This verse offers the contrast to the condition described in verse 14. Speaking the truth translates a Greek verb which occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Galatians 4.16. It certainly includes the element of speaking, but is probably broader in scope, including disposition and action as well. So Translator’s New Testament “base our lives on truth (and love).” Perhaps something like “maintaining the truth” (Robinson) or “being faithful to the truth” can express the broader meaning. In any case, it is truth in the fellowship of the church (see 4.25).
In a number of languages it is not possible to speak of “truth” without specifying the content of the truth, for example, “by speaking what is true about God” or “by speaking what is true in the Good News” or “… the truth that God has made known to us” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
There is, however, a further problem involved in the phrase introduced by by at the beginning of verse 15. This way of introducing what is called “means” may be quite impossible in some languages, and therefore one must alter the structure, for example, “instead, we should speak what is true … and in this way we must grow up in every way to Christ.” Or else, by reversing the clauses: “We must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. We can do this by spreading the truth and having love for one another.” If, however, the phrase by speaking the truth is understood in its broader implication of “living according to the truth,” one may translate “we should live according to what is true in the Good News … and in this way we will grow up….”
A spirit of love translates “in love”; it is the Christians’ love for one another in the body of Christ which guarantees growth and health (see also 5.2); for the idea of growth see 2.21. It may be difficult to speak of a spirit of love, but it is always possible to translate in such a way as to mean “while always loving one another” or “and showing love for one another.”
We must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head: the growth of the body has Christ as the goal. “To grow up into Christ” does not mean “to become Christ”; it means the growth, the maturity, of all Christians is directed toward the goal which is Christ himself, to become like him and to be completely (in every way) incorporated in him. Translator’s New Testament has “grow up into a perfect union with Christ,” and compare Robinson’s comment: “Learn more and more to live as part of a great whole.” Barclay has “we shall become more and more closely united with him who is the head.” Once again the concrete picture the writer uses is not completely adequate for the spiritual reality he is describing.
The phrase we must grow up reflects a Greek form of the verb indicating an exhortation. In many instances this may be translated as “let us grow up” or “we should grow up.”
The figure of Christ as the head of the body, the church, means that he rules, he governs, the body. It is often necessary to specify what the head is related to, and therefore one may wish to translate who is the head as “who is the head of the church.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .