Albert Barnes Commentary Ephesians 4:13

"till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" — Ephesians 4:13 (ASV)

Until we all come. Until all Christians arrive at a state of complete unity, and to entire perfection.

In the unity of the faith (the marginal reading is into). The meaning is, until we all hold the same truths and the same confidence in the Son of God. See Barnes on John 17:21-23.

And of the knowledge of the Son of God. That they might attain to the same practical acquaintance with the Son of God, and might thus come to the maturity of Christian piety. See Barnes on Ephesians 3:19.

Unto a perfect man. Unto a complete man. This figure is obvious. The apostle compares their condition then to a state of childhood.

The “perfect man” here refers to the man who has grown up—the man of mature life. He says that Christ had appointed pastors and teachers so that the infant church might be conducted to maturity, or become strong, like a man.

He does not refer to the doctrine of sinless perfection, but to the state of manhood as compared with that of childhood—a state of strength, vigor, and wisdom, when the full growth should be attained. See 1 Corinthians 14:20.

Unto the measure of the stature. The margin reads, “or, age.” The word stature expresses the idea. It refers to the growth of a man. The stature to be attained was that of Christ. He was the standard—not in size, not in age, but in moral character. The measure to be reached was Christ; or, we are to grow until we become like him.

Of the fulness of Christ. See Barnes on Ephesians 1:23.

The phrase “the measure of the fulness” means, probably, “the full measure”—by a form of construction that is common in Hebrew writings, where two nouns are so used that one is to be rendered as an adjective—as trees of greatness—meaning great trees. Here it means that they should so advance in piety and knowledge as to become wholly like him.