Growing Up In Christ

Ephesians 4:1–16 CJB

Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom. There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope. And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion, and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all. Each one of us, however, has been given grace to be measured by the Messiah’s bounty. This is why it says, “After he went up into the heights, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to mankind.” Now this phrase, “he went up,” what can it mean if not that he first went down into the lower parts, that is, the earth? The one who went down is himself the one who also went up, far above all of heaven, in order to fill all things. Furthermore, he gave some people as emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers. Their task is to equip God’s people for the work of service that builds the body of the Messiah, until we all arrive at the unity implied by trusting and knowing the Son of God, at full manhood, at the standard of maturity set by the Messiah’s perfection. We will then no longer be infants tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in every respect grow up into him who is the head, the Messiah. Under his control, the whole body is being fitted and held together by the support of every joint, with each part working to fulfill its function; this is how the body grows and builds itself up in love.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 4

1 ‹ Therefore I, ‹ the prisoner of the Lord, › implore you › to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

BULLET 2 with all humility and gentleness,

BULLET with patience,

ELABORATION showing tolerance for one another in love,

ELABORATION 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

BULLET 4 There is [T one T] body and [T one T] Spirit,

SUB-POINT just as ‹+ also you were called +› in one hope of your calling;

BULLET 5 [T one T] Lord,

BULLET [T one T] faith,

BULLET [T one T] baptism,

BULLET 6 [T one T] God and Father of all ‹ who is over all and through all and in all. ›

SENTENCE 7 [TP But to each one of us TP] grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

PRINCIPLE 8 Therefore it says,

SENTENCE “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

SENTENCE AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

SENTENCE 9 [TP (Now this expression, “He ascended,” TP] ‹→ what →› does it mean except that ‹☉ ‹+ He also had descended +› into the lower parts of the earth? ☉›

SENTENCE 10 He who descended is [TP Himself TP] ‹+ also He who ascended +› far above all the heavens,

SUB-POINT so that He might fill all things.)

SENTENCE 11 And [TP He TP] gave

BULLET ‹✓ ‹✕ some as apostles, and some ✕› as prophets,

BULLET and some as evangelists,

BULLET and some as pastors and teachers, ✓›

ELABORATION 12 for the equipping of the saints

BULLET for the work of service,

BULLET to the building up of the body of Christ;

SUB-POINT 13 until we all attain

BULLET to the unity of the faith, and of the bknowledge of the Son of God,

BULLET to a mature man,

BULLET to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

SUB-POINT 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,

BULLET by the trickery of men,

BULLET by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

SENTENCE 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him

SUB-POINT who is the head, even ‹ Christ, ›

SENTENCE 16 [CR from whom CR] [TP the whole body, TP] being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 4

1 ‹ Therefore I, ‹ the prisoner of the Lord, › implore you › to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

BULLET 2 with all humility and gentleness,

BULLET with patience,

ELABORATION showing tolerance for one another in love,

ELABORATION 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

BULLET 4 There is [T one T] body and [T one T] Spirit,

SUB-POINT just as ‹+ also you were called +› in one hope of your calling;

BULLET 5 [T one T] Lord,

BULLET [T one T] faith,

BULLET [T one T] baptism,

BULLET 6 [T one T] God and Father of all ‹ who is over all and through all and in all. ›

SENTENCE 7 [TP But to each one of us TP] grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

PRINCIPLE 8 Therefore it says,

SENTENCE “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

SENTENCE AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

SENTENCE 9 [TP (Now this expression, “He ascended,” TP] ‹→ what →› does it mean except that ‹☉ ‹+ He also had descended +› into the lower parts of the earth? ☉›

SENTENCE 10 He who descended is [TP Himself TP] ‹+ also He who ascended +› far above all the heavens,

SUB-POINT so that He might fill all things.)

SENTENCE 11 And [TP He TP] gave

BULLET ‹✓ ‹✕ some as apostles, and some ✕› as prophets,

BULLET and some as evangelists,

BULLET and some as pastors and teachers, ✓›

ELABORATION 12 for the equipping of the saints

BULLET for the work of service,

BULLET to the building up of the body of Christ;

SUB-POINT 13 until we all attain

BULLET to the unity of the faith, and of the bknowledge of the Son of God,

BULLET to a mature man,

BULLET to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

SUB-POINT 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,

BULLET by the trickery of men,

BULLET by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

SENTENCE 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him

SUB-POINT who is the head, even ‹ Christ, ›

SENTENCE 16 [CR from whom CR] [TP the whole body, TP] being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”[a]

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.