Ephesians 4.16b-Each Member of the Body of Christ is Fitted and United Together
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday April 12, 2025
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:16b-Each Member of the Body of Christ is Fitted and United Together
Lesson # 247
Ephesians 4:16 From whom, each and every member of the body does get fitted together, yes does get united together through the function of each and every ligament, which provide support for the purpose of working. Simultaneously, in proportion to each individual part belonging to the body does cause itself to grow for the purpose of building one another up by means of the practice of divine-love. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 4:16 continues the body metaphor from Ephesians 4:15 and the use of physiological terminology.
This is the fourth time that Paul employs this metaphor to describe the church (cf. Eph. 1:23; 2:16; 4:4).
As was the case in Ephesians 1:23, 2:16, 4:4 and 4:12 the noun sōma (σῶμα) here in Ephesians 4:16 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 nominative neuter singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς) expresses the idea of the totality of the members of the body of Christ or in other words, it refers to them as a corporate unit.
This word also is used in a distributive emphasizing no exceptions.
Therefore, the distributive sense of this word emphasizes the individual members of the Jewish and Gentile Chirstian communities.
Thus, this word indicates that Jesus Christ is not only the source of the spiritual growth of the church as a corporate unit but also the source of the spiritual growth of the individual members of this body of believers.
As was the case in Ephesians 2:21, the verb synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω) here in Ephesians 4:16 means “to be fitted together” since the word pertains to something being fitted or connected together to form a coherent whole as stones would for a building.
As was the case in Ephesians 2:21, here in Ephesians 4:16, the word is used in a figurative or metaphorical sense for the members of the body of Christ being fitted or connected inextricably together to form a coherent whole or corporate unit of people.
However, unlike Ephesians 2:21, where the word was used in relation to the justification of the believer, here in Ephesians 4:16, the word is used in relation to the spiritual growth of the members of the body of Christ after their justification.
Specifically, since this verb expresses the idea of members of the body of Christ “being fitted or inextricably connected together as a coherent whole and corporate unit” in the sense of these members being able to identify their spiritual gift.
Thus, they are in the process of being able to identify their position and function in the body of Christ as a result of the receiving teaching from those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
Thus, this word emphasizes the “process” of being fitted together with other members of the body of Christ as they go through the “process” of being taught.
The participle conjugation of this verb functions as a nominative of simple apposition.
This means that it is describing the members of the body of Christ in their entirety, as being connected inextricably together in order to form a coherent whole or corporate unit after justification through every supporting ligament.
The present tense of this verb synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω) is a gnomic present which expresses the idea that every member of the body of Christ “does as an eternal spiritual truth” get fitted together through the communication of the Word of God by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The emphasis of the present tense here is not how often this takes place such as customary present tense which signals a regularly occurring action or ongoing state or an iterative present used to describe a repeated activity or event.
Rather, the emphasis is that this does happen and that this is always true that each member of the body of Christ “as an eternal spiritual truth does” get to be fitted together through the communication of the Word of God by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching
The passive voice of this verb indicates that each member of the body of Christ as the subject of this verb receives the action of being fitted inextricably together as a coherent whole and corporate unit by receiving the Word of God as communicated to them by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The participle conjugation of this verb functions as an attributive participle which means that it ascribes the attribute of members of the body of Christ being fitted inextricably together as a coherent whole and corporate unit as a result of receiving the Word of God as communicated to them by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) is used in a figurative sense and pertains to bringing a certain group of people together as a unit.
The word is used of the body of Christ being brought together as a unit through the function of the spiritual gift of teaching, which provides them their spiritual nourishment, namely the Word of God.
Specifically, since the word pertains to “unifying” something together, this word describes the believer as being unified together with other members of the body of Christ as a result of being able to identify their spiritual gift.
Thus, they are able to function in their position and using their spiritual gift for the benefit of the body of Christ as a result of the receiving teaching from those with the gift of teaching.
This word emphasizes the “completed” process of believers being united to other believers.
As was the case with the verb synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω), the participle conjugation of the verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) functions as a nominative of simple apposition, which means that it is describing the referent of the latter, which we noted is the members of the body of Christ in their entirety, as being united together after justification through every supporting ligament.
Like the verb synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω), the present tense of this verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) is a gnomic present which expresses the idea of every member of the body of Christ “does as an eternal spiritual truth” get united together through the communication of the Word of God by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
Again, the emphasis of the present tense here is not how often this takes place such as customary present tense which signals a regularly occurring action or ongoing state or an iterative present used to describe a repeated activity or event.
Rather, the emphasis is that this does happen and that this is always true that each member of the body of Christ “as an eternal spiritual truth does” get united together through the communication of the Word of God by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching
The passive voice of the verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) indicates that each member of the body of Christ as the subject of this verb receives the action of being united together as a result of being able to identify their spiritual gift and thus position and function in the body of Christ as a result of the receiving teaching from those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The participle conjugation of this verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) functions as an attributive participle.
This means that it ascribes the attribute of members of the body of Christ being united together after justification as a result of receiving the Word of God as communicated to them by those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The verbs synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω) and sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) are joined together by the conjunction kai (καί) in order to form the figure of hendiadys.
Therefore, this indicates that the meaning of verb sumbibazō (συμβιβάζω) is intensifying and advancing upon the meaning of the verb synarmologeō (συναρμολογέω).
The latter we noted expresses the idea of members of the body of Christ “being fitted inextricably together as a coherent whole and corporate unit” in the sense of these members being able to identify their spiritual gift and thus position and function in the body of Christ as a result of the receiving teaching from those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The former expresses the idea of believers being united together as a result of functioning in their spiritual gift and thus functioning in their position in the body of Christ as a result of the receiving teaching from those with the communication gifts of apostleship, prophecy and teaching.
The former emphasizes the completed process of being joined together whereas the latter emphasizes an “ongoing” process.
