SCRIPTURE READING
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
One Body with Many Members
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. 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.
14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 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. 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. 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? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in
the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member,
where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members yet 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.” 22 On the contrary,
the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 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, 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, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the
members may 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.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members 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. 29 Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds? 30 Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But
strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent
way.
Reader: Word of God. Word of life.
All: Thanks be to God.