Letters to the Churches

Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you come together it will not result in judgment. And when I come, I will give instructions about the remaining matters.

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

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

Therefore 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.

There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different ministries, but the same Lord.

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

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

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

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

to 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.

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

The 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.

For 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.

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

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.

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.

If 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?

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

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

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

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