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
The Use of Spiritual Gifts
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 2You know that when you were #12:2 Lit Gentiles; i.e., mainly Greeks and Romans, traditionally polytheisticpagans, you were led #12:2 Or awayastray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking #12:3 Or inby the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is #12:3 Gr anathemaaccursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except #12:3 Or inby the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9to another faith #12:9 Or inby the same Spirit, and to another gifts of #12:9 Lit healingshealing #12:9 Or inby the one Spirit, 10and to another the #12:10 Lit effectseffecting of #12:10 Or works of powermiracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the #12:10 Lit distinguishingsdistinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He #12:11 Or intendswills.
12For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For #12:13 Or inby one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14For the body is not one part, but many. 15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason #12:15 Lit not a partany less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason #12:16 Lit not a partany less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20But now there are many parts, but one body. 21And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, #12:22 Lit to a much greater degree the partsit is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23and those parts of the body which we #12:23 Or think to beconsider less honorable, #12:23 Or these we clothe withon these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, 24whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, 25so that there may be no #12:25 Or dissensiondivision in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. 26And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is #12:26 Lit glorifiedhonored, all the parts rejoice with it.
27Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. 28And God has #12:28 Lit set some inappointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then #12:28 Or works of powermiracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues. 29All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of #12:29 Or works of powermiracles, are they? 30All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.
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