Ephesians 4:16, commentary and pictures

Christ is the living Head from whom the whole body, the church, is fitly joined together and held together. Increase comes by what every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, with each connection contributing through its proper work. As every part does its share the body makes increase of itself and builds itself up in love. That growth requires coming into unity under love as the law of Christ's kingdom, with many instruments working together in harmonious action and without jealousy, rivalry, or division. Believers so grow up into Christ as their Head toward full stature and perfection of character, speaking the truth in love and putting on the new man created in righteousness and true holiness.

Christ the Living Head

From whom the whole body, the church, is joined together and held together, Christ is the Head from whom that joining and holding come. Through every joint and by the effective working of every part according to its measure, each joint and each part supplies what is needed and contributes through its own proper work, so the body grows and builds itself up in love. No one person is the whole body, and the church is made complete only through many members with different gifts and workers, each working faithfully where placed in harmonious service and mutual support without jealousy or rivalry. From Him as Head the whole church receives its life and growth and receives what it needs for increase.

He is the source of the church's life and working power, its supply, nourishment and guidance, communicating life to the church and sustaining devoted members as the mind directs the body and its members receive action and guidance from it. Each member works according to the ability and measure given, and the coordinated work of all makes the body grow and builds it up in love, with no member left without proper exercise and none working independently of the others, while distinct abilities and ways coexist with harmonious cooperation. Members depend on one another so that suffering or honor shared by one affects the others, and their service builds up the body in love. Speaking the truth in love means walking in truth and being truthful in word and deed, keeping souls clean and free from selfishness, losing sight of self to build one another up in the most holy faith and press toward the higher life and full assurance of hope, rather than letting common cheap things engross the mind until His presence is withdrawn and progress is slowed by discouragement where the flesh wars against the spirit.

Believers are to grow up into Him in all things as their living Head, growing upward toward heaven in grace and knowledge of the truth toward full spiritual and moral maturity, full stature, and perfection of character. This is growth unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, in unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, through the gifts of the Holy Spirit given for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body. In that maturity they are no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine and deceived by cunning men, but speak the truth in love and grow into Christ, with divisions, mistrust and coldness put away and sanctified love and unity enabling growth, the love sustaining humble patient cooperation coming from Christ and not from human impulses. That growth requires separating from whatever would drag them down or make them what they ought not to be, and as they do their part they are given strength to grow in Him and see salvation. By contemplating His beauty and recognizing by faith the light of His presence they respond to His glory, and their righteousness is brought forth as light. This lesson is learned by being much in prayer, praying briefly and to the point with heartfelt simplicity and confidence, claiming promises by faith so hearts are opened to receive rich blessing and listen willingly to instruction.

Growing into the Head comes through diligent, constant learning and working, with self-examination and seeking to improve character. The Christian realizes lack of wisdom, strength and experience, yields will and interests to Christ, refuses indolence, and does his best to become an efficient worker for God, aiming for perfection of Christian character with no thought of failure, freeing the heart from selfishness, connecting with heaven, taking His life as the pattern, and meeting God's mind and will by bearing responsibilities while looking to Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith. Growth in Christ comes through receiving Him as spiritual food, with God's Word abiding within making believers strong to overcome the evil one in a battle that must be fought repeatedly, marked by steady loyalty to God, purity, temperance, daily study of the Word, and faithfulness in duty. Every power is improved by using it to benefit and bless others, diffusing to fellow men what is received from God, until the mind expands to better comprehend spiritual things and daily diligent work gives experience in devising ways to help others, and abiding in the vine, rooted and grounded and established in the truth, the Christian brings forth much fruit and His character appears.

Body Joined Together

The church is like the human body, where all the different members unite to form the entire body as one symmetrical, complete whole, each performing its own office in obedience to the intelligence that governs the whole. Its prosperity and perfection depend on many different instruments and agencies working together in concurrence and harmonious action, with every joint and part supplying its measure of working for the increase and edifying of the whole. In the wide field of action all plans must consider the result and everything must move according to the divine plan, so that each member promotes the designs of Christ who gave His life for the life of the world, and the whole body fitly framed together and compacted grows unto a holy temple in the Lord.

