Beginning

Gifts from the Holy Spirit

12 Now, brothers, I want you to understand about spiritual gifts. ² You remember the lives you lived before you were believers. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that have no life. ³ So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” without the help of the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts; but they are all from the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different ways to serve; but all these ways are from the same Lord. ⁶ And there are different ways that God works in people; but all these ways are from the same God. God works in us all in everything we do. ⁷ Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, to help everyone. ⁸ The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. And the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge. ⁹ The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And that one Spirit gives another gifts of healing. ¹⁰ The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages and to another the ability to interpret those languages. ¹¹ One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things. The Spirit decides what to give each person.

The Body of Christ

¹² A person’s body is one thing, but it has many parts. Yes, there are many parts to a body, but all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that too. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, and some of us are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some of us are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.

¹⁴ And a person’s body has more than one part. It has many parts. ¹⁵ The foot might say, “I am not a hand. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. ¹⁶ The ear might say, “I am not an eye. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, the body would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, the body would not be able to smell anything. ^18-19 If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one of them. ²⁰ And so there are many parts, but only one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” ²² No! Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are really very important. ²³ And the parts of the body that we think are not worth much are the parts that we give the most care to. And we give special care to the parts of the body that we want to hide. ²⁴ The more beautiful parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. ²⁵ God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. ²⁶ If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.

²⁷ All of you together are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of that body. ²⁸ And in the church God has given a place first to apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers. Then God has given a place to those who do miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to lead, and those who can speak in different languages. ²⁹ Not all are apostles. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles. ³⁰ Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak in different languages. Not all interpret those languages. ³¹ But you should truly want to have the greater gifts.

Love

And now I will show you the best way of all.

13 I may speak in different languages of men or even angels. But if I do not have love, then I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. ² I may have the gift of prophecy; I may understand all the secret things of God and all knowledge; and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing. ³ I may give everything I have to feed the poor. And I may even give my body as an offering to be burned.^[a] But I gain nothing by doing these things if I do not have love.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. ⁵ Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. ⁶ Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices over the truth. ⁷ Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong.

⁸ Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different languages, but those gifts will end. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will be ended. ⁹ These things will end, because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. ¹⁰ But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child; I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. ¹² It is the same with us. Now we see as if we are looking into a dark mirror. But at that time, in the future, we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part. But at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. ¹³ So these three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.

Spiritual Gifts

14 Love, then, is what you should try for. And you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. ² I will explain why. One who has the gift of speaking in a different language is not speaking to people. He is speaking to God. No one understands him—he is speaking secret things through the Spirit. ³ But one who prophesies is speaking to people. He gives people strength, encouragement, and comfort. ⁴ The one who speaks in a different language is helping only himself. But the one who prophesies is helping the whole church. ⁵ I would like all of you to have the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. But more, I want you to prophesy. The person who prophesies is greater than the one who can only speak in different languages—unless someone is there who can explain what he says. Then the whole church can be helped.

⁶ Brothers, will it help you if I come to you speaking in different languages? No! It will help you only if I bring you a new truth or some knowledge, or some prophecy, or some teaching. ⁷ It is the same as with non-living things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If different musical notes are not made clear, you will not know what song is being played. Each note must be played clearly for you to be able to understand the tune. ⁸ And in a war, if the trumpet does not sound clearly, the soldiers will not know it is time to prepare for fighting. ⁹ It is the same with you. The words you speak with your tongue must be clear. Unless you speak clearly, no one can understand what you are saying. You will be talking in the air! ¹⁰ It is true that there are many kinds of speech in the world. And they all have meaning. ¹¹ So unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like strangers to each other. ¹² It is the same with you. You want spiritual gifts very much. So try most to have the gifts that help the church grow stronger.

¹³ The one who has the gift of speaking in a different language should pray that he can also interpret what he says. ¹⁴ If I pray in a different language, my spirit is praying, but my mind does nothing. ¹⁵ So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ¹⁶ You might be praising God with your spirit. But a person there without understanding cannot say “Amen”^[b] to your prayer of thanks. He does not know what you are saying. ¹⁷ You may be thanking God in a good way, but the other person is not helped.

¹⁸ I thank God that my gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is greater than any of yours. ¹⁹ But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words that I understand than thousands of words in a different language. I would rather speak with my understanding, so that I can teach others.

²⁰ Brothers, do not think like children. In evil things be like babies. But in your thinking you should be like full-grown men. ²¹ It is written in the Scriptures:

That is what the Lord says.

²² So the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages is a sign for those who do not believe, not for those who believe. And prophecy is for people who believe, not for those who do not believe. ²³ Suppose the whole church meets together and everyone speaks in different languages. If some people come in who are without understanding or do not believe, they will say you are crazy. ²⁴ But suppose everyone is prophesying and someone comes in who does not believe or is without understanding. If everyone is prophesying, his sin will be shown to him, and he will be judged by all that he hears. ²⁵ The secret things in his heart will be made known. So he will bow down and worship God. He will say, “Truly, God is with you.”

Meetings Should Help the Church

²⁶ So, brothers, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song. Another has a teaching. Another has a new truth from God. Another speaks in a different language, and another person interprets that language. The purpose of all these things should be to help the church grow strong. ²⁷ When you meet together, if anyone speaks in a different language, then it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other. And someone should interpret what they say. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, then anyone who speaks in a different language should be quiet in the church meeting. He should speak only to himself and to God.

²⁹ And only two or three prophets should speak. The others should judge what they say. ³⁰ And if a message from God comes to another person who is sitting, then the first speaker should stop. ³¹ You can all prophesy one after the other. In this way all the people can be taught and encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are under the control of the prophets themselves. ³³ God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.

This is true in all the churches of God’s people. ³⁴ Women should keep quiet in the church meetings. They are not allowed to speak. They must be under control. This is also what the law of Moses says. ³⁵ If there is something the women want to know, they should ask their own husbands at home. It is shameful for a woman to speak in the church meeting. ³⁶ Did God’s teaching come from you? Or are you the only ones who have received that teaching?

³⁷ If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or that he has a spiritual gift, then he should understand that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. ³⁸ If that person does not know this, then he is not known by God.

³⁹ So my brothers, you should truly want to prophesy. And do not stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. ⁴⁰ But let everything be done in a way that is right and orderly.