Ephesians 4:7–16

⁷But to each one of us^f grace^g has been given^h as Christ apportioned it. ⁸This is why it^a says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captivesⁱ

and gave gifts to his people.”^bj

⁹(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^c? ¹⁰He who descended is the very one who ascended^k higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{l 11}So Christ himself gave^m the apostles,ⁿ the prophets,^o the evangelists,^p the pastors and teachers,^{q 12}to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^r may be built up^{s 13}until we all reach unity^t in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^u and become mature,^v attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^w

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants,^x tossed back and forth by the waves,^y and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{z 15}Instead, speaking the truth in love,^a we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^b that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^c and builds itself up^d in love,^e as each part does its work.