1 And I, when I came to you, brothers,¹ did not come proclaiming to you the testimony² of God with ^vlofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you ^wexcept Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in ^xweakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were ^ynot in plausible words of wisdom, but ^zin demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men³ but in the ^apower of God.

6 Yet among the ^bmature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a ^csecret and hidden wisdom of God, which God ^ddecreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the ^eLord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

10 these things ^hGod has ⁱrevealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For ^jwho knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have ^kreceived ^lnot the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, ^mthat we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.⁴

14 ⁿThe natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^ofolly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The ^pspiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 ^q“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 ^cNow concerning^{1 d}spiritual gifts,² brothers,³ I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to ^emute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say ^f“Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are ^gvarieties of gifts, but ^hthe same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the ⁱsame Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who ^jempowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another ^kfaith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of ^lmiracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to ^mdistinguish between spirits, to another ⁿvarious kinds of tongues, to another the ^ointerpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually ^pas he wills.

12 ^qFor just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, ^rslaves⁴ or free—and ^sall 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, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, ^tthere are many parts,⁵ 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 ^udivision in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 ^vIf one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now ^wyou are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church ^xfirst apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various 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 ^yearnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.