1Brothers and sisters, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding concerning spiritual gifts. 2You know that when you were unbelievers, every time you were led to worship false gods you were worshiping gods who couldn't even speak. 3So I want you to know that no one speaking by God's Spirit says, "Jesus is cursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

4There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. 6There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person. 7The evidence of the Spirit's presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone. 8The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person the ability to speak with knowledge. 9To another person the same Spirit gives [courageous] faith. To another person the same Spirit gives the ability to heal. 10Another can work miracles. Another can speak what God has revealed. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of languages. Another can interpret languages. 11There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person.

12For example, the body is one unit and yet has many parts. As all the parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether we are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit to drink.

14As you know, the human body is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. 15Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, so I'm not part of the body!" Would that mean it's no longer part of the body? 16Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, so I'm not a part of the body!" Would that mean it's no longer part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18So God put each and every part of the body together as he wanted it. 19How could it be a body if it only had one part? 20So there are many parts but one body. 21An eye can't say to a hand, "I don't need you!" Or again, the head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22The opposite is true. The parts of the body that we think are weaker are the ones we really need. 23The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we give special honor. So our unpresentable parts are made more presentable. 24However, our presentable parts don't need this kind of treatment. God has put the body together and given special honor to the part that doesn't have it. 25God's purpose was that the body should not be divided but rather that all of its parts should feel the same concern for each other. 26If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness.

27You are Christ's body and each of you is an individual part of it.

28In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages. 29Not all believers are apostles, are they? Are all of them prophets? Do all of them teach? Do all of them perform miracles 30or have gifts of healing? Can all of them speak in other languages or interpret languages? 31You [only] want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.