Ephesians 4:9
Ephesians 4:7-13 The Message (MSG)
But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the plunder, He handed it all out in gifts to the people. Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.
Ephesians 4:9 King James Version (KJV)
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 New Century Version (NCV)
When it says, “He went up,” what does it mean? It means that he first came down to the earth.
Ephesians 4:9 American Standard Version (ASV)
(Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 New International Version (NIV)
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
Ephesians 4:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?
Ephesians 4:9 New Living Translation (NLT)
Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.