Ephesians 4:16

From 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.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Ephesian church, positioned between the command to grow up into Christ (4:15) and the warning to abandon Gentile patterns of thinking (4:17).

The words — Both key participles are middle/passive present: συναρμολογοῦμενον (sunarmologoumenon, "being joined together") and συμβιβαζόμενον (sumbibazomenon, "being held together"), indicating the body performs this action on itself.

The thread — Colossians 2:19 reuses the same body-head-ligament imagery to warn against losing connection to the Head; John 15:5 frames the identical dependence as branches apart from the vine.

Why it lands — Each part is responsible for its own work; the body's growth is distributed across every member rather than delegated to a few.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Cross-references

Colossians 2:19 He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
Colossians 2:2 that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
Ephesians 4:12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
Philippians 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.
1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.