Ephesians 4:9-16: a reflection

9Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 16from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

Paul describes how the whole body of Christ grows up into maturity: Christ gives gifts to equip his people, so that, speaking truth in love and each part doing its share, the body is built up in love. Christ gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, Paul writes, for the equipping of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And so, speaking truth in love, we grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, each part working, builds itself up in love. The growth of Christ's people is a growing up together into maturity in Christ, as each part does its share and the body is built up in love. This shows the body of Christ growing to maturity as each part does its share, built up in love. Grow up into maturity in Christ, each part doing its share. The body of Christ is built up in love, as each member works. Speak the truth in love, and grow up together into Christ. No longer be tossed by every wind of doctrine, but grow into maturity.

Notice the picture Paul gives of how Christ's people grow. First, Christ gives gifts, people to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, not to do all the work themselves, but to equip the saints for the work of serving and building up the body. The aim is that all God's people be equipped and grow up together into maturity, to the full stature of Christ, no longer immature children tossed about by every wind of teaching and the trickery of deceivers, but mature, established, and stable. And this growth happens as the whole body works together: speaking truth in love, each part supplying its share, so that the body builds itself up in love. This holds a rich vision of Christian growth and community. We are not meant to grow alone, each on our own, but together, as a body: equipped by the gifts Christ gives, each part doing its share, speaking truth to one another in love, and so growing up together into maturity in Christ. The whole body is built up in love, as each member works and contributes; and we grow into maturity, no longer unstable children tossed by every wind of doctrine, but established in Christ. This calls us both to be equipped and to grow, and to do our own share in the body, contributing to the building up of the whole in love. We do well to grow up together into maturity in Christ, doing our share in the body and speaking truth in love, that the whole be built up. Grow up together into maturity in Christ, doing your share in the body. Speak the truth in love, contributing to the building up of the whole. Do not remain an immature child, tossed by every wind of doctrine. The body is built up in love as each member does its part.

That is worth taking to heart, for the body of Christ grows to maturity as each part does its share and speaks truth in love, built up in love, as Paul describes. We can try to grow alone, or remain immature and unstable; but Paul shows the body growing up together into Christ, each part working, built up in love. Grow together. Do not try to grow alone or remain an immature child; grow up together into maturity in Christ, doing your share in the body and speaking truth in love, that the whole be built up. Grow up together into maturity in Christ, doing your share in the body and speaking the truth in love, that the whole body be built up in love rather than remaining immature children tossed by every wind of doctrine, as Paul describes how the whole body of Christ grows up into maturity, Christ giving gifts to equip his people, apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, for the equipping of the saints and the building up of the body until we all attain to the measure of the fullness of Christ, so that speaking truth in love we grow up in all things into him who is the head, from whom the whole body, each part working, builds itself up in love; for the growth of Christ's people is a growing up together into maturity as each part does its share and the body is built up in love, which holds a rich vision of Christian growth and community, that we are not meant to grow alone each on our own but together as a body, equipped by the gifts Christ gives, each part doing its share and speaking truth to one another in love, and so growing up together into maturity, no longer unstable children tossed by every wind of teaching but established in Christ, the whole body built up in love as each member works and contributes, which calls us both to be equipped and to grow and to do our own share in the body, so that we do well to grow up together into maturity in Christ.

Lord, Paul describes how the whole body of Christ grows up into maturity: you give gifts to equip your people, so that, speaking truth in love and each part doing its share, the body is built up in love. You gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, Paul writes, for the equipping of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And so, speaking truth in love, we grow up in all things into you who are the head, from whom the whole body, each part working, builds itself up in love. Show me the picture Paul gives of how your people grow. First, you give gifts, people to serve and equip the saints for the work of serving and building up the body. The aim is that all your people be equipped and grow up together into maturity, to the full stature of Christ, no longer immature children tossed about by every wind of teaching, but mature, established, and stable. And this growth happens as the whole body works together: speaking truth in love, each part supplying its share, so that the body builds itself up in love. This holds a rich vision of Christian growth and community. I am not meant to grow alone, on my own, but together with others, as a body: equipped by the gifts you give, each part doing its share, speaking truth to one another in love, and so growing up together into maturity in you. The whole body is built up in love, as each member works and contributes. This calls me both to be equipped and to grow, and to do my own share in the body, contributing to the building up of the whole in love. Take that to my heart. Keep me from trying to grow alone or remaining an immature child, tossed by every wind of doctrine; help me grow up together with others into maturity in you, Lord, doing my share in the body and speaking the truth in love, that the whole body be built up in love as each member does its part.