12 Just like a human body is a unit but has many parts which are all components, no matter how many, making up that one body, so too is the messiah.[ref] 13 Yes, in one spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether we were Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we all were given one spirit to drink. MEANING?

14 Yes, indeed the body is not one part, but many. 15 If your foot said, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, 16 and if your ear said, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body. 17 If your whole body was an eye, how could you hear? But then, if your whole body was an ear, how could you smell anything? 18 Actually, God has placed every part in our bodies exactly where he wanted to put them. 19 If it was all just one part, how could it be a body? 20 Yes, there’s many parts, but only one body.

21 Your eye can’t tell your hand, “I don’t need you,” and your head can’t tell your feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, the body parts that seem to be weaker are very vital, 23 and those body parts that seem less honourable, we give them greater honour and hence our unpresentable body parts are treated with more modesty. 24 Our presentable parts don’t have any need for that, but rather God has put the body together and he gave greater honour to the lesser parts 25 so that there won’t be any division in the body, but its members should care equally for each other. 26 So if one body part is hurting, all the parts hurt as well. If one body part is honoured, then all the parts are happy together.

27 Now you all are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it. 28 And indeed, God has appointed: 1/ missionaries, 2/ prophets, 3/ teachers, then doing miracles, healing others, helping others, guiding others, and speaking various languages[ref] 29 Are everyone missionaries, or everyone prophets or teachers, or doing miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gifts of healing, or speaking in other languages, or translating?

31 But strive for the better gifts.

And now I’ll demonstrate a better way to you all: