1 Corinthians 12-14 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Corinthians 12

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

 ¹Now concerning ^(A)spiritual gifts, brethren, ^(B)I do not want you to be unaware.

 ^2(C)You know that when you were pagans, you were ^(D)led astray to the ^(E)mute idols, however you were led.

 ³Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking ^(F)by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is ^(G)accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is ^(H)Lord," except ^(I)by the Holy Spirit.

 ⁴Now there are ^(J)varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

 ⁵And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

 ⁶There are varieties of effects, but the same ^(K)God who works all things in all persons.

 ⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit ^(L)for the common good.

 ⁸For to one is given the word of ^(M)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of ^(N)knowledge according to the same Spirit;

 ⁹to another ^(O)faith by the same Spirit, and to another ^(P)gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

 ¹⁰and to another the effecting of ^(Q)miracles, and to another ^(R)prophecy, and to another the ^(S)distinguishing of spirits, to another various ^(T)kinds of tongues, and to another the ^(U)interpretation of tongues.

 ¹¹But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ^(V)distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

 ¹²For even ^(W)as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, ^(X)so also is Christ.

 ¹³For ^(Y)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether ^(Z)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to ^(AA)drink of one Spirit.

 ¹⁴For ^(AB)the body is not one member, but many.

 ¹⁵If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

 ¹⁶And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less 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 ^(AC)placed the members, each one of them, in the body, ^(AD)just as He desired.

 ¹⁹If they were all one member, where would the body be?

 ²⁰But now ^(AE)there are many members, but one body.

 ²¹And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

 ²²On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

 ²³and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,

 ²⁴whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

 ²⁵so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

 ²⁶And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 ²⁷Now you are ^(AF)Christ's body, and ^(AG)individually members of it.

 ²⁸And God has ^(AH)appointed in ^(AI)the church, first ^(AJ)apostles, second ^(AK)prophets, third ^(AL)teachers, then ^(AM)miracles, then ^(AN)gifts of healings, helps, ^(AO)administrations, various ^(AP)kinds of tongues.

 ²⁹All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?

 ³⁰All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not ^(AQ)interpret, do they?

 ³¹But ^(AR)earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

The Excellence of Love

 ¹If I speak with the ^(AS)tongues of men and of ^(AT)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(AU)clanging cymbal.

 ²If I have the gift of ^(AV)prophecy, and know all ^(AW)mysteries and all ^(AX)knowledge; and if I have ^(AY)all faith, so as to ^(AZ)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

 ³And if I ^(BA)give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I ^(BB)surrender my body ^[a]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

 ⁴Love ^(BC)is patient, love is kind and ^(BD)is not jealous; love does not brag and is not ^(BE)arrogant,

 ⁵does not act unbecomingly; it ^(BF)does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^(BG)does not take into account a wrong suffered,

 ^6(BH)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(BI)rejoices with the truth;

 ^7(BJ)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 ⁸Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^(BK)prophecy, they will be done away; if there are ^(BL)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

 ⁹For we ^(BM)know in part and we prophesy in part;

 ¹⁰but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

 ¹¹When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

 ¹²For now we ^(BN)see in a mirror dimly, but then ^(BO)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also ^(BP)have been fully known.

 ¹³But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is ^(BQ)love.

1 Corinthians 14

Prophecy a Superior Gift

 ^1(BR)Pursue love, yet ^(BS)desire earnestly ^(BT)spiritual gifts, but especially that you may ^(BU)prophesy.

 ²For one who ^(BV)speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks ^(BW)mysteries.

 ³But one who prophesies speaks to men for ^(BX)edification and ^(BY)exhortation and consolation.

 ⁴One who ^(BZ)speaks in a tongue ^(CA)edifies himself; but one who ^(CB)prophesies ^(CC)edifies the church.

 ⁵Now I wish that you all ^(CD)spoke in tongues, but ^(CE)even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who ^(CF)speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive ^(CG)edifying.

 ⁶But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of ^(CH)revelation or of ^(CI)knowledge or of ^(CJ)prophecy or of ^(CK)teaching?

 ⁷Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?

 ⁸For if ^(CL)the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

 ⁹So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be ^(CM)speaking into the air.

 ¹⁰There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.

 ¹¹If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a ^(CN)barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me.

 ¹²So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the ^(CO)edification of the church.

 ¹³Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.

 ¹⁴For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

 ^15(CP)What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will ^(CQ)sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.

 ¹⁶Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say ^(CR)the "Amen" at your ^(CS)giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

 ¹⁷For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not ^(CT)edified.

 ¹⁸I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all;

 ¹⁹however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Instruction for the Church

 ^20(CU)Brethren, ^(CV)do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil ^(CW)be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

 ²¹In ^(CX)the Law it is written, "^(CY)BY MEN OF STRANGE TONGUES AND BY THE LIPS OF STRANGERS I WILL SPEAK TO THIS PEOPLE, AND EVEN SO THEY WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME," says the Lord.

 ²²So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but ^(CZ)prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe.

 ²³Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that ^(DA)you are mad?

 ²⁴But if all ^(DB)prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is ^(DC)convicted by all, he is called to account by all;

 ^25(DD)the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will ^(DE)fall on his face and worship God, ^(DF)declaring that God is certainly among you.

 ^26(DG)What is the outcome then, ^(DH)brethren? When you assemble, ^(DI)each one has a ^(DJ)psalm, has a ^(DK)teaching, has a ^(DL)revelation, has a ^(DM)tongue, has an ^(DN)interpretation Let ^(DO)all things be done for edification.

 ²⁷If anyone speaks in a ^(DP)tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must ^(DQ)interpret;

 ²⁸but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.

 ²⁹Let two or three ^(DR)prophets speak, and let the others ^(DS)pass judgment.

 ³⁰But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.

 ³¹For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;

 ³²and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;

 ³³for God is not a God of ^(DT)confusion but of peace, as in ^(DU)all the churches of the ^(DV)saints.

 ³⁴The women are to ^(DW)keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but ^(DX)are to subject themselves, just as ^(DY)the Law also says.

 ³⁵If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

 ³⁶Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?

 ^37(DZ)If anyone thinks he is a prophet or ^(EA)spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you ^(EB)are the Lord's commandment.

 ³⁸But if anyone does not recognize this, he ^[b]is not recognized.

 ³⁹Therefore, my brethren, ^(EC)desire earnestly to ^(ED)prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.

 ⁴⁰But ^(EE)all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.