The whole body is fitly joined together and compacted, fitted and framed together, with joint connecting to joint until the building is perfect and complete, and members are joined together and strengthened through what each part contributes. Christ as Head joins the whole body of believers into a complete and harmonious whole, each part having a different appointed work and measure of gift provided by God for perfection, and perfect unity must exist in that diversity of gifts. The increase and edifying of the body in love happens when every member does its own part and all labor blends together with the labor of others, making the work not one-sided but a complete whole. This united growth requires loving one another as Christ loved, which reaches beyond loving a neighbor as self and keeps Christ's new commandment, with lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, one supplying what the other lacks, working as a perfect whole in concert under one supreme Leader and not independently following own judgment. It means growing up into Christ in truth and love in the unity of the faith, by speaking the truth in love reaching unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto full stature in Christ, no longer children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by deceitful men through cunning craftiness, but mature and united. It therefore rebukes dissension, fault-finding over the defects of brethren, and following one's own way, and calls for keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

No one person is the whole body, a complete whole, or an independent whole, for believers are only single members of one body under Christ as the only Head in heaven. No one is to be controlled by men and no member can claim mastery over others, but all serve under Christ alone as Head with each member controlled by the Holy Spirit, and the unity of the body is preserved only as each member performs its several office in its own measure. No one man's method is to be followed by all, and the work is not meant to rest on one person but to be carried out through different members and agencies working together under God's direction. The different minds with different talents and different ways of presenting truth are united and held together, with each joint and part doing its own effective work according to its measure and ability in its own lot and place in fellowship with fellow workers, whether preaching, teaching, medical work, farming, trade, council work, or foreign mission, so that as every part works effectually the body grows and builds itself up in love. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are given for this perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, for maturity in the fullness of Christ, and for stability against deceptive doctrine. God uses this diversity to meet the varied needs and minds of the world, since each person's distinct traits can open access to people others cannot reach, so believers should not force one another to conform to a single person's ideas, for God works on each heart to develop its powers and prepare it for a special work, while human control and training can suppress that growth and hinder the work God intends.

God has not qualified anyone to bear the burden of the work alone but has joined together men of different minds, talents, and capabilities so they will counsel with and assist one another, respect one another's opinions, and blend gifts to make up what is lacking. Members of the body stand in relation to one another and must work together, with the deficiency and lack in the experience and abilities of one supplied by the experience and abilities of another. No one person's gift or effort can complete the work alone, for different gifts and agencies are needed, and each worker should fill an appropriate role and supply what is lacking in another's work, recognizing place in the whole and being willing to receive counsel rather than rely on own judgment, so that cooperation is harmonious and the whole body grows stronger and more complete. This joining requires uniting human weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ, so that strong unchristlike traits of character are softened, subdued, and purified, and believers unite with one another in order to be one with Christ in God.

The members share one another's condition with mutual concern and sympathy and depend on one another, so that suffering or honor shared by one member affects the others. If even the finger, apparently the least important member, becomes afflicted it telegraphs the fact to the brain and the whole body suffers. Christ is the Head and life of every member and the great Head binds His followers together so they can work as one body for good, with the whole body joined and held together as each part supplies what is needed and works according to its measure, and their service builds up the body in love. The church is a whole made up of different people and gifts, with every part having a needed role, and the body's unity and health depend on mutual dependence on Christ and on shared concern and sympathy among its members, so no part should be undervalued or excluded.

Every Joint Supplies

Increase comes by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, with each connection contributing through its proper work from Christ as Head from whom the whole body is joined and held together, so the body grows and builds itself up in love. This joining and compacting brings the saints toward perfection through the developing of their different gifts, with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers given for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, until all come into unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In that growth believers are no longer children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by deceitful men through sleight and cunning craftiness lying in wait to deceive, but speak the truth in love and grow up into Christ in all things. That life in love means sympathizing with God and carrying a burden for sinners perishing in their sins, not grieving the Holy Spirit by whom believers are sealed but putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice, and being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave, while giving fellow laborers a place to work without jealousy, evil surmising or evil-speaking and encouraging one another in union with selfishness, self-sufficiency and self-esteem put away. God will take men now looked upon as common and put His words of warning into their lips to do this work that must be done.

