First Corinthians 12:1–13 is part of the lectionary readings for Pentecost Sunday, May 31st. On this momentous day in the life of the Church, the passage highlights the gifts of grace the Spirit brings to Jesus’ followers. A key purpose Paul had in writing 1 Corinthians was to explain that the crucified and risen Messiah embodied the gospel. He was also the basis for the church’s unity, service, and hope. Part of that unity was maintained through the presence and practice of “spiritual gifts” (v. 1) within the body of Christ. The Greek text (pneumatika) is more literally rendered “spiritual things” and can either refer to persons filled with the…