New Revised Standard NRS
New International Version NIV
7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.
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But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people."
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This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
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(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ?
10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)
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He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
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So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
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to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
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until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.
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Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
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Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.
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From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.