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Verse

1 Corinthians 12:14

ESV For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
NIV Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
NASB For the body is not one part, but many.
CSB Indeed, the body is not one part but many.
NLT Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.
KJV For the body is not one member, but many.

What does 1 Corinthians 12:14 mean?

Paul's illustration of the church—the collective name for all believers everywhere—is that of a human body. Like a body, the church is one organism. Like a body, the church has many, diverse members who serve a variety of functions. A body is not made up of identical copies of just one part; a healthy body requires a diversity of forms and functions.

Paul began this discussion with an explanation of the supernatural gifts God's Holy Spirit distributes to every believer as He sees fit. Soon, Paul will identify each believer's "part" in the body of Christ by the gifts we have been given to use to serve the rest of the church. Our gifts determine our function, and our function determines our part in the body of Christ. Every Christian has the Spirit. Every Christian has received a gift to use in service. Every Christian is a member of Christ's body.
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