² To the church of God^(A) in Corinth,^(B) to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called^(C) to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name^(D) of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,^(A) so it is with Christ.^(B)

²³ which is his body,^(A) the fullness of him^(B) who fills everything in every way.^(C)

¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(A) may be built up^(B)

¹⁸ And he is the head^(A) of the body, the church;^(B) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(C) from among the dead,^(D) so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Paul’s Labor for the Church

²⁴ Now I rejoice^(A) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,^(B) for the sake of his body, which is the church.^(C)

¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(A) from whom the whole body,^(B) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(C)