to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

[and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the plunder, He handed it all out in gifts to the people. Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: