Bible Text — Ephesians 4:7–16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

8 Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive the captives, And He gave gifts to people.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ;

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,

16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

1. Grace given to each of us (v. 7)

There are many variations of grace. We are saved by grace, forgiven by grace, and given ministry gifts by grace. In the church each believer has a distinct part to play—“ministries” to perform. The ability to serve is itself called “grace” and was given to every believer. When we fail to do our ministry, the church suffers.

• Ephesians 3:7–8 — Paul talks about the grace of his apostleship.
• Romans 12:5–6 — We have received gifts by grace to be used properly. No believer is giftless; no believer has all gifts.
• 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 — The Spirit gives gifts for use in the church.

2. “He ascended on high… and gave gifts to people” (v. 8)

Paul references Psalm 68:18 as a way of saying “Scripture says.” The picture is of a victorious conqueror returning after a great battle. The “tribute” or “gifts” refer to those who were captives and are now free because of the great victory. Christ gives rather than receives.

3. The Great Victory (vv. 9–10)

“He ascended” applies to Christ’s return from earth to the highest heaven (cf. Eph 1:20–21; Jn 3:13; 6:38, 62). “The lower parts of the earth” has traditionally been taken as the abode of the dead—between His death and resurrection Jesus invaded the realm of the dead and set captives free. Having descended, Christ now ascends to take His rightful position (Heb 4:14; 7:26). Jesus now fills the universe (Eph 1:23; Jer 23:24).

4. Equipping of the Saints for Ministry (vv. 11–12)

Christ gave the church the ministries listed in verse 11. This list differs from 1 Cor 12:4–11, which outlines gifts and ministries. These are persons Christ gave the church as specific callings or ministries: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. They are for equipping and building up the church (v. 12; cf. Eph 2:21–22).

5. God’s Desired Goal: Christian Maturity (v. 13)

The equipping or “building up” of the saints involves the church’s growth to maturity—not sinless perfection, but maturity grounded in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God as taught by the Gospels and apostolic writings.

According to the Apostle Paul, a mature Christian is defined by a journey of spiritual growth that results in a stable, Christ-like character, motivated by love and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Maturity is not about age or spiritual experiences but about intentionally moving past elementary faith toward a deeper, practical understanding of the gospel and living it day by day.

6. The Result of Grace and Ministry (vv. 14–16)

• With God’s grace and ministry gifts, members are obliged to grow beyond spiritual childhood.
• See 1 Cor 3:1–2; Heb 5:13 — immaturity lacks skill in the word.
• “Winds of teaching” picture a rudderless ship; maturity discerns truth from error (Heb 5:14).
• Beware deceptive schemes; Paul warned the Ephesian church (Acts 20:28–30).
• Answer: live and speak the truth in love; grow up in Christ (v. 15); each member does its work (v. 16).

Exercise: How can we become mature christians?