New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
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But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.
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You are conscious that when you were Gentiles, in whatever way you were guided, you went after images without voice or power.
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.
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So it is my desire for you to be clear about this; that no one is able to say by the Spirit of God that Jesus is cursed; and no one is able to say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
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Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit.
5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
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And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord.
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.
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And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
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But to every man some form of the Spirit's working is given for the common good.
8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
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For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit:
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
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To another faith in the same Spirit; and to another the power of taking away disease, by the one Spirit;
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
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And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
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But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.
12 For 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.
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For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.
13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
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For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit.
14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.
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For the body is not one part, but a number of parts.
15 If the foot would 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.
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If the foot says, Because I am not the hand, I am not a part of the body; it is no less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear would 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.
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And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
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If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
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But now God has put every one of the parts in the body as it was pleasing to him.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?
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And if they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body.
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But now they are all different parts, but 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."
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And the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
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No, those parts which seem to be feeble are the more necessary;
23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;
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And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect;
24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member,
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But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it;
25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.
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So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another.
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
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And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
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Now you are the body of Christ, and every one of you the separate parts of it.
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.
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And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
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Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?
30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
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Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
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But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.