²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ,^(A) and each one of you is a part of it.^{(B) 28} And God has placed in the church^(C) first of all apostles,^(D) second prophets,^(E) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,^(F) of helping, of guidance,^(G) and of different kinds of tongues.^{(H) 29} Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[a]?^(I) Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire^(J) the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(A) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(B) and to prayer.^(C)

⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(A) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(B) and each member belongs to all the others.

¹⁷ Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,^(A) for we all share the one loaf.

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(A) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(B) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(C) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(D) nor is there male and female,^(E) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^(F)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave^(A) the apostles,^(B) the prophets,^(C) the evangelists,^(D) the pastors and teachers,^{(E) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(F) may be built up^{(G) 13} until we all reach unity^(H) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(I) and become mature,^(J) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(K)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave^(A) the apostles,^(B) the prophets,^(C) the evangelists,^(D) the pastors and teachers,^{(E) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(F) may be built up^{(G) 13} until we all reach unity^(H) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(I) and become mature,^(J) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(K)