Ephesians 4:7-16 - Gifted Leaders Bring The Church To Maturity

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 a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."

⁹ (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean except that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also he who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of service, 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 become mature, to the measure of the stature of 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 cunning of men, by their 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, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each part, causes the growth of the body and builds itself up in love.