Focused Passage

Ephesians 4:7-16

Walking Worthy: Unity, Maturity, and the New Life in Christ

Paul moves from the call to walk worthy in Spirit-given unity, to Christ's gift of leaders for body maturity, to the command to reject the old Gentile life and put on the new self in truthful, holy, grace-filled community.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

7Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”

9What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

10He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.

16From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

NowδὲG1161Conjunctionto eachἑκάστῳG1538Adjective - Dative Masculine SingularoneἙνὶG1520Adjective - Dative Masculine Singularof usἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulargraceχάριςG5485Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularhas been givenἐδόθηG1325Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularaccording toκατὰG2596PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularmeasureμέτρονG3358Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargiftδωρεᾶςG1431Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 8

Original words

This is whyδιὸG1352Conjunctionit saysλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularWhen He ascendedἈναβὰςG305Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularonεἰςG1519PrepositionhighὕψοςG5311Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularHe ledᾐχμαλώτευσενG162Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularcaptives awayαἰχμαλωσίανG161Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularand(καὶ)G2532ConjunctiongaveἔδωκενG1325Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulargiftsδόματαG1390Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralto menἀνθρώποιςG444Noun - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Or He says
  • Psalm 68:18
Verse 9

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionWhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular[does]ἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-ΤὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularHe ascended” [mean]ἈνέβηG305Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularexceptεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionvvvκαὶG2532ConjunctionHe also descendedκατέβηG2597Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PlurallowerκατώτεραG2737Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural - ComparativepartsμέρηG3313Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • BYZ and TR except that He also descended first
Verse 10

Original words

He whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulardescendedκαταβὰςG2597Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularvvvκαὶG2532Conjunctionthe veryαὐτόςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular[One]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularwho ascendedἀναβὰςG305Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularaboveὑπεράνωG5231PrepositionallπάντωνG3956Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluraltheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralheavensοὐρανῶνG3772Noun - Genitive Masculine Pluralin orderἵναG2443Conjunctionto fillπληρώσῃG4137Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluralall thingsπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 11

Original words

AndΚαὶG2532Conjunction[it was] He whoαὐτὸςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person SingulargaveἔδωκενG1325Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularsomeτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Plural-μὲνG3303Conjunction[to be] apostlesἀποστόλουςG652Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural-δὲG1161ConjunctionsomeτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Plural[to be] prophetsπροφήταςG4396Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural-δὲG1161ConjunctionsomeτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Plural[to be] evangelistsεὐαγγελιστάςG2099Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandδὲG1161ConjunctionsomeτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Plural[to be] pastorsποιμέναςG4166Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionteachersδιδασκάλουςG1320Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 12

Original words

vvvπρὸςG4314PrepositionvvvτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singularto equipκαταρτισμὸνG2677Noun - Accusative Masculine SingulartheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralsaintsἁγίωνG40Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralforεἰςG1519PrepositionworksἔργονG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof ministryδιακονίαςG1248Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular[and]εἰςG1519Prepositionto build upοἰκοδομὴνG3619Noun - Accusative Feminine SingulartheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularbodyσώματοςG4983Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

untilμέχριG3360Adverb-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralvvvπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralwe all reachκαταντήσωμενG2658Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural. . .εἰςG1519Preposition-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularunityἑνότηταG1775Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularin theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularfaithπίστεωςG4102Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionin theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularknowledgeἐπιγνώσεωςG1922Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularSonΥἱοῦG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularvvvεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvἄνδραG435Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[as we] matureτέλειονG5046Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularfullπληρώματοςG4138Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularmeasureμέτρονG3358Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof [the] statureἡλικίαςG2244Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ThenἵναG2443Conjunction{we will} no longerμηκέτιG3371AdverbbeὦμενG1510Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluralinfantsνήπιοιG3516Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluraltossed about by the wavesκλυδωνιζόμενοιG2831Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctioncarried aroundπεριφερόμενοιG4064Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Pluralby everyπαντὶG3956Adjective - Dative Masculine SingularwindἀνέμῳG417Noun - Dative Masculine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof teachingδιδασκαλίαςG1319Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular[and] byἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularvvvἐνG1722PrepositioncleverπανουργίᾳG3834Noun - Dative Feminine Singularcunningκυβείᾳ*G2940Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralof menἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralinπρὸςG4314Preposition[their]τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulardeceitfulπλάνηςG4106Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularschemingμεθοδείανG3180Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

InsteadδὲG1161Conjunctionspeaking the truthἀληθεύοντεςG226Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositionloveἀγάπῃG26Noun - Dative Feminine Singular{we will} inτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluralall thingsπάνταG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter Pluralgrow upαὐξήσωμενG837Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluralintoεἰςG1519PrepositionChristΧριστόςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularHimselfαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularwhoὅςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularheadκεφαλήG2776Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

FromἐξG1537Preposition[Him]οὗG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularwholeπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularbodyσῶμαG4983Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularfittedσυναρμολογούμενονG4883Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionheld togetherσυμβιβαζόμενονG4822Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter SingularbyδιὰG1223PrepositioneveryπάσηςG3956Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularvvvτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularsupportingἐπιχορηγίαςG2024Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularligamentἁφῆςG860Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singular-σώματοςG4983Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargrowsαὔξησινG838Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-ποιεῖταιG4160Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular-εἰςG1519Preposition[and] builds itself upοἰκοδομὴνG3619Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular. . .ἑαυτοῦG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionloveἀγάπῃG26Noun - Dative Feminine Singularthroughκατ’G2596Preposition[the] workἐνέργειανG1753Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularvvvἐνG1722PrepositionvvvμέτρῳG3358Noun - Dative Neuter Singularof eachἑκάστουG1538Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularindividualἑνὸςG1520Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularpartμέρουςG3313Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.