Ephesians 4:12

for the perfecting of the saints, &c. More lit., with a view to the equipment of the saints for [their] work of service. Latin versions, ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii. The noun rendered equipmentoccurs only here in N.T. The kindred verb occurs e.g.Matthew 4:21 (A.V., "mendingnets"); Galatians 6:1 (A.V., "restoresuch a one"); Hebrews 13:21 ("make you perfect"; and so 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Peter 5:10). The idea is of mending a breach, completing a connexion, putting the dislocated in order. The practical suggestion here is most important. The Divine gift of a Christian Ministry is to have its effect above all things in the fitting of "the saints" (true believers in general) for active "service" for the common Lord. Government, preaching, teaching, is to bear upon this. Nothing will be a more lawful result of a Divine ministerial commission than energetic efforts for Christ and His cause on the part of private Christians. These efforts, on the other hand, will never be made (in the true ideal of Christian work) in neglect or contempt of the ordered ministry.

for the edifying of the body A special aspect of the "work of service" just mentioned. Each true believer is, by the spiritually enabled ministry, to be "equipped" to act as a "builder up" of the Lord's Body (on which see above, on Ephesians 4:4); to gather in new "living stones," new "members," by holy influence of word and work; and to compact and consolidate the cohesion. See below Ephesians 4:29 for a special form of such labours. For the fusion of the metaphors of "building" and "body" see the closing verses of ch. 2, and below Ephesians 4:16.