Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
Don Calloway writes in the "Doctrinal Discussion" for this week's lesson...

Jesus prayed for unity among His disciples in His high priestly prayer found in John 17. He prayed for unity so that the world would recognize that He came from the Father. The implication seems to be that if Christ’s disciples are not in unity, the world will question the reliability of Christ’s claim to be God. Sadly, the world often has a clearer picture of the way things ought to be in the church than the church has! When we fail to demonstrate the unity existing between the Father and the Son, there is going to be a disconnect between our words and the message we send to the world.

Discussion: How should this scripture about the "unity of the faith" inform our prayers as a local church?
Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 66.

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1)
Teachers, here are a few discussion questions you could ask your students?
Discussion: What does it mean to "walk worthy"?
Discussion: What is the "vocation" to which we have been called?
Discussion: What then does it mean to walk worthy of this vocation?

In "Biblical Perspective" Dr. Marsh Jones writes...

The temple of God is no longer made with human hands; it is the Church of Jesus Christ which has been created by Him and is brought together from diverse parts and with diverse gifts and graces to create a new and a more spiritual temple.

Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, p. 59.

In the "Teaching Tips for this week's lesson Greg Blake writes:

Verses 14-18 are widely recognized as a hymn of praise that the apostle inserted into his text. The “for” that marks the beginning of this section and the “now therefore” that signals its end in verse 19 clearly distinguish it from the rest of the surrounding texts. The overarching theme of this hymn is introduced in verse 14 — “he is our peace.” The peace Christ has brought is of two kinds. It is a peace between Gentiles and Jews (vs. 14, 15). Yet even more remarkable, it is a peace between all humanity and God.

Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, pp. 57-58.

In the "Biblical Perspective" for this week's lesson, Dr. Marsh Jones writes:

The salvation that we enjoy comes by no work of our own, it comes only because of Christ’s sacrifice. But though we do not obtain our salvation through our works, we will naturally do good works once we have been redeemed. It is as natural for a Christian to seek to do the whole will of God as it is for a man to breathe.

Could we restate this as follows... we are God' craft, God's project? When you realize you have been specially designed by God for good works, how does this affect your view of yourself? How does it clarify your purpose in life?
Source: Galatians and Ephesians: Adult Teacher's Insights, June, July, August 2015, pp. 57-58.

In "Teaching Tips", Greg Blake writes:

Christians are made strong, then, by putting on the “whole armor” of God to protect and prepare them for their encounter with “the wiles of the devil” that will assault them. The “whole armor” refers to the entire stock of protective apparatus available to soldiers going into combat — a wholeness that is necessary so that no unprotected surfaces are open to harm. That Christians “stand” against these forces reasserts the simple foot-soldier image of the Christian — those who may expect to combat the enemy at close quarters, hand-to-hand and face-to-face.

Discussion: Are you comfortable with this imagery of you, as a Christian, being a foot soldier of the Cross? Are you dressed with the armor of God and ready for battle?
Source: Lesson 9 - "Made Alive in Christ", Adult Teacher's Insights, p. 52.

Do you like getting gifts? Even as an adult, this writer finds it exciting to receive gifts. Tearing off the wrapping paper, opening the box, removing the packing ... even if completed in a few seconds, results in an adrenaline rush as you wonder, "What is it?" Of course, our salvation as a gift is more known than that mysterious package under the Christmas tree. Yet at the same time, the depth and breadth of God's grace is also unknown to us as we trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Truly, we continue to learn day-by-day more and more about His inexpressible gift.
Discussion: When we speak of God's grace, should we still have that childish glee in receiving a gift for one's birthday or Christmas?

"Quicken" - this word is not used as much in common English today, but the basic meaning is "to make alive." Similarly, the concept that sin results in death seems out of vogue in society today, yet this truth remains. As you teach or participate in our "Made Alive in Christ" Sunday school lesson, how can you illustrate the death caused by sin and the being made alive again in Christ?

Did you realize it was unusual for Jews to kneel in prayer?
According to Francis Foulkes in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Ephesians...

Among the Jews it was usual to stand to pray (see Mt. 6:5 and Lk. 18:11, 13). Kneeling for prayer, though it has become a regular Christian attitude, was formerly an expression of deep emotion or earnestness, and on that basis we must understand Paul's words here. Solomon knelt at the dedication of the temple (1 Ki. 8:54); Stephen at the time of his martyrdom (Acts 7:60); Peter at the death-bed of Dorcas (Acts 9:40); Paul at the tiem of his farewells on his last journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:36; 21:5); our Lord himself in his agony in Gethsemane (Lk. 22:41).

Discussion: If it was unusual for Jews to kneel in prayer, then how should we understand the importance of what Paul prayed for in Ephesians 3? What is the significance of his prayer request?
Source: Foulkes, Francis (1989). Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Ephesians. Inter-Varsity Press: Leicester, England. pp. 108-109.

Ephesians 1:17 - "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."
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