1 Corinthians 12:12-26

One Body with Many Members

12 For just as i the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, j so it is with Christ. 13 For k in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - l Jews or Greeks, slaves 1 or free - and m all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 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 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 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, n God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, o as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, 2 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 parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, p all rejoice together.

  1. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 10:17
    Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
  2. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 12:27
    Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
  3. Cross References
    Romans 6:5
    For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
    Ephesians 2:18
    For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
  4. Cross References
    Galatians 3:28
    There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
    Colossians 3:11
    Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
    Ephesians 2:13 - 17
    But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
  5. Cross References
    John 7:37 - 39
    On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
  6. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 12:28
    And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
  7. Cross References
    1 Corinthians 12:11
    All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
    1 Corinthians 3:5
    What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.
    Romans 12:3
    For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
  8. Cross References
    Romans 12:15
    Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.