But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Parallel translations
- WEB But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
- BSB All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
- NKJV But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
- NASB But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
- NLT It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
All these gifts come from one and the same Spirit, who distributes them as He chooses. The variety is intentional and sovereign, not a matter of human merit.
Overview
Paul anchors the gifts' diversity in the unity and freedom of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each believer as He wills. This guards against pride in those with prominent gifts and discouragement in those without. Because the gifts are sovereignly given, they are grounds for gratitude and service, not boasting, pointing to God's grace at work in His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 1 Cor 12:4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- Heb 2:4God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
- 2 Cor 10:13But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
- 1 Cor 12:6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
- Eph 4:7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
- John 3:27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
- Dan 4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
- John 3:8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
- John 5:21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
- Jas 1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
- 1 Cor 7:7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
- Rom 9:18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
- Eph 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
- Matt 11:26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
- Matt 20:15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
- Rom 12:6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
- 1 Cor 7:17But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
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Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 12:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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