Spiritual Gifts

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

²You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

³Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵There are different ministries, but the same Lord.

⁶There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,

⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

¹⁰to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.

The Body of Christ

¹²The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.

¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

¹⁴For the body does not consist of one part, but of many.

¹⁵If 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.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.

¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be?

²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.”

²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

²³and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,

²⁴whereas our presentable parts have no such need.But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.

²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

The Greater Gifts

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.

²⁸And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹But eagerly desire the greater gifts.And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Living Sacrifices

¹Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.

⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,

⁵so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.

⁶We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;

⁷if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love, Zeal, Hope, Hospitality

⁹Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

¹¹Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

¹³Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Forgiveness

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

¹⁸If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

¹⁹Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

²⁰On the contrary,“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;if he is thirsty, give him a drink.For in so doing,you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Food Sacrificed to Idols

¹Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

²The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

³But the one who loves God is known by God.

⁴So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.

⁵For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords),

⁶yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

⁷But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

⁸But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

⁹Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

¹⁰For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?

¹¹So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

¹²By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

¹³Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

More Proverbs of Solomon

¹These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matterand the glory of kings to search it out.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,and do not stand in the place of great men;

⁷for it is better to be told, “Come up here!”than to be demoted in the presence of the prince.Even whatyou have seen with your own eyes,

⁸do not bring hastily to court.Otherwise, what will you do in the endwhen your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your case with your neighborwithout betraying another’s confidence,

¹⁰lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,and your infamy never go away.

¹¹A word fitly spokenis like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine goldis a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvestis a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rainis the man who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just what you need,lest you have too much and vomit it up.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,lest he grow weary and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or sword or sharp arrowis a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a foot out of jointis confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

²⁰Like one who removes a garment on a cold dayor vinegar poured on a woundis one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²²For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head,and the LORD will reward you.

²³As the north wind brings forth rain,so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roofthan to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soulis good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted wellis a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honeyor to search out one’s own glory.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken downis a man who does not control his temper.