The Lord's manner of working is through a variety of gifts joined together as one body, where every gift is essential to the success of the work for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ until all come in unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. God has set different gifts in the church and each gift is precious in its place, with varied gifts and working roles given to be employed for the good of all and for the growth and completeness of the body, and not to glorify the possessor. The body is built up as every member cultivates personal piety with spirit, thoughts and words under subjection to Christ and does his best in his own part, without obstructing one another, in harmony so the church grows through the work of each part and is built up in love. Recognizing this God-given order guards against rivalry, pride, envy and contempt while strengthening unity and mutual love.

The body is made complete through many members with different minds, talents, abilities, and ways of presenting truth, and no one man is a complete whole and no one man's method is to be followed by all. That diversity includes preaching, teaching, medical work, farming, trade, council work, and foreign mission, with each joint and part doing its own effective work according to its measure and ability in its own lot and place in fellowship with fellow workers, so the body grows and strengthens itself in love. The whole grows and builds itself up in love only when different minds, different gifts, and different plans and methods of labor are united in harmony, since no one worker has all the wisdom needed and no one is appointed a separate exclusive territory. Each must therefore counsel together, pray together, and blend tact and gift with others to make up what is lacking, and believers should not force one another to conform to a single person's ideas, for each person's distinct traits can open access to people others cannot reach to meet varied needs and minds, and human control and training can suppress the powers God is developing in each heart for a special work. No one is to be controlled by men and no one can be an independent whole, but the different members are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit with each performing its several office in its own measure under Christ as the only Head.

Each person has a distinct appointed place, lot, office, and line of service according to ability and measure, provided by God for perfection, and is to do his best in his own part, work faithfully where placed, and carry out the work assigned rather than interfere with or take over another's different work. The increase and edifying of the body in love happens when every member does its own part and all labor blends together with the labor of others, making the work not one-sided but a complete whole, which requires loving one another as Christ loved beyond loving a neighbor as self. Members in every place are organized to do their work intelligently in church capacity as members of Christ's body, receiving from Christ as living Head capabilities, light and efficiency to bless the world and to study and carry out missionary responsibilities, with each addition to the church to become another worker in the plan of redemption serving in close unity guided by the Holy Spirit. The different lines of work committed to different men must all be connected with the great whole, carried on together in concert with each worker controlled by divine power and putting forth undivided effort to draw those around him to Christ, with hearts blending and all moving like well-adjusted machinery in which each part is dependent on the other part yet stands distinct in action.

No member can remain inactive or without proper exercise, for every member has a work to do according to his several ability. The body is built up as each member takes part in its work rather than remaining a spectator, engaging in regular, systematic service, with distinct abilities and ways coexisting with harmonious cooperation and no member working independently of the others. This requires no shirking of responsibility on the one hand and no laboring for supremacy on the other, and no unequal bearing of burdens where one carries a heavy load and another goes lightly loaded, one eased and another burdened.

God has not qualified anyone to bear the burden of the work alone but has joined together men of different minds, talents, and capabilities so they will counsel with and assist one another. The deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another, with one supplying what the other lacks as members contribute and receive help. This joining requires uniting human weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ, so that strong unchristlike traits of character are softened, subdued and purified, and believers unite with one another in order to be one with Christ in God. Cooperation and unity thus make the body a harmonious whole, for no worker's gifts alone are enough and differences in work are no reason to separate from fellow believers, but workers should blend their plans with others, welcome counsel, and recognize that no one should work alone.

Increase Built in Love

From Christ as Head the whole body is joined and held together, and as each joint and every part contributes through its own effective working according to its measure, the body grows and builds itself up in love. No single person is the whole body, so different gifts and workers are needed and each supplies what is lacking in another. This increase is mutual building up in love, in which every department, institution and branch of the work keeps its distinctive character while protecting, strengthening and building up every other branch, with each worker giving special effort to his own branch while studying and laboring for the health and welfare of the whole. As members work together in love, humility, harmony and mutual care, each in his place according to gifts and abilities and strengthened by one another's varied graces, the body becomes more useful and its influence for good increases, and this growth comes as believers speak truth in love, grow into Christ, and maintain living connection with God in Christlike love for harmonious progress.

