In Ephesians Paul also speaks of growth and building. In Ephesians 2:21 he says, “In Whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.” This verse refers to the universal church. In the eyes of God, the universal church is a building. This building is growing by absorbing the riches of Christ.
In Ephesians 4:13 Paul speaks of arriving at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Christ’s Body is His fullness. This fullness has a stature, and the stature has a measure. Thus, the fullness of Christ is the Body of Christ, His expression. We arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ by growth and building which come through the eating of Christ. As we eat Christ, more of Christ is added into us for growth and building. Eventually, we shall have the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This measure is the full growth of the new man. For this reason, Paul speaks of arriving at a full-grown man.
In Ephesians 4:15 and 16 Paul goes on to say, “But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, Who is the Head, Christ, out from Whom all the Body, fitted and knit together through every joint of the supply, according to the operation in measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.” The concept here is similar to that in Colossians 2:19. We must hold to the truth in love so that we may grow into the Head in all things. Out from the Head in whom we have grown we have nourishment, as indicated by the word supply. Through the supply which comes out from the Head, the Body grows and builds itself up in love. Much is implied here. The focal point of the implications of Ephesians 4:15 and 16 is that we should be rooted in Christ and absorb His nourishment into our being to become the element and substance with which we grow and are built up.
First, we grow individually, then corporately. Individual growth becomes corporate growth. Hence, not only are the members built up individually, but the Body is built up corporately. Our physical bodies illustrate this. Your body is built up through the growth of the individual members. If the members do not grow, the body cannot grow. Without growing, the members of the body cannot build themselves up. This would make it impossible for the body as a whole to be built up. Therefore, the building of the body depends on the building up of the individual members of the body. If all the members grow and build themselves up individually, the body will be built up corporately.
After a church has been in a locality for a certain period of time, friction may develop between the saints, even among the leading ones. How can the church be built up if there is such friction? Along with the friction, there must also be growth. This growth will nullify the effect of the friction. I can testify that throughout the years in the church life, there has been considerable friction caused by the enemy. But the growth in Christ has canceled out all this friction. Therefore, we can be happy together and truly one. The shortages among us are filled by the riches of Christ. Then we grow both individually and corporately. This is the genuine building of the church. The building up of the church is based upon the building up of the individual members. Furthermore, the building of the members depends on their growth, which, in turn, depends upon being rooted in Christ and absorbing the riches of Christ to become the very element with which the members grow.