1 ARST I am now moving on to speak about how God’ s Spirit specially empowers believers. I want to inform you, my fellow believers, about these things. BSB BSB: Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
2 ARST You remember{ what you did} when you were not believers. You worshiped other gods. These other gods cannot even speak, but you did whatever{ wrong things people told you to do} to worship these other gods. BSB BSB: You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
3 ARST So then, I am informing you that a person who curses Jesus does not speak with the power of God’ s Spirit. On the other hand, a person who says that Jesus is Lord must be speaking with the power of the Holy Spirit. BSB BSB: 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.
4 ARST The Spirit empowers people in many different ways, but there is only one Spirit. BSB BSB: There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 ARST People serve the Lord in many different ways, but there is only one Lord. BSB BSB: There are different ministries, but the same Lord.
6 ARST People work for God in many different ways, but there is only one God. He is the one who empowers all people to function in all these ways. BSB BSB: There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.
7 ARST Each believer receives from God specific ways in which God’ s Spirit works through them to help fellow believers. BSB BSB: Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
9 ARST The same Spirit empowers some believers to trust God in special ways. The same Spirit empowers other believers to heal others. BSB BSB: to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
10 ARST Other believers can do powerful things. Other believers can speak messages from God. Other believers can decide whether something comes from God’ s Spirit or not. Some believers can speak unknown languages. Other believers can interpret those unknown languages. BSB BSB: 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.
11 ARST The same Spirit works to empower believers to do all these things. There is just one Holy Spirit, and he decides how to work specifically through each believer. BSB BSB: All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
13 ARST Now,{ God has united us together as closely as if} we made up one body.{ This happened when} people baptized us, with the result that we have the one Spirit.{ We make up this one body} even though some of us are Jewish people and others are non- Jewish people, and even though some of us are slaves and others are free people. Further, we all shared in this one Spirit just like we all shared a drink from one cup. BSB BSB: 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.
14 ARST As you know, one body part does not make up a body. Rather, it takes many body parts{ to make up a body}. BSB BSB: For the body does not consist of one part, but of many.
15 ARST Imagine that your foot{ could talk to you, and it} said that, since it was not a hand, it could not belong to your body. That reason does not keep it from belonging to your body. BSB BSB: 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 ARST Again, imagine that your ear{ could talk to you, and it} said that, since it was not an eye, it could not belong to your body. That reason does not keep it from belonging to your body. BSB BSB: 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 ARST Imagine that only eyes made up your body. You would not be able to hear anything! Imagine that only ears made up your body. You would not be able to smell anything! BSB BSB: 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?
18 ARST But here is what is true{ about the body}: God decided how each body part should function, and he connected each body part to the body for a specific reason. BSB BSB: But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.
19 ARST Imagine that all{ your body parts} were the same{ kind of} body part. You would not really have a body at all! BSB BSB: If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 ARST But here is what is true{ about the body}: many{ different} body parts exist. However,{ together they make up} one body. BSB BSB: As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 ARST Imagine again that your body parts could talk. An eye would never tell a hand,“I do not need you.” Similarly, a head would never tell feet,“I do not need you.” BSB BSB: 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.”
22 ARST Rather, what is true is that the body parts that we consider to be the delicate ones are actually necessary. BSB BSB: On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 ARST Further, we more highly value the body parts that we think of as less valuable. We treat our indecent body parts more decently, BSB BSB: and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,
24 ARST but we do not treat our decent body parts in any special way. In the end, God is the one who put all the body parts together into one body, and he makes the less valuable parts more valuable. BSB BSB: whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25 ARST { God did this} in order that the body would not split up into different parts. Instead, the body parts work together and do not privilege one body part over other body parts. BSB BSB: so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.
26 ARST So, all the body parts hurt when one body part is hurting. All the body parts celebrate when somebody praises one body part. BSB BSB: If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 ARST { I say all this because} you all are{ like} the Messiah’ s body. Each of you is{ like} a body part{ in that body}. BSB BSB: Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.
28 ARST In line with that, God has specially empowered the people who worship him. First, some people are those whom God has sent to represent the Messiah. Second, some people proclaim what God says. Third, some people teach other believers. Further, some people do powerful things. Others can heal others, help other believers, guide the group of believers, or speak unknown languages. BSB BSB: And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
29 ARST Only some believers are those whom God has sent to represent the Messiah. Only some proclaim what God says. Only some teach other believers. Only some do powerful things. BSB BSB: Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30 ARST Only some heal others. Only some speak unknown languages. Only some interpret{ those unknown languages}. BSB BSB: Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
31 ARST Now I want you to eagerly seek the most beneficial gifts. Next, I will tell you about the very best thing you can do. BSB BSB: But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
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