1 Corinthians 12-14 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Corinthians 12

Spiritual Gifts

 ¹My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. ²I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. ³Now I want you to know that if you are led by God's Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord, and you will never curse Jesus.

    ⁴There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. ⁵There are different ways to serve the same Lord, ⁶and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do.

    ⁷The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. ⁸Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. ⁹To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick ¹⁰or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. ^[a] Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. ¹¹But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

One Body with Many Parts

 ¹²The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. ¹³Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit. ^{[b] 14}Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts. ¹⁵Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? ¹⁶Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? ¹⁷If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. ¹⁸But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.

    ¹⁹A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part. ²⁰It takes many parts to make a single body. ²¹That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it doesn't need the feet. ²²In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. ²³We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, ²⁴but we don't have to be modest about other parts.

   God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. ²⁵He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. ²⁶If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.

    ²⁷Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. ²⁸First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. ²⁹Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. ³⁰Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean. ³¹I want you to desire the best gifts. ^[c] So I will show you a much better way.

1 Corinthians 13

Love

 ¹What if I could speak

   all languages

   of humans

   and of angels?

   If I did not love others,

   I would be nothing more

   than a noisy gong

   or a clanging cymbal.

    ²What if I could prophesy

   and understand all secrets

   and all knowledge?

   And what if I had faith

   that moved mountains?

   I would be nothing,

   unless I loved others.

    ³What if I gave away all

   that I owned

   and let myself

   be burned alive? ^[d] I would gain nothing,

   unless I loved others.

    ⁴Love is kind and patient,

   never jealous, boastful,

   proud, or ⁵rude.

   Love isn't selfish

   or quick tempered.

   It doesn't keep a record

   of wrongs that others do.

    ⁶Love rejoices in the truth,

   but not in evil.

    ⁷Love is always supportive,

   loyal, hopeful,

   and trusting.

    ⁸Love never fails!

   Everyone who prophesies

   will stop,

   and unknown languages

   will no longer

   be spoken.

   All that we know

   will be forgotten.

    ⁹We don't know everything,

   and our prophecies

   are not complete.

    ¹⁰But what is perfect

   will someday appear,

   and what isn't perfect

   will then disappear.

    ¹¹When we were children,

   we thought and reasoned

   as children do.

   But when we grew up,

   we quit our childish ways.

    ¹²Now all we can see of God

   is like a cloudy picture

   in a mirror.

   Later we will see him

   face to face.

   We don't know everything,

   but then we will,

   just as God completely

   understands us.

    ¹³For now there are faith,

   hope, and love.

   But of these three,

   the greatest is love.

   

1 Corinthians 14

Speaking Unknown Languages and Prophesying

 ¹Love should be your guide. Be eager to have the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophecy. ²If you speak languages that others don't know, God will understand what you are saying, though no one else will know what you mean. You will be talking about mysteries that only the Spirit understands. ³But when you prophesy, you will be understood, and others will be helped. They will be encouraged and made to feel better.

    ⁴By speaking languages that others don't know, you help only yourself. But by prophesying you help everyone in the church. ⁵I am glad for you to speak unknown languages, although I had rather for you to prophesy. In fact, prophesying does much more good than speaking unknown languages, unless someone can help the church by explaining what you mean.

    ⁶My friends, what good would it do, if I came and spoke unknown languages to you and didn't explain what I meant? How would I help you, unless I told you what God had shown me or gave you some knowledge or prophecy or teaching? ⁷If all musical instruments sounded alike, how would you know the difference between a flute and a harp? ⁸If a bugle call isn't clear, how would you know to get ready for battle?

    ⁹That's how it is when you speak unknown languages. If no one can understand what you are talking about, you will only be talking to the wind. ¹⁰There are many different languages in this world, and all of them make sense. ¹¹But if I don't understand the language that someone is using, we will be like foreigners to each other. ¹²If you really want spiritual gifts, choose the ones that will be most helpful to the church.

    ¹³When we speak languages that others don't know, we should pray for the power to explain what we mean. ¹⁴For example, if I use an unknown language in my prayers, my spirit prays but my mind is useless. ¹⁵Then what should I do? There are times when I should pray with my spirit, and times when I should pray with my mind. Sometimes I should sing with my spirit, and at other times I should sing with my mind.

    ¹⁶Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they don't understand you, how will they know to say, "Amen"? ¹⁷You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped. ¹⁸I thank God that I speak unknown languages more than any of you. ¹⁹But words that make sense can help the church. That's why in church I had rather speak five words that make sense than to speak ten thousand words in a language that others don't know.

    ²⁰My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies. ²¹In the Scriptures the Lord says,

   "I will use strangers

   who speak unknown languages

   to talk to my people.

   They will speak to them

   in foreign languages,

   but still my people

   won't listen to me."

    ²²Languages that others don't know may mean something to unbelievers, but not to the Lord's followers. Prophecy, on the other hand, is for followers, not for unbelievers. ²³Suppose everyone in your worship service started speaking unknown languages, and some outsiders or some unbelievers come in. Won't they think you are crazy? ²⁴But suppose all of you are prophesying when those unbelievers and outsiders come in. They will realize that they are sinners, and they will want to change their ways because of what you are saying. ²⁵They will tell what is hidden in their hearts. Then they will kneel down and say to God, "We are certain that you are with these people."

   

Worship Must Be Orderly

 ²⁶My friends, when you meet to worship, you must do everything for the good of everyone there. That's how it should be when someone sings or teaches or tells what God has said or speaks an unknown language or explains what the language means. ²⁷No more than two or three of you should speak unknown languages during the meeting. You must take turns, and someone should always be there to explain what you mean. ²⁸If no one can explain, you must keep silent in church and speak only to yourself and to God.

    ²⁹Two or three persons may prophesy, and everyone else must listen carefully. ³⁰If someone sitting there receives a message from God, the speaker must stop and let the other person speak. ³¹Let only one person speak at a time, then all of you will learn something and be encouraged. ³²A prophet should be willing to stop and let someone else speak. ³³God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order.

   When God's people meet in church, ³⁴the women must not be allowed to speak. They must keep quiet and listen, as the Law of Moses teaches. ³⁵If there is something they want to know, they can ask their husbands when they get home. It is disgraceful for women to speak in church. ³⁶God's message did not start with you people, and you are not the only ones it has reached.

    ³⁷If you think of yourself as a prophet or a spiritual person, you will know that I am writing only what the Lord has commanded. ³⁸So don't pay attention to anyone who ignores what I am writing. ³⁹My friends, be eager to prophesy and don't stop anyone from speaking languages that others don't know. ⁴⁰But do everything properly and in order.