From οἰκοδομέω 'to build, to build up.' The same word is used for the building of the Temple at Jerusalem, John 2:20 , and by the Lord when He said He would build His assembly. Matthew 16:18 . Οἰκοδομή occurs often in the epistles with the exhortation that all things in the church should be done to edification. Romans 14:19; Romans 15:2; 1 Corinthians 14:3-26; Ephesians 4:16,29 . The gifts in the church were also for the edifying of the body of Christ, Ephesians 4:12; and when things were at their worst Christians were exhorted to be building up themselves on their most holy faith. Jude 20 . As a building is increased and strengthened, so the body of Christ is built up by the ministry of the Spirit through the word until all come "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Ephesians 4:13 .