Ephesians 4:16

Ephesians 4:16. From whom, as the Personal source and cause of unity and growth, all the body (as in Colossians 2:19), including every member of it. ‘The whole body' suggests a slightly different idea.

Fitly framed together and compacted. The participles point to a present continuous progress; the former denotes the fitting together of the parts of a building, the latter the gathering together of persons into a compact society; the two ideas being adaptation and solidity.

By means of every joint of the supply. ‘Joint' is a figure taken from the human body, referring to the nerves or more generally to all those points of contact through which the common life passes to the different members; comp. Colossians 2:19. The explanation ‘sensation' is not a natural one. The word rendered ‘supply' is one which passed from the sense of leading a chorus to contribution for public service in general. ‘The supply' is not that rendered by the individual members, but rather that furnished by Christ, the source of life, passing through every ‘joint,' which is therefore defined as a joint of the supply. It is not necessary, and perhaps unsafe, to refer the phrase exclusively to the official persons spoken of in Ephesians 4:2. The most difficult question is that of connection. The E. V. joins the phrase with the participles. In favor of this may be urged, the position of the phrase and the parallel passage in Colossians 2:19. But to join it with the verb ‘maketh the growth' is equally allowable, and gives more perspicuity to the passage. The participles do not necessarily involve this notion of vital con-tact and supply.

According to the working, etc. Not ‘effectual working,' since the reference is not directly to God's energy, but to the vital energy of each part of the body. As each several part is spoken of, all the members of the body are included, not the officials only. Some join this clause with what precedes, as an explanation of ‘the supply;' others connect it with the verb. The former seems preferable, the whole compound phrase, however, belonging to the predicate.

Maketh the growth of the body. The repetition of ‘body' gives distinctness to the involved statement, but may also indicate the body as a whole over against' each several part' The verb ‘maketh' is intensive. All the body possesses, by means of the adaptation, compacting, supply, and energy of each part, contributes to this organic, symmetrical, growth.

Unto the building up of itself in love. This is the aim of the growth: Self-edification, and that ‘in love,' as its element. It is unnecessary to connect the last phrase with the verb. The view taken of this complicated verse may be thus stated: ‘From whom (Christ) all the body (each and every member) fitly framed (jointed) together and compacted (so as to form one whole) grows (as by its own organic life) by means of every joint (every special adaptation in gift and office) of the supply (which Christ grants) according to the working in the measure of each several part (the growth being not only from Him, but symmetrical and organic) unto (this end) the building up of the body itself in love (as the element of edification).' We have here nothing about the ministry constituting the Church, but enough to show the necessity for the ministry; nothing about the necessity of maintaining the succession through fixed forms, but the promise that Christ will give real pastors and teachers, if the Church will be careful to receive these and only these: nothing about the external polity of the Church, but much about the means of her advancement toward unity of faith and knowledge, through edifying in love.