Ephesians 4.12c-The Building Up of the Body of Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday February 20, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:12c-The Building Up of the Body of Christ
Lesson # 231
Ephesians 4:7 Now, however, to each one of us grace was given corresponding to the incomparable Christ’s proportionate gracious giving. 8 Therefore, it says, “When he ascended to the highest place, he captured captives. He generously gave gifts to certain members of the human race.” 9 In other words, what is the meaning of the statement, “he ascended?” Namely that, he also descended into the lower regions, which are part of the earth? 10 He, the very one who has descended is the one who also has ascended above each and every one of the heavens in order that He would enter into the state of bringing to completion each and every animate and inanimate object. 11 Therefore, on the one hand, He Himself generously gave some to be apostles but on other hand, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, specifically, teachers 12 for the purpose of equipping the saints for performing the work of service in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:12 is composed of three prepositional phrases:
(1) pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn (πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων), “for the purpose of equipping the saints” (Author’s translation)
(2) eis ergon diakonias (εἰς ἔργον διακονίας), “for performing the work of service” (Author’s translation)
(3) eis oikodomēn tou sōmatos tou Christou (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ), “in order to ultimately build up the members of Christ’s body” (Author’s translation).
Now, in Ephesians 4:12, the third and final prepositional phrase contains the noun sōma (σῶμα), which is used in a figurative sense to describe the church as being like the human body in that it has diversity among its members but yet they possess a unity.
The word refers to church age believers who are joined together as a corporate unit with the implication of each member having a distinctive function within this unit.
The referent of this word is of course the Jewish and Gentile Christian communities emphasizing not only the diversity between the two but also the unity that exists between the two as a result of both being declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Simultaneously, the Holy Spirit placed them in union with Him and identifying them with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
The articular construction of the noun sōma (σῶμα) is monadic, which expresses the uniqueness of this body, namely that they belong to the one and only Christ.
Like the human body, the church has diversity among its members (R. 12:4 f.; 1 C. 12:12 f.).
Christ is said to be the head of the Body (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:19) and each church age believer is a member of His body (Rm. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:27).
The head and body metaphor is one of eight metaphors used in the New Testament to describe the relationship between the church and the Lord Jesus Christ:
(1) The last Adam and the New Creation (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 5:17a).
(2) The Great Shepherd and the Sheep (Heb. 13:20).
(3) The True Vine and the Branches (John 15:5a).
(4) The Chief Cornerstone and the Stones in the building (Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:5-6).
(5) The Great High Priest and members of the Royal Priesthood (Heb. 4:14a; 1 Pet. 2:9a).
(6) The Groom and the Bride. (Our wedding occurs at the Second Advent) (Rev. 19:7).
(7) The King of Kings and the Royal Family of God (Rev. 19:14-16).
Also, in the third prepositional phrase is the proper name Christos (Χριστός), which denotes the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth.
The articular construction of this word speaks of the incomparability of Jesus of Nazareth in that He is true Messiah and contrast to those who claim they are but are not.
The proper name Christos (Χριστός) functions a possessive genitive, which expresses the idea that this body “belongs to” the one and only Christ, who is Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Son of God.
The noun oikodomē (οἰκοδομή) is used in a figurative sense of members of the body of Christ building each other up spiritually in the sense of facilitating their spiritual growth as individuals and as a corporate unit.
The word should be translated in this word’s cognate verbal form which is oikodomeō (οἰκοδομέω) because the articular genitive neuter singular form of the noun sōma (σῶμα), “body” functions as objective genitive.
This indicates that the body of Christ, namely the members of the Christian community receive the action of being built up spiritually.
Interestingly, Paul employs this verb oikodomeō (οἰκοδομέω) in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and uses it in the same fashion as he does its cognate noun in Ephesians 4:12, namely, of believers “building up” spiritually each other.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore, each and every one of you continue to make it your habit of exhorting and encouraging one another. Consequently, each one must continue to make it their habit of building up the other just as each one of you are in fact continuing to make it your habit of doing. (Author’s translation)
Now, here in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, the verb oikodomeō (οἰκοδομέω) means “to build up” since the word pertains to make something nearer to completion conceived as constructing some further and helping to improve the ability to function living responsibly and effectively.
It expresses the idea of each member of the Thessalonians building each other up spiritually in the sense of helping each other through Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 to become more mature spiritually.
It is also expressing the idea of each member of the Thessalonian Christian community building each other up spiritually through Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 in the sense that each one of them continues to improve their ability to function living responsibly and effectively.
Now, here in Ephesians 4:12, the noun oikodomē (οἰκοδομή) functions like its verbal cognate form oikodomeō (οἰκοδομέω) and means “to build up” as it did in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 since as we noted, the word pertains to make something nearer to completion conceived as constructing some further.
It pertains to helping to improve the ability to function living responsibly and effectively.
Therefore, the verbal form of the noun oikodomē (οἰκοδομή), which is oikodomeō (οἰκοδομέω), expresses the same idea here in Ephesians 4:12 as it did in 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
In both passages, Paul is speaking of members of the body of Christ building each other up spiritually.
Therefore, as was the case with the verbal form in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, its cognate in Ephesians 4:12 expresses the idea of each member of the Christian community building each other up spiritually in the sense of helping each other through Paul’s teaching in this epistle to become more mature spiritually or closer to spiritual maturity.
It also expresses the idea of building each other up spiritually through Paul’s teaching, which appears in the Spirit inspired contents of this letter in the sense that each one of them continues to improve their ability to function living responsibly and effectively to please God the Father.
The noun oikodomē (οἰκοδομή) is the object of the preposition eis (εἰς), which functions as a marker of ultimate purpose.
This means it presents the ultimate purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ giving the spiritual gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching to certain men in the body of Christ in order to equip the saints in order to perform the work of Christian service.
Therefore, it expresses the idea that He gave these gifts in order to equip the saints and for performing the work of Christian service “for the purpose of” building up spiritually the Christ’s body, i.e., the members of the Christian community growing to spiritual maturity.
Therefore, as was the case in Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 4:12 contains a mixed metaphor, namely the body and building metaphors.
English speaking people do not employ mixed metaphors too often, however, mixed metaphors were no problem in the ancient world in Paul’s day and age.
Ephesians 4:12 is not the first time in this epistle in which Paul employs a building metaphor to describe the church because he does so in Ephesians 2:20-22.
