to equip the saints for the work of ministry to the extent of building up the body of Christ... (Ephesians 4:7-16)
from whom the whole body fitted together and brought through all supplied ligaments, according to the working of each one part, making the body grow to the extent it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16)
Completeness and perfection speak of maturity. Love is the bond that leads to perfection and maturity (Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 3:14; 1 John 4:18) thus love helps fit the members together, so the body builds itself up truth energized through love.* This word "fitted together" is συναρμολογέω (synarmologeō) which NAS defines as "to fit together" and Thayers as "to join closely together; to frame together" and Strong's as "joined together." The word brought is συμβιβάζω (symbibazō) meaning bring together. Paul is using the body as an analogy, so the whole body is fitted and brought together by supplied ligaments.
Therefore like as receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him and establsihed of faith just as taught... (Colossians 2:6-7)
Now, the emphasis is on "building up" or growth and we see the analogies of plants being rooted and houses being founded, so we can use the terminology of building or framing a house, Of course, we lay a foundation of truth in love, also expressed in chapter of 3 of Ephesians as being rooted and grounded in love and in Colossians as being rooted and built up in the faith until we reach fullness, and this is how we are to continue to walk in him to bear fruit (Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1: 3-11; Colossians 2:6-7). This is how the gospel is growing and bearing fruit in all the world, Paul writes, through the fitting and building up of the church.
... through all supplied ligaments, according to the working of each one part, making the body grow to the extent it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16)
Jesus supplies the ligaments, giving gifts to men to equip the saints for the work of ministry, which is to build up the body into a fullness in Christ. Paul writes Jesus ascended on high to fill all, giving gifts to men. This is what God eternally purposed in Christ, and why Jesus has been placed the head of the church, the body, to fill all in all (Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:10-21). This part of Ephesians chapter three is amazing, in Christ we can approach God with boldness, and we have power in our inner being through the Holy Spirit, Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith, rooted and founded in love, so we have the strength to grasp a greater love of Christ that brings us to a fullness in God. This is what God purposed in the church, to be brought into fullness, to become complete, fit together, built up in him.
to equip the saints for the work of ministry to the extent of building up the body of Christ... grow all into him, the one who is the head Christ, from whom the whole body fitted together and brought through all supplied ligaments, according to the working of each one part, making the body grow to the extent it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:7-16)
Equip which was defined as "bringing to a condition of completeness, perfection; prepared, fitted," in context refers to fitting the members of the body together through the supplied ligaments. The ligament ἁφή (haphē) when referring to the body is the joint, that which connects the other members of the body together. In building a house it is the nails or fasteners that frame or bring together the whole house. To equip is to bring together the whole house, or the members of the body through the fitting together of the joints or ligament. To equip it so that the body is whole, each member now working in unity "according to the working of each one part, making the body grow to the extent it builds itself up in love."
Therefore it says he ascended on high... giving gifts to men to fill all in all...
So there are gifts given to men, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to fit together each individual member for the work of ministry to build up the body. The joints, ligaments, or fasteners are supplied by God, which can be seen as other gifts and parts of the body, ears, eyes, hands, feet... so the job of the teacher and pastor is to fit these together so that each member is connected and working together until the whole body reaches a unity of faith in the knowledge of Jesus and grows into mature adulthood into the full measure of the stature of Christ. Also along with a unity of faith, is a unity of Spirit and bond of peace in humility, gentleness, and long-sufferings that bears with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2-3). Thus a bond of love leads to maturity.
So there is a work of ministry by the saints that builds up the body, but interestingly Paul writes there are specific gifts that equip them for this work. The goal of these specific gifts is to connect the other joints or gifts supplied by God together so that each individual part of the body is working in unity or harmony. So equip is to fit together the other members. Each individual has a specific purpose within the body of Christ. We might tend to give more importance to certain members but if we are all hands and feet then we are not a complete body. If Jesus only gave gifts in certain areas then only certain parts of the body would be fitted together, not working as a whole.
so that no longer children tossed to and fro and blown about y every wind of doctrine, in human cunningness that in craftiness with deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14)
If we had the gift of evangelism only, we would have a lot of children. With no teachers, and no pastors to mature the body, the body will not grow but remain children tossed to and fro (Ephesians 4:14). Not having many mature you would then appoint teachers who are not mature. This was the case of the Corinthian church as Paul wrote: "For though you have inumrable guardians not many are fathers..." (1 Corinthians 4:15). Guardians had a different role than a teacher, they were usually servants appointed to watch over the child. I think Paul was saying to the church, you have many people appointed to teach but not many are mature, implying they are children. The father (in maturity) is an important factor in building a godly family and has the same importance within the church.