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
Spiritual gifts
1Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. 2You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. 3So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5and there are different ministries and the same Lord; 6and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. 8A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, 9faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, 10performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues#12.10 Or ecstatic speech or languages could be used for tongues or tongue throughout chaps 12–14. to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. 11All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.
12Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 15If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. 19If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? 20But as it is, there are many parts but one body. 21So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. 23The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. 24The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor 25so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. 27You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. 28In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. 29All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? 30All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? 31Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.