What does Ephesians 4:16 mean?
After describing Christ as the head, in verse 15, Paul now discusses the rest of the spiritual "body" of the church. Each individual part must work together, according to its design and purpose, and in the intended way, in order for the body to function properly. This means that when one person is weak, the rest of the body of Christ suffers.A healthy body, functioning in harmony, also "makes the body grow." Spiritually speaking, when the members of the body of Christ work together in unity, as we should, the church "builds itself up in love." It attracts others to the gospel of Christ, and those people are added to the family of God (Acts 2:47). A church known for speaking the truth in love will be known as a healthy church, a healthy body. Those in the body all function and function together to accomplish the tasks of the church (Acts 2:42–47).
This is an important message for modern congregations. Church health, rather than church size, is what defines success within a congregation. Vibrant and lived-out Christianity was the critical factor in the rapid numerical growth and spread of the early church.