Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant.
- KJV Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
- BSB Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
- NKJV Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
- NASB Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware.
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
Paul turns to spiritual gifts, not wanting the Corinthians to remain ignorant. Right understanding of the Spirit's gifts is important for the church.
Overview
Beginning a new section (chapters 12 to 14), Paul addresses 'spiritual things,' the gifts the Spirit gives. The Corinthians prized these gifts but misunderstood and misused them. Paul's aim is to inform and correct so that the gifts serve the unity and edification of the body, all empowered by the one Spirit of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Cor 12:4–11Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- Eph 4:11He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
- 1 Cor 14:1–18Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
- 1 Cor 14:37If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him recognize the things which I write to you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.
- 2 Pet 3:8But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
- 1 Th 4:13But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
- 2 Cor 1:8For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.
- 1 Cor 10:1Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 12:1 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.