⁰But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵that there should be no ^[h]schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now ^(AA)you are the body of Christ, and ^(AB)members individually. ²⁸And ^(AC)God has appointed these in the church: first ^(AD)apostles, second ^(AE)prophets, third teachers, after that ^(AF)miracles, then ^(AG)gifts of healings, ^(AH)helps, ^(AI)administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But ^(AJ)earnestly desire the ^[i]best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.