Ephesians 4:16

“from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love”.

“From whom”: From the head, Christ. “All the body”: Every member of the church. One cannot grow spiritually without holding fast to the Head. One cannot grow up spiritually unless one is willing to embrace everything that Christ taught. Spiritual growth depends upon our "attitude" towards the Head. Do we resent Him? Or do we love and adore Him? “Fitly framed and knit together”: “The present participles denote present, continuous progress. The two participles represent respectively the ideas of harmony or adaptation and compactness” (Vincent p. 392). “Closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another” (Wey). “Through that which every joint supplieth”: “By the aid of every contributing ligament” (Wey). That is, every member of the church must strive for the right attitudes, and the right doctrine, and accept the instruction and assistance from sound leadership (Hebrews 13:17). Every member must refuse to embrace false teaching (Ephesians 4:14), and strive to uphold God's truth with the utmost integrity. “According to the working in due measure of each several part”: “When each part is working properly” (RSV). “Every member must exert himself to full measure, to the full extent” (Caldwell p. 192).

“Maketh the increase of the body”: The church grows when God's plan, as outlined in this chapter, is followed. “Notice the peculiar phrase: the whole body making increase of the body (Vincent p. 392). Congregations grow in number and maturity when they are composed of members who are committed to this end. “Unto the building up of itself in love”: This is true church growth. Gimmicks, false teaching, doctrinal compromise, watered down morality, and fun and games will cause religious bodies to grow in number, but only God's plan with cause. church to grow both in number and in real spiritual maturity. This is not superficial church growth, but real growth of the body of Christ. In closing, Stott offers the following comments: “Others lay great stress on the fact of the church's unity as. theological concept clearly articulated in their minds, but appear to see nothing anomalous in the visible disunity which contradicts their theology. Others have. static view of the church, and are well satisfied if the congregation manages to maintain its size and programme, without cutback. All such complacency is unworthy of the church's calling. We need to keep this biblical ideal clearly before us. Only then shall we live. life that is worthy of it” (p. 173).