1   About gifts of the Spirit, there are some things of which I do not wish you to remain ignorant.

2   You know how, in the days when you were still pagan, you were swept off to those dumb heathen gods, however you happened to be led. ^note 3   For 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.

4    5   There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are varieties of service, but the same Lord. 6   There are many forms of work, but all of them, in all men, are the work of the same God. 7   In each of us the Spirit is manifested in one particular way, for some useful purpose. 8   One man, 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. 9   Another, by the same Spirit, is granted faith;

Spiritual gifts another, 10   by the one Spirit, gifts of healing, and another miraculous powers; another has the gift of prophecy, and another ability to distinguish true spirits from false; yet another has the gift of ecstatic utterance of different kinds, and another the ability to interpret it. 11   But all these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, distributing them separately to each individual at will.

12   For Christ is like a single body with its many limbs and organs, which, many as they are, together make up one body. 13   For indeed we were all brought into one body by baptism, in the one Spirit, whether we are Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free men, and that one Holy Spirit was poured out for all of us to drink.

14    15   A body is not one single organ, but many. Suppose the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, it does belong to the body none the less. 16   Suppose the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, it does still belong to the body. 17   If the body were all eye, how could it hear? 18   If the body were all ear, how could it smell? But, in fact, God appointed each limb and organ to its own place in the body, as he chose. 19   If the whole were one single organ, there would not be a body at all; 20   in fact, however, there are many different organs, but one body. 21   The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you’; nor the head to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’ 22   Quite the contrary: those organs of the body which seem to be more frail than others are indispensable, 23   and those parts of the body which we regard as less honourable are treated with special honour. To our unseemly parts is given a more than ordinary seemliness, 24   whereas our seemly parts need no adorning. But God has combined the various parts of the body, 25   giving special honour to the humbler parts, so that there might be no sense of division in the body, but that all its organs might feel the same concern for one another. 26   If one organ suffers, they all suffer together. If one flourishes, they all rejoice together.

27   Now you are Christ's body, and each of you a limb or organ of it. 28   Within 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 ecstatic utterance of various kinds. 29   Are all apostles? all prophets? all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30   Have all gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues of ecstasy? Can all interpret them? 31   The higher gifts are those you should aim at.

Spiritual gifts

And now I will show you the best way of all.

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