Ephesians 4:12 (DRB)

Passage

For the perfecting of the saints, for the word of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Nearby Context

Ephesians 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens: that he might fill all things.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors:

Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the word of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Ephesians 4:13 Until we all meet into the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:14 That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "perfecting", "saints", "word", "ministry", "edifying", "body", and "christ". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "perfecting" and "saints", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And he gave some apostles and some..." into verse 13's "Until we all meet into the unity...", so "perfecting" and "saints" belong inside that flow. In Ephesians context, the local focus is grace, union with Christ, the church, and new creation.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "perfecting" and "saints" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.