Ephesians 4:11–16
God gives different kinds of service so the body grows in love
Study it word by word11And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as shepherds and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, for the building up of the body of the Messiah,
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Messiah,
14so that we may no longer be children, tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men, by craftiness in the scheming of error;
15but speaking the truth in love, let us grow in all things into him who is the head, the Messiah,
16from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every joint of supply, according to the working in the measure of each part, makes the growth of the body for its own building up in love.
In its context
9Now this “He ascended,” what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10The one who descended is himself also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.
…
17This therefore I say and testify in the Lord: that you no longer walk as the nations also walk, in the futility of their mind,
18being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
Its words in the original
- ἔδωκενedōken· give
Give.
- ἀποστόλουςapostolous· apostle, one sent
Apostle: "one sent", a messenger with a mission. This was the name given to the Twelve whom Jesus chose.
- προφήταςprophētas· prophet
Prophet: someone who speaks on God's behalf.
- εὐαγγελιστάςeuangelistas· evangelist
Evangelist: one who proclaims the good news.
- ποιμέναςpoimenas· shepherd
Shepherd.
- διδασκάλουςdidaskalous· teacher
Teacher, one who teaches.
- καταρτισμὸνkatartismon· equipping
Equipping, making people ready and fit for a task.
- ἁγίωνhagiōn· holy
Holy: set apart for God, pure, belonging to him.
- ἔργονergon· work
Work, deed, what someone does.
- διακονίαςdiakonias· service, ministry
Service, ministry: the work of a servant; also help sent to those in need.
- οἰκοδομὴνoikodomēn· building
Building, structure; also building up.
- σώματοςsōmatos· body
Body.
- ΧριστοῦChristou· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- μέχριmechri· until, as far as
Until; as far as.
- καταντήσωμενkatantēsōmen· arrive, reach
Arrive at a place, come to it; also reach or attain a goal.
- ἑνότηταhenotēta· unity
Unity, being united as one.
- πίστεωςpisteōs· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- ἐπιγνώσεωςepignōseōs· knowledge
Knowledge: full knowledge of something or of someone, recognition.
- υἱοῦhuiou· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἄνδραandra· man, husband
Man, adult male; with a possessive, "husband".
- τέλειονteleion· complete, mature
Complete, mature, whole; often rendered “perfect.”
- μέτρονmetron· measure
Measure.
- ἡλικίαςhēlikias· age, stature
Stature; also age, length of life.
- πληρώματοςplērōmatos· fullness
Fullness; what fills.
- μηκέτιmēketi· no longer
No longer, never again.
- ὦμενōmen· be
Be, exist.
- νήπιοιnēpioi· infant, child
Small child, infant; someone simple or immature like a child.
- κλυδωνιζόμενοιklydōnizomenoi· be tossed by waves
Be tossed back and forth by the waves.
- περιφερόμενοιperipheromenoi· carry around
Carry about from place to place.
- ἀνέμῳanemōi· wind
Wind.
- διδασκαλίαςdidaskalias· teaching
Teaching, instruction.
- κυβείᾳkybeiai· trickery
Trickery; the word comes from dice playing and its cheating.
- ἀνθρώπωνanthrōpōn· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- πανουργίᾳpanourgiai· craftiness
Craftiness, cunning, trickery.
- μεθοδείανmethodeian· scheme
Scheme, a cunning plan to deceive.
- πλάνηςplanēs· error, deception
Deception, error.
- ἀληθεύοντεςalētheuontes· speak the truth
Speak the truth, be truthful.
- ἀγάπῃagapēi· love
Love.
- αὐξήσωμενauxēsōmen· grow, increase
Grow, increase; make grow.
- κεφαλήkephalē· head
Head.
- συναρμολογούμενονsynarmologoumenon· fit together
Fit together well, join piece to piece.
- συμβιβαζόμενονsymbibazomenon· prove, join together
Bring together, join; also instruct; prove by bringing reasons together, conclude.
- ἁφῆςhaphēs· joint, ligament
Joint, the link that binds the parts of the body together.
- ἐπιχορηγίαςepichorēgias· supply, help
Supply, help that is provided.
- ἐνέργειανenergeian· working, power at work
Working: power when it is in action.
- ἑνὸςhenos· one
One.
- ἑκάστουhekastou· each
Each, each one.
- μέρουςmerous· part
Part; in the plural, region, district.
- αὔξησινauxēsin· growth
Growth.
- ποιεῖταιpoieitai· do, make
Do, make, produce.