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.
Parallel translations
- WEB If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.
- KJV If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
- NKJV If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
- NASB If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
- NLT If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
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
A foot cannot opt out of the body by claiming it is not a hand. Feeling different from others does not make a believer any less part of Christ's body.
Overview
Paul addresses those who feel inferior because they lack a more prominent gift. Their sense of not belonging does not change the reality that God has placed them in the body. The argument gently counters self-deprecation, assuring every member of an indispensable place in the church Christ has formed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Judg 9:8–15One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
- 2 Kgs 14:9But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
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Christ at the center
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 12:15 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.