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.
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13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
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14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
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19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?
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20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
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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.”
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22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
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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,
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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,
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25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
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26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
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27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
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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.
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29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
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30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
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31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
- The Structure of the Body (vv 12-14)
- The Diseases of the Body (vv 15-26)
- The Diversity of the Body (vv 27-31)
