The Greek noun haphē means a joint, ligament, or point of contact — the connective tissue that holds a body together. Derived from haptō (to fasten, touch), it literally means a fastening point. In the New Testament it appears twice in Paul, both times in the profound metaphor of the church as Christ's body.
Ephesians 4:16 and Colossians 2:19 both use haphē: 'the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament (haphēs), grows and builds itself up in love.' Ligaments connect bones at joints, enabling both stability and movement. No ligament is superfluous. Christ is the Head from whom every ligament receives its life — when Christians serve one another, they function as the body's ligaments.