1 Corinthians 12 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

Spiritual Gifts

1Co 12:1Now, dear brothers and sisters,[fn] regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

1Co 12:2

1Co 12:2You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

1Co 12:3

1Co 12:3So 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.

1Co 12:4

1Co 12:4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

1Co 12:5

1Co 12:5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

1Co 12:6

1Co 12:6God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

1Co 12:7

1Co 12:7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

1Co 12:8

1Co 12:8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[fn]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[fn]

1Co 12:9

1Co 12:9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

1Co 12:10

1Co 12:10He 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,[fn] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

1Co 12:11

1Co 12:11It 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

(cf. Eph 4:1–16 )

1Co 12:12

1Co 12:12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

1Co 12:13

1Co 12:13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[fn] 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.[fn]

1Co 12:14

1Co 12:14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

1Co 12:15

1Co 12:15If 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.

1Co 12:16

1Co 12:16And 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?

1Co 12:17

1Co 12:17If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

1Co 12:18

1Co 12:18But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

1Co 12:19

1Co 12:19How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

1Co 12:20

1Co 12:20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

1Co 12:21

1Co 12:21The 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.”

1Co 12:22

1Co 12:22In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

1Co 12:23

1Co 12:23And 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,

1Co 12:24

1Co 12:24while 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.

1Co 12:25

1Co 12:25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

1Co 12:26

1Co 12:26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

1Co 12:27

1Co 12:27All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

1Co 12:28

1Co 12:28Here 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.

1Co 12:29

1Co 12:29Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles?

1Co 12:30

1Co 12:30Do 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!

1Co 12:31

1Co 12:31So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.