1 Corinthians 12:12-31 - Unity In The Midst Of Diversity
12 For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, many as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one Spirit all of us, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, have been baptized into one body, and were all imbued with one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one part but of many. 15 If the foot says, "Since I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 If the ear says, "Since I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If all the body were an eye, how could we hear? If all the body were an ear, how could we smell? 18 But as it now is, God has placed the parts, every one of them, in the body just as He wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, how could it be a body? 20 But as it now is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or the hand to the feet, "I do not need you." 22 No, on the contrary, even those parts of the body that seem to be most delicate are indispensable, 23 and the parts of it we deem devoid of honor we dress with special honor, and our ill-shaped parts receive more careful attention, 24 while our well-shaped parts do not want for anything. Yes, God has perfectly adjusted the body, giving great honor to its apparently inferior parts, 25 so that there is no disharmony in the body, but all the parts have a common care for one another. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. If one part receives an honor, all the parts can share its joy.
27 So you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. 28 And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as prophets, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then people with power to cure the sick, helpers, managers, ecstatic speakers. 29 Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all are wonder-workers, are they? 30 Not all are people with power to cure the sick, are they? Not all are ecstatic speakers, are they? Not all can explain ecstatic speaking, can they?
31 But you must earnestly continue to cultivate your higher spiritual gifts. And yet I will show you a way that is better by far: