1 Corinthians 12
12
The different functions of the Spirit
1Now as to the phenomena of your faith which show in a special way the presence of God and the action of the Spirit. Recollect this Spirit is one. Many of you are moved far beyond your ordinary capacity, and do things which in your own strength would be utterly impossible to you, — you prophesy, teach, heal, speak with tongues, and perform wonders, marvels — and this is not yourselves, it is the Spirit by which you are possessed. 2But recollect, my brethren, there is nothing in this similar to those possessions by spirits you were once familiar with in the old religions. At one time that worship was part of your life. You were carried away willy-nilly as you were led in the service of these dumb idols. 3-5And because this type of worship was so familiar to you, I bid you remember that, if anyone is possessed and cries out a curse on Jesus, such possession you will know comes not from God, whilst on the other hand to acknowledge Jesus as Lord can never be done except by those to whom the Spirit has been imparted. Now this Spirit, as I say, is one, absolutely one, throughout all its manifestations, and that is why all those phenomena which represent to us its operations are so mutually harmonious and complementary. 6-8One man may evidence one kind of gift or service, one man’s sphere of usefulness or inspiration may differ entirely from another’s, but he will not differ in the spirit.
The oneness of the Spirit
9It is the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God which imparts, ordains, inspires, possesses. 10The word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, faith, gifts of healing, inspiration and genius, prophecy, spiritual insight and discernment, tongues and the interpretation of tongues — 11these all proceed in varying degrees displayed by different individuals from the one infinite Spirit. He, that Spirit, is all in all, and one, and all these gifts are constituted in His action and operation. 12The Christ is as it were one infinite body, wherein all the parts and members are mutually helpful and interdependent. 13In the unity of the same organism there cannot be inharmonious contradictory parts. 14-16Hand cannot say to foot, I have no need of you. Ear and eye are different members and have different functions, but what if the ear said to the eye, “because I am different from you, we belong to different bodies,” would it be true? And so all of us were baptised into one vast body, the infinite Christ, — Jews, Greeks, slaves, and free — and we all drank the wine of the one Spirit. Hence these different gifts, functions and offices which operate in us. This very variety constitutes the essential being of the Spirit, because the Spirit includes all. 17If the body were all eye, where would the hearing be? If it were all ear, where would the eyebrow be? 18-21Every part is beautifully formed to assist and be complementary to the others; none is otiose, negligible or useless, 22but on the contrary those very parts which are held in least honour often have the most important functions, 23-25and the visible parts of the body which form its beauty are the most dependent on the organs which are not seen and are less esteemed. 26If one member suffer, all suffer with it, and no one part of the body can be affected, for good or ill, without all the others feeling it. 27So is it in that infinite spiritual body of the Christ, which we together constitute, of which we are all members. 28Whether in the church there be those that are called apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, helpers, officers, speakers with tongues — what is this but the activity of one life? 29Because it is one thing, all are not therefore apostles, nor all prophets, nor all teachers, 30nor all healers, nor all speakers with tongues, nor all interpreters. 31True, some gifts are greater than others, and it is right to wish for the greatest gifts of all, and in that respect, I will point out to you a way that is better than all others.
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
1 Corinthians 12
12
1 Corinthians 12
1¶ Now regarding spiritual things, brothers, I would not have you ignore them.
2Ye know that when ye were Gentiles, ye went, even as ye were led, unto the dumb idols.
3Therefore I give you to understand, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus anathema and that no one can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
4Now there is dispersal of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5And there is dispersal of ministries, but the same Lord.
6And there is dispersal of operations, but it is the same God who works all in each one.
7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one to profit with.
8For to one is given by the Spirit a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10to another, the operation of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, different kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues:
11one and the same Spirit operates all these things, dispersing to each one his own gift as he wills.
12¶ For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also the Christ.
13For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Greeks, whether we are slaves or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14For the body is not one member, but many.
15If the foot shall say, Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
16And if the ear shall 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 the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?
18But now God has set the members each one of them in the body, as it has pleased him.
19And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20But now they are indeed many members, yet but one body.
21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22For those members of the body, which seem to be weaker, are much more necessary;
23and those members of the body which we think to be more vile, these we dress with more abundant honour; and those in us who are more indecent have more honesty.
24For those in us who are more honest need nothing, but God has ordered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that one which lacked,
25that there should be no contradiction in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice together.
27¶ Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular.
28And God did set certain ones in the congregation: {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that faculties, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? do all have faculties?
30Do all have gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31But earnestly pursue the best gifts, and yet I show unto you a more excellent way.
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International