1 Corinthians 12:12-13:8

New American Standard Bible

¹² For just ^(A)as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, ^(B)so also is Christ. ¹³ For ^[a](C)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether ^(D)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to ^(E)drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For ^(F)the body is not one part, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[b]any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason ^[c]any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has ^(G)arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, ^(H)just as He desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ But now ^(I)there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ And 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.” ²² On the contrary, ^[d]it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³ and those parts of the body which we ^[e]consider less honorable, ^[f]on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, ²⁴ whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, ²⁵ so that there may be no ^[g]division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is ^[h]honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are ^(J)Christ’s body, and ^(K)individually parts of it. ²⁸ And God has ^[i](L)appointed in ^(M)the church, first ^(N)apostles, second ^(O)prophets, third ^(P)teachers, then ^[j](Q)miracles, then ^(R)gifts of healings, helps, ^(S)administrations, and various ^(T)kinds of tongues. ²⁹ All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of ^[k]miracles, are they? ³⁰ All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not ^(U)interpret, do they? ³¹ But ^(V)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the ^(W)tongues of mankind and of ^(X)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(Y)clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of ^(Z)prophecy and know all ^(AA)mysteries and all ^(AB)knowledge, and if I have ^(AC)all faith so as to ^(AD)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ And if I ^(AE)give away all my possessions to charity, and if I ^(AF)surrender my body so that I may ^[l]glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

⁴ Love ^(AG)is patient, love is kind, it ^(AH)is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not ^(AI)arrogant. ⁵ It does not act disgracefully, it ^(AJ)does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, ^(AK)does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, ^6 (AL)it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(AM)rejoices with the truth; ⁷ it ^[m](AN)keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^[n](AO)prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are ^(AP)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.