Ephesians 4:15
New International Version
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

New Living Translation
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

English Standard Version
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Berean Standard Bible
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.

Berean Literal Bible
But speaking the truth in love, we should grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ,

King James Bible
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

New King James Version
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

New American Standard Bible
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,

NASB 1995
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

NASB 1977
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,

Legacy Standard Bible
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ,

Amplified Bible
But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ.

Christian Standard Bible
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head —Christ.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.

American Standard Version
but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But we have been firm in our love that all our affairs may increase in The Messiah, who is The Head,

Contemporary English Version
Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head

Douay-Rheims Bible
But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ:

English Revised Version
but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, which is the head, even Christ;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head.

Good News Translation
Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head.

International Standard Version
Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah,

Literal Standard Version
and [speaking] truth in love, we may increase to Him [in] all things, who is the head—the Christ;

Majority Standard Bible
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.

New American Bible
Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,

NET Bible
But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.

New Revised Standard Version
But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

New Heart English Bible
but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

Webster's Bible Translation
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ:

Weymouth New Testament
But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.

World English Bible
but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,

Young's Literal Translation
and, being true in love, we may increase to Him in all things, who is the head -- the Christ;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unity in the Body
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. 16From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 1:4
For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love

Ephesians 1:22
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,

Ephesians 2:21
In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,


Treasury of Scripture

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

But.

Ephesians 4:25
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Zechariah 8:16
These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

2 Corinthians 4:2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

speaking the truth.

Judges 16:15
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

Psalm 32:2
Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

John 1:47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

may.

Ephesians 2:21
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Hosea 14:5-7
I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon…

Malachi 4:2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

which.

Ephesians 1:22
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Colossians 1:18,19
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence…

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Aspects Christ Full Grow Growth Head Hold Increase Instead Love Rather Respects Speaking True. Truth Union Way Words
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Aspects Christ Full Grow Growth Head Hold Increase Instead Love Rather Respects Speaking True. Truth Union Way Words
Ephesians 4
1. He exhorts to unity;
7. and declares that God therefore gives various gifts unto men;
11. that his church might be edified,
16. and grow up in Christ.
18. He calls them from the impurity of the Gentiles;
24. to put on the new man;
25. to cast off lying;
29. and corrupt communication.














(15) But speaking the truth in love.--It has been doubted whether the words "in love" should not be connected with "may grow up," &c., exactly as in Ephesians 4:16, "maketh increase of the body . . . in love." But both order and sense seem to point to the connection given in our version. The correct rendering is, being true in love; including in this the "being true" to others, by speaking truly and acting honestly towards them (as in Galatians 4:16), but including also the "being true" absolutely--that is, the loving the truth, and clinging to it at all costs. The latter element, indeed, is the one which stands here more properly in antithesis to the childish instability described in the preceding verse; as it is in itself the more important, and is, in fact, the only basis for the other.

"To thine own self be true,

And it will follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man."

This "being true" is expressed in many forms. Sometimes as "being of the truth" (John 18:37; 1John 2:21; 1John 3:19); sometimes as "abiding in the truth" (John 8:44), or "having the truth in us" (1John 1:8); sometimes as "doing the truth" (John 3:21), and "walking in the truth" (2John 1:4; 3John 1:4). In all cases it is closely connected with the idea of unity with Him who is Himself "the Truth" (John 14:6). . . .

Verse 15. - But speaking the truth in love. Ἀληθεύοντες is hardly translatable in English it implies being true as well as speaking the truth and following the truth. Truth is the element in which we are to live, move, and have our being; fidelity to truth is the backbone of the Christian ministry. But truth must be inseparably married to love; good tidings spoken harshly are no good tidings; the charm of the message is destroyed by the discordant spirit of the messenger. The more painful the first impression which a truth is fitted to produce (e.g., Ephesians 2:1-3), the more need is there for dealing with it in love - a much-needed and much-neglected exhortation. May grow up into him in all things who is the Head, namely, Christ. Growing up into Christ is like baptizing into the Name of the Father, etc.; it implies that the growth tends to a closer union to Christ, as, on the other hand, union to Christ causes the growth: the two act and react on each other. This growth is to be "in all things" - in the whole man - in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, in all the communicable properties of Christ. How great the work of growth is that should be sought in the case of every living believer is evident from the enormous gulf there is between his spiritual and moral state and that of Christ. Yet such growth is reasonable, considering the relation of the body to him, its Head. The fact of this relation should encourage us to seek and expect the growth, and encourage ministers to labor hopefully towards promoting it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Instead,
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

speaking the truth
ἀληθεύοντες (alētheuontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 226: To say (speak) truth, do truth, maintain truth (the truth). From alethes; to be true.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

love,
ἀγάπῃ (agapē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

{we will} in
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

all things
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

grow up
αὐξήσωμεν (auxēsōmen)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 837: (a) I cause to increase, become greater (b) I increase, grow. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow, i.e. Enlarge.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

Christ
Χριστός (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

Himself,
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

who
ὅς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

head.
κεφαλή (kephalē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2776: From the primary kapto; the head, literally or figuratively.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 4:15 But speaking truth in love we may (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 4:14
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