God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 12:3
3So I want you to know that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is cursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore I want you to understand that 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
Context of 1 Corinthians 12:3
1Brothers and sisters, I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding concerning spiritual gifts. 2You know that when you were unbelievers, every time you were led to worship false gods you were worshiping gods who couldn’t even speak. So I want you to know that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is cursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 121 Corinthians 12:3 word by word
διὸ γνωρίζω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει· ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν· κύριος Ἰησοῦς, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
- I giveγνωρίζωgnōrizō · to make knownG1107
- youσύsu · youG4771
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- speakingλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- byἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- callethλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- accursedἀνάθεμαanathema · devotedG331
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- is the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- butεἰei · if: notG1487
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 12:3
- Mark 9:39Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me.
- John 16:14He will give me glory, because he will tell you what I say.
- 1 John 4:2This is how you can recognize God’s Spirit: Every person who declares that Jesus Christ has come as a human has the Spirit that is from God.
- 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone doesn’t love the Lord, let him be cursed! Our Lord, come!
- Deuteronomy 21:23never leave his dead body hung on a pole overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone whose body is hung on a pole is cursed by God. The land that the Lord your God is giving you must never become unclean.
- Galatians 3:13Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that the laws in Moses’ Teachings bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.”
- 1 Corinthians 8:6But for us, “There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him, and we live because of him.”
- Matthew 16:16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”
- John 13:13You call me teacher and Lord, and you’re right because that’s what I am.
- John 15:26“The helper whom I will send to you from the Father will come. This helper, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, will declare the truth about me.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified.
- 2 Corinthians 11:4When someone comes to you telling about another Jesus whom we didn’t tell you about, you’re willing to put up with it. When you receive a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received earlier, you’re also willing to put up with that. When someone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you already accepted, you’re willing to put up with that too.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3No man speaking by the Spirit of God - It was granted on all hands that there could be no religion without Divine inspiration, because God alone, could make his will known to men: hence heathenism pretended to this inspiration; Judaism had it in the law and the prophets; and it was the very essence of the Christian religion. The heathen priests and priestesses pretended to receive, by inspiration from their god, the answers which they gave to their…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Wherefore I give you to understand - I make known to you. The force of this expression is, “I give you this rule to distinguish,” or by which you may know what influences and operations are from God. The design of the passage is, to give them some simple general guide by which they could at once recognize the operations of the Spirit of God, and determine whether they who claimed to be under that operation were really so. That rule was, that all who were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Paul provides two ways to recognize the Spirit's presence in worship: Those who curse Jesus show they reject him and his message, so they cannot speak by the Spirit of God. Believers show the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives by sincerely confessing that Jesus is Lord. This may be the earliest Christian creed (see Romans 10:9, 13; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11; 1 John 4:2–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. The negative and positive criteria of inspiration by the Spirit--the rejection or confession of Jesus as Lord [Alford] (1Jo 4:2; 5:1). Paul gives a test of truth against the Gentiles; John, against the false prophets. by the Spirit--rather, as Greek, "IN the Spirit"; that being the power pervading him, and the element in which he speaks [Alford], (Mt 16:17; Joh 15:26). of God ... Holy--The same Spirit is called at one time "the Spirit of God"; at…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 12:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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