This growth requires God's people to come into unity and live under love as the law of Christ's kingdom, reaching a higher standard and revealing love, meekness and longsuffering that bears much without seeking revenge by word or act. Perfect unity must exist in diversity of gifts, with each part doing its different appointed work in its measure and all labor blending together so the work is not one-sided but a complete whole. That unity means loving one another as Christ loved, which reaches beyond loving a neighbor as self and keeps Christ's new commandment. It is practiced by obeying God's commandments, being united in the faith of the Scriptures, being bound together as one in Christ Jesus with lives hidden with Christ in God, practicing the golden rule, sharing one life of love and obedience, and thereby bearing living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son and drawing souls to obedience through heaven's costly provision. Divisions, mistrust and coldness dishonor God, while sanctified love and unity enable growth, and the humble, patient cooperation that sustains it comes from Christ and not from human impulses.

The prosperity and perfection of the church depend on many different instruments and agencies working together in concurrence and harmonious action with concentrated action, as a human body in which every joint and part supplies its measure for increase and edifying. If even the finger, apparently the least important member, becomes afflicted it telegraphs the fact to the brain and the whole body suffers. No one worker has all wisdom and none is appointed a separate exclusive territory, so each must counsel together, pray together, and blend tact and gift with others to make up what is lacking, by which effective working the saints are perfected into unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God and out of childish instability into full stature. God provides for His cause to grow only as the whole church moves harmoniously according to the divine plan, with men of every rank and capacity, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, standing in God-given armor and each fulfilling his special appointment for carrying truth to all nations, tongues and peoples, so that deficiencies are supplied, disorder set right, and extravagant one-sided movements checked, which requires young men to be educated to work and bear responsibility according to entrusted capabilities with Christ formed within as the hope of glory.

The whole body is built up in love through harmonious service and mutual support in which different gifts work together without jealousy or rivalry. Each is to live and act individually before God and conscientiously give fellow laborers a place to work, encouraging one another in a precious bond of union, brother with brother, with selfishness, self-sufficiency, self-esteem, evil surmising and evil-speaking put away under the Holy Spirit's working. Each part must be respected, encouraged and supported and carry out its distinct God-assigned place and work in love with due recognition of one another, not acting in fits and starts nor giving way to envy, harmful thoughts, speech or conduct, since selfishness dishonors the Lord's service. Recognizing God's order of different gifts and kinds of service for the good of the whole guards against rivalry, pride, envy and contempt while strengthening unity and mutual love.

Unity Through Diverse Gifts

Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. No one man is a complete whole and no one man's method is to be followed by all, for the body is composed of different minds with different talents and different ways of presenting truth, united and held together under Christ as Head. Each has a special work in his own lot and place, and none are to separate, confine labor to a few converts, claim souls as their own, or require everyone to copy one man's ways and manner. All who hold forth the Word of Life must work together in fellowship as laborers together with God, each joint and part doing its own effective work according to its measure and ability and supplying its measured part, so the body grows, is strengthened, increases and is edified in love.

Their work brings all into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man and the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That is maturity, stability and full stature in Christ, with the saints perfected for ministry as different minds, different gifts, and different plans and methods of labor are united in harmony. No worker has all the wisdom needed and no exclusive territory is appointed, so each must counsel together, pray together, and blend tact and gift with others to make up what is lacking, and by that effective working of every part in its measure the body is brought into unity. God will take men now looked upon as common and put His words of warning into their lips to do this work that must be done.

In that maturity believers are no longer children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by deceitful men through sleight and cunning craftiness lying in wait to deceive, but speak the truth in love and grow up into Christ in all things. The whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of itself and builds itself up in love as believers grow up into the Head in truth and love in the unity of the faith. This rebukes dissension, fault-finding over the defects of brethren, and following one's own way, and calls for keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace against dividing work. Growth in love in this way means sympathizing with God and carrying a burden for sinners perishing in their sins, while putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice, grieving not the Holy Spirit, and being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as God for Christ's sake forgave.

Workers for Christ must learn this lesson by being much in prayer. Praying in public briefly and to the point with heartfelt simplicity and confidence, claiming promises with faith so the congregation knows they prevail with God, opens hearts to receive rich blessing and listens willingly to instruction.

