### 1. The Spirit as the inner source of growth
– Lee notes that in Ephesians the same Spirit who baptizes us into one Body (1 Cor 12:13) and dwells in our spirit (Eph 2:22) operates within each member so that the Body “causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love” (Eph 4:16).[1][2]
– This growth comes as the Spirit spreads from our regenerated spirit into our mind, will, and emotion—“renewing of the mind” and similar language—transforming us metabolically so that we “grow up into Him… in all things.”[3][4][5]
### 2. From transforming Spirit to functioning members
– The “transforming and building Spirit” makes each believer a living, functioning member; as the Spirit renews and transforms us, we are no longer “little children tossed by waves” but those holding the truth in love and bearing responsibility.[2][6][1]
– In Ephesians 4:11–16, the gifts (apostles, prophets, etc.) perfect the saints, but the actual **building** is done by “each one part” operating in its measure; Lee repeatedly emphasizes that this operation is the Spirit’s inner energizing of every member.[6][7][2]
### 3. Joining, knitting, and mingling
– Lee reads “being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply” (Eph 4:16) as the Spirit’s work of **mingling** God with man and of knitting the members together in life, not merely organizing them outwardly.[8][2][6]
– The same Spirit who transforms us individually is the one who joins and knits us corporately, so that our growth in life and our being built together as God’s dwelling in spirit (Eph 2:22; 4:16) are two sides of one work.[9][1][6]
### 4. Practical implication
– For Lee, to participate in the building of the church according to Ephesians 4:16 is to cooperate with the transforming Spirit: exercising our spirit, allowing the Spirit to renew our mind, and functioning as joints and parts supplying life.[7][10][6]
– Without this subjective work of the transforming Spirit, there may be outward forms of service, but there is no genuine, organic building up of the Body; where the Spirit transforms and energizes, the Body spontaneously “builds up itself in love.”[5][2][6]
Sources
[1] Vision, Type, and Practice of the Building Up of the Church, The … https://bibleread.online/all-
[2] Further Light Concerning the Building Up of the Body of Christ, глава 4 https://bibleread.online/all-
[3] TRANSFORMATION BEING BY THE RENEWING OF THE MIND https://www.ministrysamples.
[4] Our Being Renewed in the Spirit of our Mind is the Key to Putting on … https://www.agodman.com/being-
[5] the key to open the eight sections of the organic salvation of God (1) https://bibleread.online/all-
[6] The intrinsic building up of the church for its organic function https://bibleread.online/all-
[7] The Functioning of All the Members – Witness Lee Lehren https://witnessleelehren.org/
[8] The Building up of the Church is by the Mingling of God with Man https://agodman.com/building-
[9] Exercise our spirit to build the church as the dwelling place of God https://www.agodman.com/
[10] Building up the Church through the Inner Experience of Christ https://www.agodman.com/
[11] Brought into Love as the Inner Substance of God and Love others https://www.agodman.com/
[12] Four-in-one: Witness Lee & Trinitarian Ecclesiology | conversant faith https://conversantfaith.com/
[13] Life-study of Ephesians, Message 4: Predestinated unto Sonship https://www.youtube.com/watch?
[14] Life-Study of Ephesians – author Witness Lee (W. Lee) read online https://bibleread.online/all-
[15] TO EXPRESS GOD THROUGH THE SONSHIP https://www.ministrysamples.
[16] Practical and Organic Building Up of the Church, The https://bibleread.online/all-
