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11-13 His “gifts to men” were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by the “fullness of Christ”.

True maturity means growing up “into” Christ

14-16 We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love.

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13 till we all come to the unity of the faith (A)and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to (B)a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be (C)children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of (D)deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the (E)head—Christ—

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13 until we all reach unity(A) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God(B) and become mature,(C) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.(D)

14 Then we will no longer be infants,(E) tossed back and forth by the waves,(F) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.(G) 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,(H) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,(I) that is, Christ.

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13 until we all attain to (A)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, (B)to mature manhood,[a] to the measure of the stature of (C)the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, (D)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in (E)deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, (F)speaking the truth in love, we are to (G)grow up in every way into him who is (H)the head, into Christ,

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:13 Greek to a full-grown man