1Cor 12-14 | ESV | STEP | Now concerning spiritual gifts , brothers , I do not want you to be uninformed .

1 Now ^aconcerning ^{▼▼The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians’ letter; see 7:1} spiritual gifts, ^{▼▼Or spiritual persons} brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters} I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that ^ewhen you were pagans ^fyou were led astray to ^gmute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that ^hno one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is ⁱaccursed!” and ^jno one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now ^kthere are varieties of gifts, but ^lthe same Spirit; 5 and ^mthere are varieties of service, but ⁿthe same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is ^othe same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 ^pTo each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of ^qwisdom, and to another the utterance of ^rknowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another ^sfaith by the same Spirit, to another ^tgifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another ^uthe working of miracles, to another ^vprophecy, to another ^wthe ability to distinguish between spirits, to another ^xvarious kinds of tongues, to another ^ythe interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, ^zwho apportions to each one individually ^aaas he wills.

One Body with Many Members

12 For just as ^abthe body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, ^acso it is with Christ. 13 For ^adin one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— ^aeJews or Greeks, slaves ^{▼▼Or servants; Greek bondservants} or free—and ^agall were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, ^ahGod arranged the members in the body, each one of them, ^aias he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, ^{▼▼Or members; also verse 22} yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, ^akall rejoice together.

27 Now ^alyou are the body of Christ and individually ^ammembers of it. 28 And ^anGod has appointed in the church first ^aoapostles, second ^approphets, third teachers, then ^aqmiracles, then ^argifts of healing, ^ashelping, ^atadministrating, and ^auvarious kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But ^avearnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have ^awprophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, ^axso as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 ^ayIf I give away all I have, and ^azif I deliver up my body to be burned, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast} but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 ^bbLove is patient and ^bckind; love ^bddoes not envy or boast; it ^beis not arrogant 5 or rude. It ^bfdoes not insist on its own way; it ^bgis not irritable or resentful; ^{▼▼Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing} 6 it ^bidoes not rejoice at wrongdoing, but ^bjrejoices with the truth. 7 ^bkLove bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, ^blendures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For ^bmwe know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but ^bnwhen the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For ^bonow we see in a mirror dimly, but ^bpthen face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as ^bqI have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 14

Prophecy and Tongues

1 ^brPursue love, and ^bsearnestly desire the ^btspiritual gifts, especially that you may ^buprophesy. 2 For ^bvone who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but ^bweven more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

6 Now, brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 26, 39} if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some ^byrevelation or knowledge or prophecy or ^bzteaching? 7 If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? 8 And ^caif the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be ^cbspeaking into the air. 10 There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, 11 but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be ^cca foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; ^cdI will sing praise with my spirit, but I will ^cesing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider ^{▼▼Or of him that is without gifts} say ^cg“Amen” to ^chyour thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20 Brothers, ^cido not be children in your thinking. ^cjBe infants in evil, but in your thinking be ^ckmature. 21 ^clIn the Law it is written, ^cm“By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign ^{▼▼Greek lacks a sign} not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, ^cowill they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 ^cpthe secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, ^cqfalling on his face, he will worship God and ^crdeclare that God is really among you.

Orderly Worship

26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has ^csa hymn, ^cta lesson, ^cua revelation, ^cva tongue, or ^cwan interpretation. ^cxLet all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in ^cya tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others ^czweigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, ^dalet the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of ^dbconfusion but of peace.

As in ^dcall the churches of the saints, 34 ^ddthe women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but ^deshould be in submission, as ^dfthe Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 ^dgIf anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, ^dhearnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 ^diBut all things should be done decently and ^djin order.