Ephesians 4:7-16 (ESV)7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gavegifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had alsodescended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one whoalso ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gavethe apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equipthe saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we allattain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturemanhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we mayno longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every windof 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 jointwith which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body growso that it builds itself up in love.
