9. Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth?
10. He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
11. It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12. to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,
13. until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.
14. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes.
15. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.
16. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love.
17. So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
18. They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
19. Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.