Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-16
Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 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. 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. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 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.
What does it mean that “Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift”? Does that mean that the measure of grace we receive is equal to the measure of the gift we’ve received? And what does that even mean. How do you measure grace? How do you measure a gift?
Perhaps I’m questioning the wrong thing. What happens if I look at the “each of us” part of that sentence. Then it becomes about gifts being given to everyone, not just a certain few. “Each of us” refers to all believers—Paul is emphasizing that every Christian has received some expression of grace. It’s not just for apostles, pastors, or spiritually “elite” people. Everyone is in on it.
So then, what does “according to the measure” mean? It doesn’t mean “out of” or “from” Christ’s gift in some proportional way (like Christ was given a gift of 100 units, and you get 3 of them). Instead, maybe I should think of “according to the measure” as saying in a way that corresponds to the nature, purpose, or richness of the gift Christ gives. So it’s not a measure in terms of quantity but more in terms of reflecting Christ.
So what is “Christ’s gift”? In the context of Ephesians 4, the “gift” likely refers to spiritual gifts given to believers for the building up of the Church (see Ephesians 4:11–12, which mentions apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers). But the source of that gifting is grace—freely given, undeserved, and purposeful.
So it seems then that Paul establishes this and then takes it in direction that might seem odd at first. I think that part of it can be confusing if we think of gifts in only one way. If we think of gifts as miraculous gifts like what happened on the day of pentecost where the apostles could speak fluently in a language they hadn’t learned as the Holy Spirit directed them. And so if we think that somehow the gifts Paul is talking about here have a miraculous quality to them, then the context of this passage will stop making sense.
But if we understand gifts as being given an ability to serve others in a certain way that comes more naturally and brings us joy(measure of Christ’s gift), then I think then we are more aligned with what Paul is addressing. It is a gift because we enjoy doing that work. There is other work that we don’t enjoy and doesn’t come naturally to us so it’s just work and not a gift.
So why is Paul even talking about this? The early Church was still forming, and without a canon of New Testament writings or universally established leadership structures, false teachers were a real and present danger. Paul saw that immature or unstable believers could be easily swayed by attractive, but deceptive, teachings.
I love his imagery of immaturity—like little boats in a storm, at the mercy of every new idea, vulnerable to being capsized by “trickery” and “deceitful scheming.” It implies that false teaching isn’t just error—it’s often intentional manipulation. This can still be a problem today in Protestant churches because there is no central leadership. Churches are autonomous for the most part. So anyone (often with good intentions) can start a church and start preaching and teaching. They are free to preach and teach the things that they feel strongly about. But just like in the early church, it is still up to the believer to seek to be led by Jesus and the Holy Spirit and to be with those that are building up the body of Christ in truth and love.
Paul’s strategy isn’t just to say “watch out for false teachers.” Instead, he focuses on how God strengthens and protects the Church from deception:
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers…”
These are leadership roles, but more importantly, they’re equipping roles. Their purpose isn’t just to “do ministry” themselves, but to equip all believers:
“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”
When the Church Replaces Christ as the Head: A Warning from Ephesians 4
There’s a dangerous and subtle drift happening in many modern churches. I’ve lived it. Fourteen years inside a model that sounded biblical, looked successful, and felt productive—but led me to start wondering whether I was serving Christ or just serving the church-as-brand.
We see here how Paul lays out a stunning vision for the Church. Christ gives each believer grace—unique, purposeful, powerful—and calls us to use that grace for the building up of His body. Not for performance. Not for status. Not for the growth of an organization. For maturity, unity, and love.
When people ask: “How big is your church?” why are they asking that? Why does that even matter? The group that I was a part of was very proud of how big they were. That number was a primary focus for the church.
- 50 people in your church? Small measure of Christ’s gift.
- 1000? Greater grace. Greater gift.
- 5000? Jesus himself goes to that church.
We end up measuring Christ’s gifts by congregational size, platform presence, and charisma—not by the Spirit, not by love, and certainly not by maturity.
In many churches, only select, visible roles are deemed “gifted.” The preacher. The worship leader. Maybe the team lead. If you want to use your “grace,” the church tells you how. It fits you into a role. A system. A machine.
You might feel proud. You might feel exhausted. You might even feel useful. But you’re not being led by Christ. You’re being managed.
Paul’s vision in Ephesians is radically different. It’s not about plugging people into church programs. It’s about equipping every single believer to walk in the gift Christ gave them, for the growth of the whole body. It’s about listening to the Head—Christ—not just the pastor or the brand. And it’s about no longer being children, “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.”
This is spiritual manipulation dressed up in ministry. It sounds good. It looks effective. But it’s not Jesus.
Christ’s Church vs. the Modern Distorted Church
| Biblical Model (Ephesians 4) | Distorted Modern Model |
|---|---|
| Christ is the giver of the gifts, and the measure is based on His purpose and wisdom. | Church leadership or metrics determine the measure of your “gift” (often based on perceived usefulness or charisma). |
| Gifts are diverse, and every part of the body contributes uniquely and necessarily. | Giftings are ranked, often with a hierarchy that favors the stage, visibility, or crowd appeal. |
| Leaders equip others, but the focus is that all the saints do ministry and grow in maturity. | Leaders perform, and “equipping” becomes a management tool to keep the church machine running. |
| Ministry is Spirit-led, and each believer listens to Christ, the Head, for direction. | Ministry is program-driven, with people slotted into needs or roles defined by institutional priorities. |
| The goal is unity, maturity, love, and Christlikeness. | The result is often conformity, performance pressure, comparison, and burnout. |
| Truth is spoken in love, and the body builds itself up in Christ. | Branding and spin replace truth; love becomes sentimentality, and growth is measured in size, not substance. |
True spiritual gifts flow from relationship, not recruitment. They lead to truth in love, not people-pleasing. And they produce maturity, not just attendance. They are no longer serving Christ, they are serving the church because it is the church that is telling them how to serve…this reflects a deep and dangerous inversion. In the true model, Christ remains the Head, and the Church matures by connection to Him. In the distorted model, the church-as-institution becomes the head, and believers are shaped to serve its maintenance rather than Christ’s mission.
Why This is dangerous? Because it mimics health:
- People are active.
- Programs are running.
- Worship is polished.
- Language is spiritual.
But the fruit is counterfeit: self-glory, burnout, shallow discipleship, and misplaced identity. The result is a crowd, not a body.
What a Healthy, Ephesians 4 Church Looks Like Today
Maturity is measured by fruit, not numbers. The Church Christ envisions is not a spiritual factory but a living body, knit together in love, growing into the full stature of Christ. To reclaim this vision requires courage, humility, and a return to Christ as the true Head.
Christ is central and everything orients around growing into His likeness. Believers are equipped to discern and exercise their unique grace gifts under the Spirit’s guidance. Leaders release and empower, rather than centralize control. Truth is valued even when uncomfortable. Love and unity are prioritized above performance. Maturity is measured by fruit, not numbers.
- Christ is central and everyting orients around growing into His likeness
- Believers are equipped to discern and exercise their unique grace gifts under the Spirit’s guidance.
- Leaders release and empower, rather than centralize control.
- Truth is valued even when uncomfortable.
- Love and unity are prioritized above performance.
The Church Paul envisions(and Christ) is not a spiritual factory but a living body, knit together in love, growing into the full stature of Christ. To reclaim this vision requires courage, humility, and a return to Christ as the true Head. And this has to come from each believer. It cannot be a top-down mandated vision. It takes each of us paying attention to the Spirit nudging us towards serving others in ways that bring us joy.
