Ephesians 4:16

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Col 2:19 : 19 He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
  • John 15:5 : 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me– and I in him– bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.
  • 1 Cor 13:13-14:1 : 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Prophecy and Tongues Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
  • Eph 4:12 : 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,
  • Eph 4:15 : 15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.
  • Phil 1:9 : 9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight
  • Col 2:2 : 2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
  • 1 Cor 12:12-28 : 12 Different Members in One Body For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body– though many– are one body, so too is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. 15 If the foot says,“Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 16 And if the ear says,“Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 17 If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell? 18 But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. 19 If they were all the same member, where would the body be? 20 So now there are many members, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand,“I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot,“I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, 23 and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, 24 but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. 26 If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues.
  • 1 Cor 13:4-9 : 4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. 6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,
  • Eph 1:4 : 4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.
  • Eph 3:7 : 7 I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power.
  • Eph 3:17 : 17 that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,
  • 1 Tim 1:5 : 5 But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
  • 1 Thess 2:13 : 13 And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.
  • 1 Thess 3:12 : 12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,
  • 1 Thess 4:9-9 : 9 Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
  • 2 Thess 1:3 : 3 Thanksgiving We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.
  • 1 Pet 1:22 : 22 You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.
  • 1 John 4:16 : 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him.
  • 1 Thess 1:3 : 3 because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Gal 5:6 : 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight– the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
  • Gal 5:13-14 : 13 Practice Love For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely,“You must love your neighbor as yourself.”
  • Gal 5:22 : 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
  • 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 Food Sacrificed to Idols With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that“we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
  • Job 10:10-11 : 10 Did you not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese? 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews.
  • Ps 139:15-16 : 15 my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

  • 19 He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

  • Eph 2:20-22
    3 verses
    79%

    20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

    21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

    22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

  • Eph 4:12-13
    2 verses
    77%

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

    13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God– a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.

  • 23 Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

  • Rom 12:4-5
    2 verses
    76%

    4 For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function,

    5 so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.

  • 74%

    22 On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential,

    23 and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity,

    24 but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member,

    25 so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another.

    26 If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it.

    27 Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you is a member of it.

  • 12 Different Members in One Body For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body– though many– are one body, so too is Christ.

  • Eph 4:2-4
    3 verses
    73%

    2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love,

    3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

    4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling,

  • 30 because we are members of his body.

  • 72%

    14 For in fact the body is not a single member, but many.

    15 If the foot says,“Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that.

  • 72%

    18 But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided.

    19 If they were all the same member, where would the body be?

    20 So now there are many members, but one body.

  • 2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

  • Eph 3:17-19
    3 verses
    71%

    17 that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,

    18 you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

    19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God.

  • 1 Cor 3:9-10
    2 verses
    71%

    9 We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.

    10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds.

  • 17 Live in Holiness So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

  • 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

  • 29 Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

  • Eph 4:6-7
    2 verses
    70%

    6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

    7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

  • Col 1:10-11
    2 verses
    70%

    10 so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects– bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

    11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

  • 10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ– the things in heaven and the things on earth.

  • 6 I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.

  • 3 Thanksgiving We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.

  • 12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

  • 15 Prayer for Wisdom and Revelation For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

  • Eph 1:19-20
    2 verses
    69%

    19 and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength.

    20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms

  • 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

  • 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body– for the sake of his body, the church– what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

  • 14 And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond.

  • 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.