Exploring Paul's Letters to the Churches

1

Leader’s GuideExploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches

A 13-week Adventurein the NIV Discovery Study Bible

ObjectivesThrough this 13-week course your group members will:• Read Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,

Colossians, Philemon, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians for themselves• Trace vital teachings of Paul contained in these letters of instruction• Grow closer to God as they come to know and understand him better

MaterialsFOR THE LEADER• An NIV Discovery Study Bible• A notebook for recording study insights• This free on-line Leader’s Guide

FOR EACH GROUP MEMBER• An NIV Discovery Study Bible• A notebook for recording study insights

ProcedureDuring the week before each group session, group members will be asked to complete Assignments in oneor two of the Study Centers built into the NIV Discovery Study Bible and record their discoveries in a note-book. During group sessions, you will ensure that your group members understand the significance of whatthey have studied and help them grasp contributions to their personal relationship with the Lord.

Lesson PlansThe 13 lesson plans for Exploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches state specific goals for each group session.Each lesson plan suggests a variety of activities that will help you reach those goals. Each group session willusually include five segments: Introduce, Inform, Interact, Internalize and Inspire.

Why teach the NIVDiscovery Study Bible?

• You teach the Bible—just the Bible!

• You get your groupmembers into God’sWord!

• You can teach thewhole Bible in eight13-week courses!

IntroduceYou will choosefrom several activi-ties that will getthe group sessionstarted.

InformYou will provideinput (such as amini-lecture orchalkboard illustra-tion) that will bringthe significance ofthe Bible passagesinto clear focus.

InteractYou will activelyinvolve your groupmembers in prob-ing the passagesthey have studied.Each lesson plangives you severalactivities to choosefrom.

Internal izeYou will provideyour group mem-bers with an oppor-tunity to exploretheir own experi-ences and person-alize the truthsstudied. (This is an optional sectionthat may be usedfor groups thatmeet for longerthan one hour.)

InspireYou will encouragepersonal applica-tion of the truthsstudied and moti-vate your groupmembers for thefollowing week’sfresh discoveries in God’s Word.

Getting StartedWITH AN ESTABLISHED GROUPSix weeks before the first group session, tell your group members about the exciting opportunity they haveto explore God’s Word by using the unique NIV Discovery Study Bible. Determine how many NIV DiscoveryStudy Bibles you will need to order.

Two weeks before the first group session, distribute the NIV Discovery Study Bibles and inexpensiveloose-leaf or spiral-bound notebooks. Ask your group members to read the Introduction to Paul’s Epistles toYoung Churches (page 1483 in the NIV Discovery Study Bible) and the Introduction to Romans. Theyshould also complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 112 inpreparation for the first group session. Encourage them to use their notebooks to record discoveries,thoughts and any questions they may have.

WITH A NEW GROUPEight weeks before the first group session, begin promoting the NIV Discovery Study Bible and the new elec-tive Exploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches. Encourage potential group members to sign up immediately.

Five weeks before the first group session, order NIV Discovery Study Bibles for those who have signedup. You may also wish to order additional Bibles for late enrollees.

Two weeks before the first group session, distribute the NIV Discovery Study Bibles and inexpensiveloose-leaf or spiral-bound notebooks. Ask your group members to read the Introduction to Paul’s Epistles toYoung Churches (page 1483 in the NIV Discovery Study Bible) and the Introduction to Romans. Theyshould also complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 112 inpreparation for the first group session. Encourage them to use their notebooks to record discoveries,thoughts and any questions they may have.

A 13-Week OverviewThe NIV Discovery Study Bible contains 20 built-in Study Centers to be used in conjunction with this“Exploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches” course. You will cover these 20 Study Centers in 13 group ses-sions. Your group members will complete selected Study Center Assignments before each group session. Inthis process they will read Romans through 2 Thessalonians and explore key passages that are essential forgaining an understanding of critical New Testament teachings. The following chart provides an overview ofthe course.

Exploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches

LESSON STUDY CENTER REFERENCE FOCUS

1 111–112 Ro 1–5 Righteousness and Faith

2 113 Ro 6–8 Righteous in Fact

3 114–115 Ro 9–16 Righteousness in Community

4 116–117 1Co 1–7 Problems, Problems, Problems

5 118, 120 1Co 8—10; 15–16 Knowledge, Love and Resurrection

6 119 1Co 11–14 Spirituality and Worship

7 121 2Co 1–5 New Covenant Ministry

8 122–123 2Co 6–13 New Covenant Lifestyle

9 124–125 Gal 1–6 Law Versus Promise

10 126–127 Eph 1–6 Christian Unity

11 128 Php 1–4 Joy in Difficult Times

12 129 Col 1–4; Phm True Christianity

13 130 1Th 1–5; 2Th 1–3 What Lies Ahead

2

LESSON 1

111–112

Righteousness and FaithLESSON AIMS• To introduce the book of Romans• To establish the significance of “righteousness” and “faith” in New Testament theology• To encourage commitment to Jesus as Savior

PREPARATION• Read the Introduction to Paul’s Epistles to Young Churches (page 1483 in the NIV Discovery

Study Bible).• Read the Introduction to the book of Romans.• Duplicate a copy of the course outline (located after Option 3 of Introduce in this lesson plan).• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 111–112.• Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 112.• Study the Landmark “Faith” at Romans 4. • Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Meet and Greet. If the group is new, take a few moments for group members to introduce themselves andbriefly indicate why they elected to take this course.

Option 2Mini-Lecture. Give your group members an outline of the course (located after Option 3 of Introduce in thislesson plan). Emphasize the fact that Paul’s letters clearly present core Christian teachings in a powerful,organized form. Romans especially is a closely reasoned theological treatise that explains the nature andnecessity of salvation by faith and the transforming impact of salvation on individuals and the community of believers.

Invite your group members to share impressions of Paul’s statements about “righteousness” and “faith”in Romans 1–5, which they read in preparation for the group session.

Option 3Summarize. After your mini-lecture stressing the significance of Paul’s letters in general and Romans in par-ticular, divide your group members into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to take three minutes tocome up with five statements concerning “faith” and “righteousness.” Write each team’s statements on thechalkboard, and leave them there for review later in the group session.

3

s t u d y e n t e r s

COURSE OVERVIEW

Exploring Paul’s Letters to the Churches

LESSON STUDY CENTER REFERENCE FOCUS

1 111–112 Ro 1–5 Righteousness and Faith

2 113 Ro 6–8 Righteous in Fact

3 114–115 Ro 9–16 Righteousness in Community

4 116–117 1Co 1–7 Problems, Problems, Problems

5 118, 120 1Co 8—10; 15–16 Knowledge, Love and Resurrection

6 119 1Co 11–14 Spirituality and Worship

7 121 2Co 1–5 New Covenant Ministry

8 122–123 2Co 6–13 New Covenant Lifestyle

9 124–125 Gal 1–6 Law Versus Promise

10 126–127 Eph 1–6 Christian Unity

11 128 Php 1–4 Joy in Difficult Times

12 129 Col 1–4; Phm True Christianity

13 130 1Th 1–5; 2Th 1–3 What Lies Ahead

InformOption 1Review. Have your group members compare their answers to the questions in Assignments 2–4 in StudyCenter 111. (They should have these recorded in their notebooks.) The purpose of this exercise is twofold:(1) to make sure your group members understand what Romans is saying and (2) to stress to your groupmembers the importance of recording discoveries in their notebooks.

Option 2Lecture. Talk your group members through Romans 1–5 by using the following outline. Supplement yourcomments with information from the Culture Clues and other features in the NIV Discovery Study Bible.

I. Introduction (1:1–17)A. Greeting (1:1–7)B. Personal Items (1: 8–15)C. Theme Stated (1:16–17)

II. Universal Need of Righteousness (1:18—3:20)A. Gentiles Need Righteousness (1:18–32)B. Jews Need Righteousness (2:1—3:8)C. Scripture Proves All Are Unrighteous (3:9–20)

III. God’s Gift of Righteousness (3:21—5:21)A. Righteousness Provided in Christ (3:21–26)B. Justification by Faith, Not Law (3:27–31)C. Justification by Faith Illustrated (4:1–25)

1. Abraham and David (4:1–8)2. Circumcision (4:9–12)3. Inheritance (4:13–17)4. Faith Defined (4:18–25)

D. Justification in Christ Assured (5:1–11)E. Justification Available Now (5:12–21)

4

Your goal is to make sure that your group members can trace the development of Paul’s argument andthe flow of thought in Romans 1–5.

InteractOption 1 Key Words Study. There are a number of key words used in Romans and in Paul’s other letters that yourgroup members will need to understand. Let each group member choose one of the following key wordsto examine: law, righteous/righteousness, faith, grace, promise, justify. Have those who chose the sameword meet together to look through the various meanings identified in the Key Words Dictionary (located inthe back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). They are to determine which meaning or meanings are intend-ed in Romans 1–5. They may also jot down any questions that come to mind.

