Dual PanelSpiritual gifts
1ABOUT gifts of the Spirit, my friends, I want there to be no misunderstanding.
2You know how, in the days when you were still pagan, you used to be carried away by some impulse or other to those dumb heathen gods.
3For this reason I must impress upon you that no one who says “A curse on Jesus!” can be speaking under the influence of the Spirit of God; and no one can say “Jesus is Lord!” except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
4There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5There are varieties of service, but the same Lord.
6There are varieties of activity, but in all of them and in everyone the same God is active.
7In each of us the Spirit is seen to be at work for some useful purpose.
8One, through the Spirit, has the gift of wise speech, while another, by the power of the same Spirit, can put the deepest knowledge into words.
9Another, by the same Spirit, is granted faith; another, by the one Spirit, gifts of healing,
10and another miraculous powers; another has the gift of prophecy, and another the ability to distinguish true spirits from false; yet another has the gift of tongues of various kinds, and another the ability to interpret them.
11But all these gifts are the activity of one and the same Spirit, distributing them to each individual at will.
12Christ is like a single body with its many limbs and organs, which, many as they are, together make up one body;
13for in the one Spirit we were all brought into one body by baptism, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free; we were all given that one Spirit to drink.
14A body is not a single organ, but many.
15Suppose the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it belongs to the body none the less.
16Suppose the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it still belongs to the body.
17If the body were all eye, how could it hear? If the body were all ear, how could it smell?
18But, in fact, God appointed each limb and organ to its own place in the body as he chose.
19If the whole were a single organ, there would not be a body at all;
20in fact, however, there are many different organs, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” or the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
22Quite the contrary: those parts of the body which seem to be more frail than others are indispensable,
23and those parts of the body which we regard as less honourable are treated with special honour. The parts we are modest about are treated with special respect,
24whereas our respectable parts have no such need. But God has combined the various parts of the body, giving special honour to the humbler parts,
25so that there might be no division in the body, but that all its parts might feel the same concern for one another.
26If one part suffers, all suffer together; if one flourishes, all rejoice together.
27Now you are Christ's body, and each of you a limb or organ of it.
28Within our community God has appointed in the first place apostles, in the second place prophets, thirdly teachers; then miracle-workers, then those who have gifts of healing, or ability to help others or power to guide them, or the gift of tongues of various kinds.
29Are all apostles? All prophets? All teachers? Do all work miracles?
30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues of ecstasy? Can all interpret them?
31The higher gifts are those you should prize. But I can show you an even better way.