1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3
New Testament for Everyone
Gifts and ministries
27 Now you together are the Messiah’s body, and individually you are members of it. 28 In the church, God has placed apostles first, then prophets, then teachers, then powerful deeds, then gifts of healing, helpful deeds, organizational gifts, different types of languages. 29 Not everyone is an apostle, are they? Not everyone is a prophet! Not everyone is a teacher! Not everyone does powerful deeds! 30 Not everyone has gifts of healing! Not everyone speaks with tongues! Not everyone interprets!
31 You should be eager for the better kinds of gifts.
The need for love and the character of love
Now I’m going to show you a better way, a much better way.
13 If I speak in human languages, or even in those of angels, but do not have love,
then I’ve become a clanging gong or else
a clashing cymbal. 2 And if I should have
prophetic gifts, and know all mysteries,
all knowledge, too; have faith, to move the mountains,
but have no love—I’m nothing. 3 If I give
all my possessions to the poor, and, for pride’s sake,
my very body, but do not have love,
it’s useless to me.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.