Have the teams report to the group and raise any questions they may have. Point out how the KeyWords feature (located in the side column of the NIV Discovery Study Bible) enables readers to identify themeanings of various terms in specific passages.

Your goal is twofold: (1) to make sure your group members understand how Paul is using these keyterms in Romans and (2) to familiarize your group members with the Key Words feature in the NIV Discov-ery Study Bible.

Option 2Q & A. There are a number of theologically important themes in Romans 1–5. As time permits, give yourgroup members an opportunity to ask questions.

Internal ize (OPTIONAL)

Invite. One of the most difficult things for most people to grasp is the truth that mere human “goodness”falls far short of the perfect righteousness that God requires. We look at others and decide that, in compari-son, we’re pretty good after all. But we fail to realize that when it comes to righteousness, the person whosets the standard is God himself, and God is perfectly righteous. As Romans 3:10 states, “There is no onerighteous, not even one.” It is at this point that we realize that we desperately need a righteousness we donot have, and it is at this point that the Good News begins to sink in. God has chosen to give his own right-eousness to us. All we need to do is believe his promise and so receive righteous standing in his sight.

Invite group members who may have assumed that they are “good enough” to hear what the Bible issaying and, by trusting God’s promise, accept God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus today.

InspireChallenge. Let your group members know that this course requires much reading and study. Then promisethem that when they finish this course, they will have a better understanding of Paul’s letters to the church-es than most Christians have. And they will have a better appreciation of God and how he works in ourlives.

ASSIGNMENTReview Romans 1–5 in view of what has been discussed in the group session. Read the Background andMastery Keys in Study Center 113. Complete Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 113. Encourage yourgroup members to study items of interest using the features built into the NIV Discovery Study Bible.

5

LESSON 2

113

Righteousness in FactLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Romans 6–8• To understand that union with Christ is the key to practical righteousness• To encourage group members to rely on the Holy Spirit to empower them for righteous living

PREPARATION• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 113.• Complete Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 113.• Study the Landmark “Righteousness” at Romans 8.• Make copies of “The Law of Moses and the Christian” (located at the end of Inspire in this lesson plan)

to distribute to your group members.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Review. A lot of information was packed into the first group session. Ask your group members if there areany areas they want to return to or ask questions about.

Option 2Discuss. Paul said, “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Ro 7:18). How commondo you think this experience is?

InformOption 1Overview. Trace Paul’s points in Romans 6–8 by reviewing the Mastery Keys in Study Center 113. Makesure your group members have the progression of Paul’s thought clearly in mind.

Option 2Mini-Lecture. Use the following outline to talk your group members through Romans 6–8. (This outline is a continuation of the outline begun in Option 2 of Inform in Lesson 1.) It is important for your group mem-bers to realize that our union with Jesus makes it possible for us to rely on him to enable godly daily living.

Note: Be sure your group members study the meaning of “baptism” in Romans 6 by using the KeyWords Dictionary (see “baptize”) in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible.

IV. Living a Righteous Life Here and Now (6:1—8:39)A. Made Possible by Our Union With Christ (6:1–14)B. Realized by Choosing Slavery to Righteousness (6:14–23)C. Required Release From the Law (7:1–25)

1. Released From the Law—Legally (7:1–3)2. Release From the Law Is Essential (7:4–6)3. The Law’s Flaw Is in Us, Not in the Law Itself (7:7–13)4. Sin’s Presence Limits Life Under Law (7:14–25)

D. Enabled by the Holy Spirit (8:1–17)E. Transformed Completely at History’s End (8:18–39)

s t u d y e n t e r

6

InteractOption 1Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Your group members are to discuss what theydiscovered about the Mosaic Law in completing Assignment 2 in Study Center 113. They should list anyquestions they may have.

Option 2Study Summary. Distribute copies of “The Law of Moses and the Christian” (located at the end of Inspire inthis lesson plan). Work through it with your group members. If Option 1 (above) was used, ask your groupmembers if they can now answer the questions their teams raised.

InspireMini-Lecture. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that we automatically begin to live righteous lives. Itmeans that God has provided the resources we need for godly living. In Romans 6 Paul said that “weknow” we are bound to Jesus in an unbreakable union. In this union we died with Christ and were alsoraised with him, making God’s own resurrection power available to us. How do we access this power? Paultells us in Romans 6.

