1Now about “spiritual gifts.” ⁵²My brothers and sisters, I want to explain this to you.

2You know that when you were pagans, you were deceived, being led astray by worshiping idols who couldn't even speak.

3Let me make it clear to you: no one who speaks in the Spirit of God says, “Curse Jesus!” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord!” except by the Holy Spirit.

4Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they come from the same Spirit.

5There are different kinds of ministries, ⁵³but they come from the same Lord.

6There are different ways of working, but they come from the same God, who is at work in all of them.

7The Spirit is given to each of us and is revealed for the good of all.

8One person is given by the Spirit the ability to speak words of wisdom. Another is given a message of knowledge by the same Spirit.

9Another receives the gift of strongly trusting in God by the same Spirit. Another receives gifts of healing from that one Spirit.

10Another is given the ability to perform miracles. Another receives the gift of prophecy. Another is given the gift of spiritual discernment. Another receives the ability to speak different languages, while another is given the gift of interpreting languages.

11But all of these gifts are the work of the one and the same Spirit, sharing with each person as he alone chooses.

12Just like the human body is one unit but has many parts—all the parts of the body even though there are many of them, make up one body—so is Christ.

13For it was through one Spirit that we were all baptized into one body. It doesn't matter whether we are Jews or Greeks, slave or free—we all were given the one Spirit to drink.

14The body is not made of one part, but many parts.

15If the foot were to say, “Because I'm not a hand, I'm not part of the body,” would that make it not part of the body?

16If the ear were to say, “Because I'm not an eye, I'm not part of the body,” would that make it not part of the body?

17If the whole body was an eye, how could you hear anything? If the whole body was an ear, how could you smell anything?

18But God has arranged each part in the body, every last one of them, placing them just as he wanted.

19If they were all the same part, what would happen to the body?

20However, since there are many parts, they make up the body.

21The eye can't tell the hand, “I don't need you,” or the head tell the feet, “I don't need you.”

22Quite the opposite: some of those parts of the body that seem the most insignificant are the most essential.

23In fact those parts of the body we do not consider to be decent to reveal we “honor” more by covering them up—what is indecent we treat with greater modesty!

24What's presentable doesn't need such covering up. God has so arranged the body that more honor is given to the parts that are less presentable.

25This is so there wouldn't be any conflict within the body—the different parts should care equally for each other.

26So when one part is suffering, all the other parts of the body suffer with it, and when one part is treated well, then all the other parts of the body are happy too! ⁵⁴

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one makes up a part of it.

28In the church, God has arranged first for some to be apostles, secondly for some to be prophets, thirdly teachers. Then there are those who perform miracles, those with healing gifts, those who can help others, those good at administration, and those who can speak different languages.

29Not everyone is an apostle, or a prophet, or a teacher, or able to perform miracles.

30Not all have healing gifts, or the ability to speak languages, or to interpret languages.

31But you should really want to have the most significant gifts. ⁵⁵So now I will show you a far better way.