ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Corinthians 12.3

Book: 1 Corinthians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV
  1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2. Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might led.

3. Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit.

  1. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:1-5, ASV)
WEB
  1. Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. 2. You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.

3. Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit.

  1. Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. (1 Corinthians 12:1-5, WEB)
KJV
  1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. accursed: or, anathema

  1. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. administrations: or, ministries (1 Corinthians 12:1-5, KJV)
YLT
  1. And concerning the spiritual things, brethren, I do not wish you to be ignorant; 2. ye have known that ye were nations, unto the dumb idols, as ye were led, being carried away;

3. wherefore, I give you to understand that no one, in the Spirit of God speaking, saith Jesus [is] anathema, and no one is able to say Jesus [is] Lord, except in the Holy Spirit.

  1. And there are diversities of gifts, and the same Spirit; 5. and there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord; (1 Corinthians 12:1-5, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Paul the Apostle, with Sosthenes named as co-sender
  • Audience: the church at Corinth, a divided congregation in a wealthy Roman colony
  • Location: written from Ephesus during the third missionary journey
  • Time period: c. AD 53-55

Theological reading

No one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says Jesus is accursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit.

Paul's test, given three verses before the gift list, and it is worth noticing what it is not. The criterion is not ecstatic intensity, not spectacular manifestation, and not any of the gifts about to be enumerated. It is confession of Christ's lordship.

The verse thus supplies a criterion the letter's own audience would not have chosen, and it does so at the head of the chapter they most wanted to talk about.

Kyrios is the Septuagint's rendering of the divine name, so the confession being tested is a substantial one rather than a formula.

For the pastoral use of the verse, that a believer's standing is evidenced by confession rather than by possessing a particular gift, see Tongues as Evidence of the Spirit.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Lexicon:

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.