1. We need to know what God has done for us through our union with Christ (Ro 6:5–7). 2. We need to “count [ourselves] dead to sin” (Ro 6:12). That means we believe and rely

on what Scripture tells us about the benefit of Jesus’ death for us.3. We are to “not let” (Ro 6:12) sinful desires direct our choices.4. We are to “offer [ourselves] to God” (Ro 6:13) as “slaves to righteousness” (Ro 6:18),

doingwhat God wants us to do rather than doing what our sinful desires urge us to do.

The point is this: Now, as Christians, we have a real choice. We can trust God and choose to pleasehim. And God’s Spirit will enable us. The key is not to try but to rely. Let’s trust God to enable us—and livethe righteous lives Christ died to make possible for us!

7

The Law of Moses and the Christian

In the NT “law” is sometimes used to mean custom, sometimes natural principles, sometimes thewhole of God’s revelation, and sometimes it means the Mosaic code which regulated the lifestyle ofIsrael. In Paul’s letters to the Romans and the Galatians he examines Mosaic law and makes manystartling statements. According to the NT, the law of Moses was temporary, limited in its purpose, andactually stimulated human beings to sin! In effect, the law of Moses condemns us as unrighteousrather than helps us become righteous.

Theologians distinguish three functions of the Mosaic law. (1) Law reveals God. Seeing the “holy,righteous and good” standards that God has established, we understand more of the moral characterof the God who gave it. And we receive a partial explanation of righteousness. (2) Law convicts actsof sin. When man hears God’s law, the old nature is even stimulated to acts of sin! The great contrastbetween what the law says is good and what human beings do is underlined, and thus mankindstands silent in court, condemned before God. (3) Law is a guide for the believer. Some hold we areto look to Law and make an effort to keep God’s commandments. It is this “third function of law”which theologians debate. Are we to look to Law today? Are we to seek to please God by obeying hiscommandments—or is there some other way?

Paul in Romans and Galatians rejects this “third function” concept. He teaches that law alwaysrelates to the old nature. In fact law energizes or stirs up that nature. No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:56says that “the power of sin is the law.”

What does the Bible put in place of law as the Christian’s guide to holy living? Jesus said it whenhe promised the disciples the Spirit: “He, the Spirit of truth, . . . will guide you into all truth” (John16:13). This is the reality Paul turns to in Romans and Galatians. The Holy Spirit energizes the life ofGod within us, so that as we live “in accordance with the Spirit” the righteous requirements of the laware fully met in us (Romans 8:5).

The Law regulated behavior, but did not change hearts. The Holy Spirit changes hearts, and thechanges within that the Spirit makes overflow in righteous living.

The saints of both testaments trusted God and relied on him rather than on their own efforts. Butall too many misunderstand the dynamics of personal relationship with God. Man does not need tobehave righteously; man needs to become righteous. It is not the law written in stone but the lawGod is writing on our hearts with which he is concerned (2 Corinthians 3). Laws may tell us how tobehave. But only God’s Spirit can make living the kind of life law describes a spontaneous expressionof a personality that God is reshaping from within.

Adapted from The Illustrated Bible Handbook,Lawrence O. Richards, Nelson, 1997, p. 617

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 114–115. Complete Assignments 1 and 3 inStudy Center 114 and Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 115. Tell your group members to be preparedfor a quiz on Romans.

8

LESSON 3

114–115

Righteousness in CommunityLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Romans 9–16• To demonstrate the consistency of God• To develop a portrait of righteousness as expressed in the believing community• To encourage acceptance of others in the local church

PREPARATION• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 114–115.• Complete Assignments 1 and 3 in Study Center 114 and Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 115.• Duplicate the quiz on Romans (located at the end of Introduce in this lesson plan).• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Overview. Give a brief overview of Romans 9–11, using the Mastery Keys in Study Center 114. This is adigression from the flow of Paul’s argument, but it is an important subject. These chapters demonstrate thatGod’s freedom of choice has never been limited by or determined by human beings. In view of this, theJews who complained about Paul’s teaching regarding law and faith cannot say God is being inconsistent inchoosing to save both Gentiles and Jews by faith. Nor can they say that the gospel conflicts with the prom-ises given to Abraham, for (1) all the physical descendants of Abraham were never included in the promis-es and (2) God will still keep his promises to Israel at history’s end.

Because of time limitations, it is not possible to deal in depth with Romans 9–11. This session willfocus on the theme of righteousness—more specifically, how righteousness is to be worked out in thebelieving community. You may wish to offer to meet at another time with those group members who areinterested in a further discussion of Romans 9–11.

