12:1 Now concerning the spiritual, brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant.

12:2 You know that when you were among the non-Judeans you were captivated by mute idols.

12:3 Therefore I declare to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God can say a curse on Jesus, and no one can really say “Jesus is Master” if they do not have the Holy Spirit.

12:4 There are various gifts but the same Spirit;

12:5 there are various services but the same Master;

12:6 there are various activities but the same God is active in all of them.

12:7 The expression of the Spirit is given to each one for the common good:

12:8 to one is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

12:9 to another, faith in the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing according to the same Spirit;

12:10 to another, the ability to do powerful works; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, unknown languages; to another, the translation of languages.

12:11 Now all of these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who gives them out to each one as it sees fit.

12:12 Just as there is one body with many parts (although there are many parts, there is only one body), so it is with the Anointed.

12:13 For in that one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Judeans or Greeks or slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

12:14 So the Body has many parts.

12:15 If the foot should say, “Since I am not a hand I am not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it any less a part of the body.

12:16 And if the ear should say, “Since I am not an eye I am not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it any less a part of the body.

12:17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all ears, how could it smell anything?

12:18 Now God has placed each part in the Body as he saw fit.

12:19 If it were all one part it would not be a body!

12:20 But in fact, there are many parts but one body.

12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”; the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

12:22 Rather, those parts of the body that seem weaker are more necessary,

12:23 and those parts that we consider nothing we actually treat with more respect. We cover our private parts but give them the utmost respect and care,

12:24 while our “respectable” parts have no such need. So God assembled the body and gave the most vulnerable parts the greatest honor.

12:25 This is so the body will not be divided but will have each part caring for all the other parts.

12:26 So whatever one part experiences, so do all the other parts. If one part is honored, all the other parts celebrate together with it.

12:27 So you are the body of the Anointed; you are its individual parts.

12:28 Now this is what God has placed in the Congregation: first Ambassadors, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of divine healings, perceptions, guidance, and supernaturally-understood languages.

12:29 Not all are Ambassadors; not all are prophets; not all are teachers; not all perform miracles;

12:30 not all have divine healing gifts; not all can supernaturally speak in other languages; not all translate.

12:31 Instead, aspire to the greater gifts. And now I will show you the absolute greatest path.