Eph 4:7-16 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 4:7-16: 4:7-16 Though believers share a common faith, God has given different special abilities to each individual believer for building up the church. 4:7 He has given each one of us a gift of his grace for building up the community of believers (see 1 Cor 12:7 ; cp. Rom 12:6 ; 1 Cor 12:11 ).

Summary for Eph 4:7-16: 4:7-16 ^a Though believers share a common faith, God has given different special abilities to each individual believer for building up the church. 4:7 ^b He has given each one of us a gift of his grace for building up the community of believers (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^c; cp. Rom 12:6 ^d; 1 Cor 12:11 ^e).
4:8 ^f He led a crowd of captives may refer to Christ’s victory over spiritual powers (see 1:21-22 ^g; Col 2:15 ^h), or to his capture of disobedient sinners and making them believers through the power of the Good News message.

• Christ gave gifts to his people (see Eph 4:11-12 ⁱ).
Summary for Eph 4:9-10: 4:9-10 ^j to our lowly world (or to the lowest parts of the earth): Some understand this phrase as referring to the tomb, to the world of the dead (cp. Matt 12:40 ^k; 1 Pet 3:18-20 ^l), or to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Instead, it probably refers to the incarnation, when Christ . . . descended from heaven and became a man (see John 1:14 ^m; 3:13 ⁿ; Phil 2:7-8 ^o).
4:11 ^p In his letters, Paul has four different lists of God’s gifts (see also Rom 12:4-8 ^q; 1 Cor 12:8-10 ^r, 28 ^s), none of which is comprehensive. Here the focus is on the gifts of leadership most needed for the growth of the church.

• Apostles are divinely commissioned missionary evangelists.

• Prophets speak messages from God for his people.

• Evangelists proclaim the Good News.

• Pastors (literally shepherds) care for God’s people (see 1 Tim 3:1-7 ^t).

• Teachers expound Scripture and God’s truths to the church.

• Pastors and teachers might refer to separate ministries or to two aspects of the same ministry.
4:12 ^u God’s gifts are given so that believers will build up the church (see 1 Cor 12:7 ^v; cp. 1 Pet 2:5 ^w).

• to equip God’s people to do his work: All believers are called to active Christian service.
4:13 ^x The goal of ministry is for the whole Christian community to understand and experience the Christian faith more deeply and gain a deeper knowledge of God’s Son. In this way, believers will be mature in the Lord (see 1 Cor 2:6 ^y; 14:20 ^z; Phil 3:15 ^aa; Col 1:28 ^ab; 4:12 ^ac; cp. Heb 5:14 ^ad; Jas 1:4 ^ae; 3:2 ^af). The standard of maturity is Christ himself; the Spirit’s transforming work is to make people fully like Christ (Rom 8:29 ^ag).
4:14 ^ah We won’t be tossed and blown about: Mature Christians, with a well-grounded knowledge of the Good News and of Christ himself, will be able to discern and resist false teaching (see Gal 1:6-7 ^ai; 3:1 ^aj; Col 2:8-23 ^ak; 1 Tim 1:3-7 ^al; 4:1-3 ^am; 6:3-5 ^an, 20 ^ao; 2 Tim 4:3-4 ^ap; Titus 1:11 ^aq).
4:16 ^ar Each part of the body plays an important role and helps the other parts grow. Christ, the head of the body, works through the individual parts, makes them fit together, and is the ultimate source of growth (see Col 2:19 ^as).

• When all believers are ministering effectively, the whole body will be healthy and growing and full of love (cp. 1 Cor 8:1 ^at). Love is the most important factor in Christian growth (1 Cor 13:1-13 ^au).