1 Corinthians 12

1 Now, my fellow believers, [I will answer your questions] about the things God’s Spirit [enables believers to do]. I want you to know clearly [LIT] [about these things].

And concerning spirituals, my brethren, I would have you know,

2 You know that before you became Christians, various things led you to [worship] idols, which are unable to tell you [any of God’s message].

that ye have been pagans; and have been, without distinction, led away after idols, in which there is no speech.

3 So [the first thing] that I will tell you now is that it is not the Spirit of God who would cause anyone to say, “Jesus deserved to die,” and that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can enable anyone to say, “Jesus is [truly] the Lord.”

I therefore inform you, that there is no man, that speaketh by the Spirit of God, who saith that Jesus is accursed: neither can a man say that Jesus is the Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are various things [that God’s] Spirit enables [various believers to do], but it is that same Spirit [who enables us to do them].

Now there are diversities of gifts; but the Spirit is one.

5 There are many different ways to serve [the Lord], but it is the same Lord [whom we all are serving].

And there are diversities of ministrations; but the Lord is one.

6 [We believers] have the power to do various [tasks], but it is the same God who gives all of us the power [to do] these things.

And there are diversities of energies; but God, who worketh all in all men, is one.

7 [God’s] Spirit gives his power to each believer in order to benefit all the other [believers].

And to each man, there is given a manifestation of the Spirit, that it may aid him.

8 To some, the Spirit gives the ability to speak very wise messages. To others, the same Spirit gives the ability to know [things that he reveals to them].

To one, by the Spirit, there is given a word of wisdom; and to another, by the same Spirit, there is given a word of knowledge:

9 To others, the same Spirit gives the ability to believe [that God will work miracles]. To others, the Spirit gives the ability to heal [sick people].

to another, by the same Spirit, faith: to another, by the same Spirit, gifts of healing:

10 To others, he gives the power [to perform] miracles. To others, he gives the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. To others, he gives the ability to tell [if a message is really from God or not]. To others he gives the ability to speak messages in languages [MTY] [that they have not learned]. To others, he gives the ability to tell the meaning of those messages [MTY].

and to another, miracles: and to another, prophecy: and to another, the discerning of spirits: and to another, divers kinds of tongues: and to another, the interpretation of tongues.

11 It is the same Spirit who gives all these abilities. He gives whatever abilities he wants to give, to whatever person he wants to give them.

But all these, worketh that one Spirit; and he distributeth to every one as he pleaseth.

12 Although a person’s body has many parts, all the parts form just one body [DOU]. It is like that [with those who belong to] Christ.

For as the body is one, and in it are many members; and all those members of the body, though many, are one body; so also is the Messiah.

13 When we were baptized {When people baptized us}, the one [Holy] Spirit caused us to become one group [of believers]. It does not matter whether we are Jews or non-Jews. It does not matter whether we are slaves or not slaves. [When we believed in Christ], the one Spirit came to live [MET] within all of us.

For all of us, likewise, by one Spirit, have been baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free; and all of us have drinked in one Spirit.

14 [Our] bodies do not have only one part. They have many parts [with various functions].

For a body also, is not one member, but many.

15 If our foot could [talk and] say [to us], “Because I am not [your] hand, I am not a part of [your] body,” it would still be a part of [our] body.

For if the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it, on that account, not of the body?

16 If our ear could [talk and] say, “Because I am not [your] eye, I am not a part of your body,” it would still be a part of our body.

Or if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it, on that account, not of the body?

17 If our body were only an eye, (we would not be able to hear./how could we hear?) [RHQ] If our body were only an ear, (we would not be able to smell [anything]!/how could we smell [anything]?) [RHQ]

And if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? Or if it were all hearing, where would be the smelling?

18 But the truth is that God has put all the parts of our bodies together exactly as he wanted to put them.

But now hath God placed every one of the members in the body, according to his pleasure.

19 If [our body] had only one part, it would not be a body. [RHQ]

And if they were all one member, where would be the body?

20 But the truth is that there are many parts [in our body], but it is still only one body.

But now they are many members, yet but one body.

21 That is why if our eye [could talk], it should never say to our hand, “I do not need you!” And if our head [could talk], it should not say to our feet, “I do not need you!”

The eye cannot say to the hand, Thou art not needful to me: nor can the head say to the feet, Ye are not needful to me.

22 Instead, the parts of our body that seem to be weaker are the ones that are absolutely necessary.

But rather, those members which are accounted feeble, are indispensable.

23 And the parts that we do not think highly of are the parts that we clothe carefully. And we protect carefully those parts that we do not show to people.

And those which we think dishonorable in the body, on them we heap more honor; and those that are uncomely, on them we put the more decoration.

24 The parts that are [all right to] show people, we do not need to protect. Instead, God, who has put all the parts of our bodies together, causes us to care for in a special way the parts that we think are less important.

For the honorable members in us, have no need of honor: for God hath tempered the body, and given more honor to the member which is inferior;

25 He does that in order that all the parts of our body will work together harmoniously [LIT], and so that all the parts will care for all the other parts equally.

that there might be no disunion in the body, but that all the members, equally, might care for one another;

26 If one part of our body hurts, [it is as though] all the parts of our body are hurting. If we pay special attention to one part of our body, [it is as though] all the parts of our body feel pleasure [MET].

so that, when one member is in pain, they will all sympathize; and if one member is exalted, all the members will be exalted.

27 [Everything I have just said about how the parts of our bodies relate to each other applies to how] all of you who belong to Christ [should relate to each other]. Each of you belongs to him, [but you have not all been given the same abilities and work].

Now ye are the body of Messiah, and members in your place.

28 God has placed apostles in our congregations. Apostles are first [in rank]. Next [in rank] are those who speak messages which come directly from God. Next [in rank] are those who teach [spiritual truth]. Then there are those who have the power to work miracles, those who have the ability to heal [sick people], those who have the ability to help [others], those who have the ability to govern [the affairs of the congregation], and those who have the ability to speak [messages] in languages [MTY] [that they have not learned].

For God hath placed in his church, first, legates; after them, prophets; after them, teachers; after them, workers of miracles; after them, the gifts of healing, and helpers, and leaders, and various kinds of tongues.

29 Certainly not all [believers] are apostles. [RHQ] They all do not have the ability to speak messages that come directly from God. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to teach [spiritual truth]. [RHQ] They do not all have the power to work miracles. [RHQ]

Are they all legates? Are they all prophets? Are they all teachers? Are they all workers of miracles?

30 They do not all have the ability to heal people. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to speak [messages] in languages [MTY] [they have not learned]. [RHQ] They do not all have the ability to tell others the meaning of those messages. [RHQ] [Certainly not!]

Have all of them the gifts of healing? Do they all speak with tongues? Or do they all interpret?

31 But you should eagerly desire to have [the abilities that will help other believers] the most (OR, [the abilities that God considers] to be the most important). But now I will tell you the best way [to use the abilities that God’s Spirit has given you].

And if ye are emulous of the superior gifts, on the other hand, I show to you a better way.