1 Corinthians 12
12
Varieties of Spiritual Gifts
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts,#Or “spiritual things”; possibly “those who possess spiritual gifts” brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,” and no one is able to say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, 5and there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord, 6and there are varieties of activities, but the same God, who works all things in all people. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is beneficial to all. 8For to one is given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another#Some manuscripts have “and to another” gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another#Some manuscripts have “and to another” miraculous powers#Literally “activities of power”, to another#Some manuscripts have “and to another” prophecy, to another#Some manuscripts have “and to another” distinguishing of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another#Some manuscripts have “and to another” interpretation of tongues. 11But in all these things one and the same Spirit is at work, distributing to each one individually just as he wishes.
Unity in the Midst of Diversity
12For just as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, although they#*Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as concessive are many, are one body, thus also Christ. 13For by#Or “in” one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free persons, and all were made to drink one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” not because of this is it not a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body, not because of this is it not a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as he wanted. 19And if they all were one member, where would the body be? 20But now there are many members, but one body.
21Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, “I do not have need of you,” or again, the head to the feet, “I do not have need of you.” 22But by much more the members of the body which are thought to be weaker are necessary, 23and the parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, these we clothe with more abundant honor, and our unpresentable parts come to have more abundant presentability, 24but our presentable parts do not have need of this. Yet God composed the body by giving more abundant honor to the part which lacked it, 25in order that there not be a division in the body, but the members would have the same concern for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if a member#Some manuscripts have “one member” is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and members of it individually#Literally “by part”, 28and whom God has appointed in the church: first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, kinds of tongues. 29Not all are apostles, are they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here Not all are prophets, are they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here Not all are teachers, are they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here Not all are workers of miracles, are they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here 30Not all have gifts of healing, do they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here Not all speak with tongues, do they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here Not all interpret, do they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here 31But strive#Or “you are striving” (some understand the form of this verb to be indicative mood rather than imperative mood) for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
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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.