Ephesians 4:13–16

Context

Tradition holds that Ephesians is a letter written by Paul while he was a prisoner (Ephesians 4:1), though some scholars regard it as the work of one of Paul's disciples. Chapters 1–3 describe the church as the one body in which Jews and Gentiles have been united in Christ. Beginning in chapter 4, the letter exhorts readers to live in a manner worthy of that calling. Ephesians 4:1–6 urges believers to keep "the unity of the Spirit." Ephesians 4:11–12 states that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Verses 13–16 portray the goal toward which that purpose leads: a mature church.

Interpretations

• Communal reading: This reading draws attention to the singular "perfect man" in the original text and to the imagery of the body and its joints in verse 16. It holds that the passage describes not so much individuals as the whole church maturing together like a single person.
• Sanctification reading: This reading understands the passage as describing the process of sanctification, in which the individual believer grows into the likeness of Christ. The Reformed tradition understands this as gradual, lifelong growth. Methodist and Holiness traditions, which stand in the line of Wesleyan theology, sometimes connect the language of "perfection" with the goal toward which sanctification aims.
• Ministry reading: This reading takes the passage together with verses 11–12. It understands the text to mean that the church grows when its officers equip the saints and every member works "in the measure of every part." Those who emphasize the priesthood of all believers and lay ministry cite it frequently.
• Defense-of-truth reading: This reading sees "every wind of doctrine" in verse 14 as a warning against false teaching and treats the passage as a basis for doctrinal instruction and vigilance against heresy.

Debates and Issues

• Translation: The Greek verb in verse 15, rendered in Korean Bibles as "doing what is true," can be read either as "speaking the truth" or as "living truthfully." The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) render it broadly as "doing what is true," while the New Korean Standard Version (Saebeonyeok) and others lean toward "speaking the truth." The word in verse 13 rendered "stature" can also mean "height" or "age."
• The nature of unity: Proponents of the ecumenical movement cite "come in the unity" in verse 13 as grounds for visible unity across denominational lines. Conservative evangelicals point to "of the faith, and of the knowledge" in the same verse and read it as a unity that presupposes doctrinal agreement.
• Citation out of context: Some object to applying "grow up" to increases in church membership, noting that the growth the text describes is not numerical but consists of maturity and being built up in love. Others caution against using verse 14 to dismiss every differing view as a mere "wind."

In the Korean Church

The passage is often cited together with verses 11–12 when introducing discipleship training and small group ministry, and verse 14 is frequently mentioned in programs designed to protect believers from heresy. The phrase "the stature of the fulness of Christ" is widely used in preaching and church education as an expression for spiritual maturity.

Related Passages

• Ephesians 4:3–6
• Colossians 2:19
• 1 Corinthians 13:11–12
• Hebrews 5:12–14
• 1 Peter 4:10–11