Holy Life Truthful Speech

The increase of the body comes as believers speak the truth in love and grow up into Christ in all things, reaching unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto full stature in Him and no longer remaining as children tossed about by every wind of doctrine and deceitful craftiness. Speaking the truth in love means walking in truth and being truthful in both word and deed. Christ's followers represent Him through words that are sanctified, pleasant, and helpful, using speech to bless, help, and strengthen others. Their living connection with God and Christlike love support the church's harmonious progress as each part works according to its measure.

That edifying takes place when believers no longer walk as other Gentiles in vanity of mind, darkened understanding, alienation from the life of God, ignorance, blindness of heart, past feeling, lasciviousness and uncleanness with greediness. Having learned Christ and been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, they put off the old man corrupt according to deceitful lusts, are renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new man created after God in righteousness and true holiness. Those converted to God no longer talk as before conversion but live in unity, growing into Christ by speaking the truth in love and serving God rather than living in the empty-minded way of the Gentiles.

That new life means putting away lying to speak truth with neighbors because members are one of another. It means being angry and sinning not by letting not the sun go down on wrath and giving no place to the devil, stealing no more but laboring with hands at what is good to have to give to him that needs. It means letting no corrupt communication proceed from the mouth but only what is good for edifying to minister grace to hearers. It means putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice, and being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven. In this way believers grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by whom they are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Members help the church when they work in harmony with that life-giving power by losing sight of themselves and seeking to build one another up in the most holy faith, pressing toward the higher life and the full assurance of hope day by day to grow up to full stature in Christ. They are members of one another and are called to speak in ways that build others up and to walk in love, using the power of speech to bless others rather than to cause dissension and strife. Never tearing one another down does Satan's work shut out, for obedient, loving unity shuts Satan out from stirring minds to sin and bringing affliction and destruction upon God's workers, thereby representing the character of Christ to the world and closing the door to the enemy.

This growth in love means sympathizing with God and carrying a burden for sinners perishing in their sins. By contemplating Christ's beauty and recognizing by faith the light of His presence, believers respond to His glory, and their righteousness is brought forth as light. As members receive and share Christ's love, each doing a responsible part in the body's work, the church as Christ's agency for the world's good is given power to propagate itself, with its members serving as light-bearers to advance the gospel's divine benevolence.

Organized Cooperative Mission

The Lord's plan for His institutions is cooperation, not consolidation, rivalry, or criticism. Every department, institution, and branch of the work, while keeping its own distinctive character, is to protect, strengthen, and build up every other branch. Men of varied abilities and characteristics are employed to carry forward the various branches, and each worker is to give special effort to his own branch while studying and laboring for the health and welfare of the whole body of which he is a member. Every part of the Lord's work must be joined and work in harmony with the other parts, each part contributing to the growth and strengthening of the whole, and selfishness dishonors that service. The church grows and is built up in love as every member and branch contributes its part and works in harmony with the others.

Medical missionary work is an arm and hand of the body, the right arm joined to the body and the right hand joined to the body. It is meant to work in unity with the ministry of the Word, not independently, not as a replacement for it, and not as the whole body. The body needs the arm, but the arm must not take the place of the body; applied to the third angel's message, medical missionary work is the active arm and the message is the body. Each depends on the other, and either suffers loss when made independent. Separating medical work from the church would make the work unbalanced, belittle or ignore the ministry, and leave parts of the Lord's vineyard unworked. It is important to the message as the right hand is to the body, but it should not receive all the strength of the work, for the ministry of the Word must also be sustained. Health reform and medical missionary work is joined to the third angel's message as the right arm is joined to the body, to work efficiently in defense of the body of truth, in a perfect balanced body where all are not arms and the body is not without arms but body and arms together.

The gospel work and medical missionary work must go forward hand in hand and be bound together and not separated. Preaching, reading of the Scriptures, prayer, and singing belong together to make the work a complete whole, and so ministers and physicians must work intelligently together. The variety of gifts is meant to blend in service, not to produce separate independent lines of work, and ministers and medical missionary workers are to cooperate with no schism in the church. Christ as Head devises wise plans and movements and gives orders as Captain of salvation, and without a head to direct the arms His purpose cannot be fulfilled. Workers under His training are not to attract men to themselves or exalt themselves, but to win souls to Christ, showing perfect unity under a heavenly Leader and not human guidance, with all success and glory ascribed to Him alone.

