Bible Verse Lookup
1 Cor 12:4-12
Chapter 12
There are different kinds of gifts, but the Spirit is the same.
There are different kinds of service, but the Lord is the same.
There are different works, but it is the same God who works in all.
The Spirit reveals his presence in each person with a gift that also serves a purpose.
One is to speak with wisdom through the Spirit; another teaches according to the same Spirit.
To another is given faith in which the Spirit acts; to another the gift of healing, and it is the same Spirit.
Another works miracles, another is a prophet, another recognizes whether what comes from a good or evil spirit; another speaks in tongues, and still another interprets what has been said in tongues.
And all of this is the work of the one and only Spirit, who grants to each as he chooses.
Just as a body is one, with many members, and all the members, though many, form one body, so it is with Christ.
Commentaries
Spiritual Gifts.
Paul now uses the image of the “body of Christ” to address another issue facing the community in Corinth: rivalries, jealousy, and quarrels over the different spiritual gifts—charisms—that Christians received and practiced within and outside the community.
What, then, was the problem? The same as always: those who performed the most humble tasks were undervalued, despised, and subordinate. On the other hand, some leaders stood out from the group and ended up dominating and silencing the others, often the poorest and least influential. Paul therefore aims to stop the abuse of discrimination and arrogance by some privileged individuals, affirming that ministries, charisms, and activities all originate from the Lord, his Spirit, and God.