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

⁷ But in accordance with the measure of Christ's gift, His favor has been bestowed upon each one of us. ⁸ Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men."

⁹ What does "He went up" mean, except that He had first gone down into the lower regions of the earth? ¹⁰ The very One that went down has gone up, too, far above all the heavens, to fill the universe. ¹¹ And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² for the immediate equipment of God's people for the work of service, for the ultimate building up of the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to unity in faith and to perfect knowledge of the Son of God, namely, to a mature manhood and to a perfect measure of Christ's moral stature; ¹⁴ so that we may not be babies any longer, or like sailors tossed about and driven around by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men through their cunning in inventing new methods of error. ¹⁵ But, on the other hand, we shall go on holding to the truth and in love growing up into perfect union with Him, that is, Christ Himself who is the Head. ¹⁶ For it is under His direction that the whole body is perfectly adjusted and united by every joint that furnishes its supplies; and by the proper functioning of each particular part there is brought about the growing of the body for its building up in love.