1 Corinthians 12:12-27

The Use of Spiritual Gifts

¹²For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴For the body is not one part, but many. ¹⁵If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰But now there are many parts, but one body. ²¹And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; ²³and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, ²⁴whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, ²⁵so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. ²⁶And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

²⁷Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.