Gifts from the Holy Spirit

12 Now, brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to ·misunderstand [be uninformed] ·about [concerning; or in regard to your question about; see 7:1; 8:1; 16:1] spiritual gifts. ² You know the way you lived ·before you were believers [^Lwhen you were pagans/Gentiles]. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that could not speak. ³ So I want you to understand that no one who is speaking ·with the help of [by means of; in the power of] God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” ·without the help of [^Lexcept by means of/in the power of] the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ·ways to serve [ministries] but the same Lord to serve. ⁶ And there are different ·ways that God works through people [kinds of action; activities] but the same God works ·in all of us in everything we do [^Lall things in all people]. ⁷ ·Something from the Spirit can be seen in [^LThe manifestation/disclosure of the Spirit is given to] each person, for the common good. ⁸ The Spirit gives one person the ·ability to speak with wisdom [message/word of wisdom], and the same Spirit gives another the ·ability to speak with knowledge [message/word of knowledge]. ⁹ The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And, to another, that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. ¹⁰ The Spirit gives to another person ·the power to do miracles [works of power], to another ·the ability to prophesy [^Lprophecy]. And he gives to another the ·ability to know the difference between good and evil [^Ldiscernment/distinguishing of] spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of ·languages [or ecstatic utterance; ^Ltongues] and to another the ·ability to interpret those languages [^Linterpretation of tongues]. ¹¹ One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit ·decides what to give [^Ldistributes just as he wishes to] each person.

The Body of Christ Works Together

¹² A person’s body is ·one thing [a unity; ^Lone], but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body ·through [by; in] one Spirit. And we were all made to ·share in [^Ldrink of] the one Spirit.

¹⁴ [^LFor] The ·human body [^Lbody] is not made up of one part, but of many. ¹⁵ The foot might say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. ¹⁶ The ear might say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, ·it would not be able to [^Lhow would it…?] hear. If the whole body were an ear, ·it would not be able to [^Lhow would it…?] smell. If each part of the body were the same part, ·there would be no body [^Lwhere would the body be?]. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them. ²⁰ So then there are many parts, but only one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” ²² ·No! [^LOn the contrary,] Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are ·really necessary [essential; indispensable]. ²³ And the parts of the body we think are less ·deserving [honorable] are the parts to which we give ·the most [special; greater] honor. We ·give special respect to [or treat with special modesty] the parts ·we want to hide [that are shameful/unpresentable]. ²⁴ The more ·respectable [presentable] parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave ·more [special] honor to the parts that need it ²⁵ so ·our body would not be divided [or there would be no division in the body]. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. ²⁶ If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is ·honored [glorified], all the other parts ·share its honor [^Lrejoice with it].

²⁷ ·Together you [^LYou; ^Cthe Greek is plural] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body. ²⁸ In the church God has ·given a place first to [appointed/placed first] apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers, then those who do ·miracles [acts of powers], those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to ·govern [lead], and those who can speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; ^Ldifferent kinds of tongues; v. 10]. ²⁹ ·Not all are apostles [^LNot all are apostles, are they? ^Cvv. 29–30 are all rhetorical questions assuming a negative answer]. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles. ³⁰ Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; ^Lin tongues]. Not all interpret those ·languages [^Ltongues]. ³¹ But ·you should truly want to have [eagerly desire; be zealous for] the greater gifts.

And now I will show you ·the best way of all [a better/superior way].