1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Just like the human body is one unit but has many parts—all the parts of the body even though there are many of them, make up one body—so is Christ. For it was through one Spirit that we were all baptized into one body. It doesn't matter whether we are Jews or Greeks, slave or free—we all were given the one Spirit to drink. The body is not made of one part, but many parts. If the foot were to say, “Because I'm not a hand, I'm not part of the body,” would that make it not part of the body? If the ear were to say, “Because I'm not an eye, I'm not part of the body,” would that make it not part of the body? If the whole body was an eye, how could you hear anything? If the whole body was an ear, how could you smell anything? But God has arranged each part in the body, every last one of them, placing them just as he wanted. If they were all the same part, what would happen to the body? However, since there are many parts, they make up the body. The eye can't tell the hand, “I don't need you,” or the head tell the feet, “I don't need you.” Quite the opposite: some of those parts of the body that seem the most insignificant are the most essential. In fact those parts of the body we do not consider to be decent to reveal we “honor” more by covering them up—what is indecent we treat with greater modesty! What's presentable doesn't need such covering up. God has so arranged the body that more honor is given to the parts that are less presentable. This is so there wouldn't be any conflict within the body—the different parts should care equally for each other. So when one part is suffering, all the other parts of the body suffer with it, and when one part is treated well, then all the other parts of the body are happy too! Now you are the body of Christ, and each one makes up a part of it. In the church, God has arranged first for some to be apostles, secondly for some to be prophets, thirdly teachers. Then there are those who perform miracles, those with healing gifts, those who can help others, those good at administration, and those who can speak different languages. Not everyone is an apostle, or a prophet, or a teacher, or able to perform miracles. Not all have healing gifts, or the ability to speak languages, or to interpret languages.