This verse is a general introduction to what follows, not simply the first of a new series of statements.

To each, as Good News Bible shows, means “each person,” “everyone.”

Is given the manifestation of the Spirit refers to the activity of God in each believer’s life. In some languages it will be better to use active verbs: “God reveals his Spirit’s presence in some way to each person,” or “God gives each person some proof of the Spirit’s presence” or “… some proof that the Spirit is present.”

Spirit: see the comment under verses 4-6. The meaning of the phrase for the common good is made clear in the following verses. Good News Bible‘s translation, “for the good of all,” shows that the Spirit’s purpose is not to help the individual necessarily, but the whole Christian community. This clause can be translated as “to be used to help the whole church” or “to be used to help all the believers.” So a translation model for the whole verse is: “God gives each person some proof of the Spirit’s presence to be used to help the whole church.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .