1 Corinthians 12: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

²You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

³Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord.

⁶There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,

⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.

¹²The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.

¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

¹⁴For the body does not consist of one part, but of many.

¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.

¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be?

²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.”

²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

²³and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,

²⁴whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.

²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.

²⁸And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.