EPH 4:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT for the equipping of the saints for the work of serving, for building up of the body of Christ,

UST God appointed all of them to prepare God’s people to do the work of serving others so that all the people who belong to the Messiah might become spiritually strong.

BLB toward the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ,

AICNT for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ,

OEB to fit his people for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of the Christ.

WEBBE for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,

WMBB for the perfecting of the holy ones, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Messiah,

NET to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,

LSV to the perfecting of the holy ones, for a work of ministry, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

FBV with the purpose of preparing God's people for the work of helping others, to help the body of Christ to grow.

TCNT to equip the saints for the work of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

T4T He appointed all of these in order that they would prepare God’s people to do God’s work, so that all the people who belong to Christ [MET] might become spiritually mature.

LEB for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

BBE For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ:

Moff for the equipment of the saints, for the business of the ministry, for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ,

Wymth in order fully to equip His people for the work of serving—for the building up of Christ's body—

ASV for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:

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

YLT unto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

Drby for the perfecting of the saints; with a view to [the] work of [the] ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ;

RV for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:

SLT For the adjusting of the holy, for the work of the service, for the building up of the body of Christ:

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

KJB-1769 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

KJB-1611 For the perfecting of the Saints, for the worke of the ministerie, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministerie, for the edifying of the body of Christ:)

Bshps To the gatheryng together of the saintes, into the worke of ministration, into the edifiyng of the body of Christe:
(To the gathering together of the saints, into the work of ministration, into the edifiing of the body of Christ:)

Gnva For the repairing of the Saintes, for the woorke of the ministerie, and for the edification of the bodie of Christ,
(For the repairing of the Saints, for the work of the ministerie, and for the edification of the bodie of Christ, )

Cvdl wherby the sayntes mighte be coupled together thorow comen seruyce to the edifienge of ye body of Christ,
(whereby the saints might be coupled together through came service to the edifienge of ye/you_all body of Christ,)

TNT that the sainctes might have all thinges necessarie to worke and minister with all to the edifyinge of the body of christ
(that the sainctes might have all things necessarie to work and minister with all to the edifyinge of the body of christ )

Wycl to the ful endyng of seyntis, in to the werk of mynystrie, in to edificacioun of Cristis bodi,
(to the full ending of saints, in to the work of mynystrie, in to edification of Christis body,)

Luth daß die Heiligen zugerichtet werden zum Werk des Amts, dadurch der Leib Christi erbauet werde,
(that the saints/holy_ones prepared become for_the work the official(n), through_this the/of_the body Christi built become,)

ClVg ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii, in ædificationem corporis Christi:[fn]
(to completion holy_place in/into/on work/need ministry, in/into/on buildsionem body Christi: )

4.12 In opus ministerii. Hos autem dedit in opus ministerii, ut quisque plene possit facere opus ministrationis sibi creditæ. Si enim unus haberet omnia, non perfecte ageret singula. Ad consummationem. Id est, ut eos consummaret qui jam sancti sunt. Et in ædificationem. Id est, ut eos ædificent in corpus Christi, qui adhuc sunt alieni.

4.12 In work/need ministry. Hos however he_gave in/into/on work/need ministry, as everyone/whoever fully/completely can to_do work/need servesionis to_himself he_believesæ. When/But_if because one would_have everything, not/no perfectly to_actt each. To completion. That it_is, as them consummaret who/which already holy are. And in/into/on buildsionem. That it_is, as them ædificent in/into/on body Christi, who/which still are strangers.

UGNT πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
(pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn eis ergon diakonias, eis oikodomaʸn tou sōmatos tou Ⱪristou,)

SBL-GNT πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
(pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn eis ergon diakonias, eis oikodomaʸn tou sōmatos tou Ⱪristou,)

RP-GNT πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ χριστοῦ·
(pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn, eis ergon diakonias, eis oikodomaʸn tou sōmatos tou ⱪristou;)

TC-GNT πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ·
(pros ton katartismon tōn hagiōn, eis ergon diakonias, eis oikodomaʸn tou sōmatos tou Ⱪristou; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–16: Believers are united in Christ

In the previous sections, Paul taught the important truths of the Christian faith. In this section, Paul showed how those truths should affect the way we live. He urged the Ephesian Christians to behave in the way that would keep their unity. He explained in detail the basis of this unity. He also explained that Christ gives believers power to do different tasks so that the church may become strong and mature. Mature believers should no longer be influenced by false teaching. Instead, they will proclaim the truth, and the church, with Christ as its head, will grow as it should and become strong.

Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:

Unity of the body of Christ

Christ’s gifts to the church

Live in unity, using God’s gifting to strengthen believers

Paul urges the Ephesians to live a life of unity in Christ

Believers in Christ should live in unity, strengthening each other

Paragraph 4:7–16

In 4:4–6 Paul talked about the things that unite Christians. These are things that we have in common. But in 4:7 he talked about special abilities that some Christians have and that others do not have. We all have the same Spirit, we all worship the same Lord, and so on. But to each of us, Christ has given different special abilities.

4:12

This verse explains the purpose of Christ giving some of his people these special abilities that Paul mentioned in 4:11. The purpose is to give the ability to all God’s people to work for him, so that they all may grow and become stronger in their faith.

4:12a

to equip the saints for works of ministry

He did this so that these people would prepare God’s people to serve him,
He gave people these abilities so that they could make the rest of God’s people ready to work for him.

to equip: The phrase to equip means to “make able and adequate” to a task. Paul intended that they would be up to the task and fit to serve God’s people.

Here is another way to translate this:

to equip God’s people to do his work (NLT)

the saints: A literal English translation of the Greek is “holy ones.” It means “people set apart for God.” This Greek word refers to every believer.

See how you translated the saints in 3:8a. See Holy, Meaning 1, special use in the Glossary for more information.

for works of ministry: The phrase works of ministry means “to work serving God.” Notice that Paul did not say that the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors are the ones who are equipped to work for God. He says that the apostles and others are to prepare “the saints” to work for God. All of God’s people are to work for him.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the work of serving (NCV)

would learn to serve (CEV)

4:12b

and to build up the body of Christ,

so that believers, who are the body of Christ, may grow strong.
He did it so that all of God’s people will become stronger in their faith and more mature.

and to build up the body of Christ: This clause begins with and to. It tells why Christ appointed some people to be apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers (4:11). He appointed people to these positions so that they could prepare all of God’s people to work for him (4:12a).

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase and to:

for (REB)

He did that so

build up the body of Christ: The body of Christ is a metaphor that refers to all Christians. To build up the body of Christ means to cause all Christians to become strong in their relationship with Christ (the head of the body) and with each other (other members of the body). If it is not clear what the body of Christ refers to, you can make it explicit. For example:

and build up the church, the body of Christ (NLT)

build up: The Greek word that the BSB translates as build up is a verb meaning “to construct (a house).” He uses the same word in 2:22a and 4:16b. Paul is using the word in a figurative sense that means “cause to grow strong” or “make complete and mature.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and his body would grow strong (CEV)

make the body of Christ stronger (NCV)

cause the assembly of Christians/believers to be more mature

UTN uW Translation Notes:

πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρός τόν καταρτισμόν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας εἰς οἰκοδομήν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Alternate translation: [to prepare the people whom he has set apart] or [to provide the believers with what they need]

εἰς ἔργον διακονίας

for ˓the˒_work ˱of˲_service

Alternate translation: [so that they can serve others]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ

for for (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρός τόν καταρτισμόν τῶν ἁγίων εἰς ἔργον διακονίας εἰς οἰκοδομήν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Paul is speaking of people who grow spiritually as if they were doing exercises to increase the strength of their physical bodies.

οἰκοδομὴν

Alternate translation: [the improvement]

τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ

˱of˲_the body ˱of˲_the Messiah

Alternate translation: [all of the members of Christ’s church] or [all those who are believers in Christ]

Parallel EPH 4:12

Section 4:1–16: Believers are united in Christ

Paragraph 4:7–16

4:12

4:12a

4:12b