The verse applies to organized united effort and systematic benevolence according to the Bible plan. The body grows and builds itself up when its parts are joined together and each part contributes its share, and coordinated work helped the work spread and flourish. Under Christ as Captain, organization and systematic benevolence bring prosperity, spread of the truth, multiplication of institutions, and advance into new missionary enterprises. This includes schools to train children in the Word of God free from false philosophy and health institutions to help and instruct believers and enlighten others. From a small beginning like a mustard seed it grows into a great tree, proving effectual as the work develops. Church workers are not to remain spectators but each should engage in regular systematic service, and this shared labor contributes to the church's growth.

No worker has all the wisdom needed and no one is appointed a separate exclusive territory. God has not qualified anyone to bear the burden of the work alone, but has joined together men of different minds, talents, capabilities, experience, and abilities so they will counsel with and assist one another. Each must counsel together, pray together, and blend tact, gift, plans, and methods of labor with others to make up what is lacking. The deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another, as members contribute and receive help. This requires uniting human weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ, so that strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued, and purified, and believers unite with one another in order to be one with Christ in God. Each person must recognize his place in the whole and be willing to receive counsel rather than rely on his own judgment or follow independent judgment. The different lines of work committed to different men must all be connected with the great whole, carried on together in concert with each worker controlled by divine power, hearts blending and all moving like well-adjusted machinery in which each part is dependent on the other yet stands distinct in action.

So united, members obey God's commandments, are united in the faith of the Scriptures, and are bound together as one in Christ Jesus with their lives hidden with Christ in God. They share one life of love and obedience, practice the golden rule, love and help one another, and by consistent courtesy, fidelity, justice, and mercy magnify God's perfect law that converts the soul. God's purpose is to make His church the continued incarnation of Christ, standing out prominently, with every member serving as one of the Lord's working agencies and the whole body with all its working forces becoming one with the Head in unity of action. God uses appointed leaders and other human channels to help, encourage, and strengthen His people, enabling them to cooperate with the divine work in organized effort with every agency subordinate to the Holy Spirit to share the gospel. As they work together in love, humility, harmony, and mutual care, the body becomes more useful and its influence for good increases. They use heaven's costly provision to draw souls to obedience to God's law, work together with God, share the divine nature having escaped worldly corruption through lust, bear living testimony that the Father loves them even as He loves His Son, and receive Christ's divine power to impart to fellow men in bringing those under Satan's rule back to loyalty to God.

The chapter upholds the foundation of faith in the third angel's message built firm over sixty years with not a pin or pillar moved, and is to be read against every effort to tear up that foundation. The verse joins faith with works, gathering every ray of light that substantiates truth and bearing aloft the third angel's message amid moral darkness. It warns against Satan's increasing seducing power that would deceive even the very elect if possible, and against crooked paths that turn the weak out of the way. That obedient loving unity comes through speech good for edifying that ministers grace to hearers, with no corrupt communication, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, or malice, but kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake forgave, following God as dear children and walking in love as Christ loved and gave Himself, with servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as unto Christ and masters forbearing threatening knowing their Master is in heaven. This growth is upward toward heaven, not earthward or downward, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings the church into its right position and prepares God's people for the coming conflict.

Its instruction is of great importance to be read to hearers, impressed upon minds, and read most solemnly. The chapter's teaching about unity is meant to be practiced in life, and relying on personal ideas and opinions instead can mislead others. Its instruction confronts hard-spiritedness that comes from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. It calls for the churches to be set in order and the door of unbelief to be closed. It calls for a great reformation in lives, words, works, and spiritual understanding, for catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven. These inspired words must be studied and obeyed and cannot be ignored or treated with indifference, for only doers of the Word receive the reward, and this shuts out Satan from stirring minds to sin and bringing affliction and destruction upon God's workers, with power to rescue souls in peril who do not see their spiritual danger.