1 Corinthians 12:10 lists several spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit distributes among believers, including the working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, various kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The point is that no single person receives every gift; each believer receives what the Spirit chooses for the good of the whole community. The apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, a busy port city where believers were competing over which spiritual gifts mattered most.
And to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.
1 Corinthians 12:10 (WEB)
What 1 Corinthians 12:10 Means
The phrase “workings of miracles” refers to acts of divine power that go beyond ordinary cause and effect. Paul does not say every believer will perform miracles, only that some are given this gift. The verse is describing a distribution, not a list of required achievements.
“Prophecy” in Paul’s usage means speaking a message from God that builds up, encourages, and comforts the church, as he explains later in the chapter and in chapter 14. “Discerning of spirits” means the ability to tell what is from God and what is not, a gift the community needed in a culture full of competing voices. The verse does not promise that anyone will be spiritually perfect or always right; it names a gift the Spirit gives for the church’s benefit.
The last two items concern speaking in tongues and interpreting them. Paul treats these as real gifts, but he ranks them below gifts that build up others. The verse itself makes no claim about who should exercise which gift, only that the Spirit gives them as he wills.
The Context of 1 Corinthians 12:10
First Corinthians was written by Paul, traditionally dated to around the mid-50s AD, to a congregation in Corinth that he had founded. The Corinthian believers were gifted but divided, and some were treating their spiritual gifts as status symbols. Paul addresses these problems directly in chapters 12 through 14.
The verse sits within a passage that stresses unity. Just before it, Paul says the Spirit gives each person a manifestation “for the profit of all” (verse 7). Just after, he compares the church to a single body with many members, and says all were baptized into one body. Read in that setting, the list of gifts in verse 10 is not a ranking of prestige but a description of how a body works, with each part depending on the others.
Key Phrases in 1 Corinthians 12:10
1 Corinthians 12:7
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
(WEB)
This verse opens the passage by stating that every gift is given for the profit of all. It frames the list in verse 10 as a gift meant for others, not for personal status.
Romans 12:6
Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith…
(WEB)
Paul makes a similar point here, saying believers have gifts that differ according to the grace given to each. Reading it alongside verse 10 shows that the principle of varied gifts runs through his teaching across several letters.
A Short Prayer From 1 Corinthians 12:10
Father, thank you for giving your Spirit to your church and for distributing gifts to each of us as you choose. Help me to receive what you have given me with gratitude and not to measure myself against others. Show me where you want me to serve, and give me the humility to rejoice when my brothers and sisters are used in ways I cannot see. May the whole body grow in love and unity for your glory. Amen.