Option 2Quiz. Give the quiz (located below) to your group members. Allow them five minutes to complete the quiz.The quiz is adapted from the Self-Tests on Romans (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible).The answers to the quiz are as follows: (1) T; (2) F; (3) T; (4) F; (5) F; (6) T; (7) T; (8) T; (9) T; (10) F.Discuss the quiz at the end of the group session if there is time.


9

Q U I Z O N R O M A N S

True or False

___ 1. God has made himself known to all people everywhere.

___ 2. Humankind’s response to God’s revelation shows that some at least are right-eous.

___ 3. According to Romans 3:20 the function of the law is to establish, or demon-strate, the fact that all are sinners.

___ 4. The two Old Testament figures who illustrate the truth that God credits right-eousness to those who have faith are Adam and Abraham.

___ 5. The “baptism” referred to in Romans 6 is water baptism.

___ 6. One problem with the law is that it is stirs up sinful human nature and stimu-lates sin.

___ 7. Through the believer’s union with Jesus, God makes it possible for believers toresist sin’s control and make righteous choices.

___ 8. The Holy Spirit energizes the new life we have in Christ, making it possible forus to live righteous lives.

___ 9. God expects believers to live together in love and display his righteousness as a community, not just as individuals.

___ 10. Church leaders are to decide what is right and wrong in situations on whichScripture is silent.

InteractTeam Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at an assigned passagefrom Romans and answer a related question.

Team(s) 1: Ro 12:1–21 What relationships in the church make mutual ministry possible?Team(s) 2: Ro 13:8–14 How is love expressed in the church?Team(s) 3: Ro 14:15–23 How do believers express love for Christians whose convictions

differ from their own?

Have a member of each team report to the group. (Note the parallel between this assignment and theMastery Keys in Study Center 115.)


Discuss. Ask one or two group members to read their descriptions of an “ideal” church (Assignment 1 inStudy Center 115). Then invite the group to identify characteristics that must be present if a congregation isto even begin to reach the ideal. List suggested characteristics on the board, but make sure that each sug-gestion comes from Paul’s discussion of the righteous community in Romans 12–16.

1 0

InformCase History. Charlie was a 40-year-old homicide detective on the Brooklyn, New York, police force in 1954.He sang in the choir of the little church he attended on Bay Ridge Avenue. The church had a policy that noone who smoked cigarettes could be involved in any church ministry. One day the pastor ran across Charlieon a Brooklyn street. Charlie looked stricken and then cupped his hand to hide the burning cigarette he’dbeen smoking.

Ask your group members to discuss the following questions: What was the impact on Charlie of beingcaught smoking by the pastor? What should the pastor have done? Was the church right to establish the“no smoking” policy?

InspireOption 1Share. Invite your group members to share what they have learned in this brief study of Romans that has been important or helpful to them.

Option 2 Inspirational Talk. Romans is about righteousness. Its message is simply that human beings are not right-eous—but God, in his love, has determined to credit righteousness to those who trust him. God also makesit possible for believers to live righteous lives here and now, and he promises believers total transformationinto completely righteous persons at history’s end.

Our response to this good news is to believe that we really have been united to Jesus, so we can notonly be deaf to the urgings of sin within us, but also live righteous lives in service to God. But God does notleave us alone in this struggle to reject sin and choose his will. God’s plan is to place us in a community ofbelievers that supports our commitment to righteous living. As we love and serve and accept one anotherin this family of faith, we become a righteous community and together display the wonder of God’s trans-forming power to all around us.

In short, the book of Romans shows us what God has done for us, and it provides a vision of what wecan become individually and what we can become as a believing community. It presents the ideal andreminds us that God’s goal is to make that ideal reality.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Introduction to 1 Corinthians and the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 116–117.Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 116 and Assignments 1–2 in Study Center 117.

1 1

LESSON 4

116–117

Problems, Problems, ProblemsLESSON AIMS• To orient group members to the nature and purpose of 1 Corinthians• To become familiar with problems that emerged in the local church• To identify problem-solving principles and apply them

PREPARATION• Read the Introduction to 1 Corinthians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 116–117.• Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 116 and Assignments 1–2 in Study Center 117.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Preview. Review the Introduction to 1 Corinthians. Be sure your group members see the underlying issue ofchurch unity that was broken by the attempts of Christians to establish superiority over others.

Option 2 Brainstorm. Ask your group members to list as many of the problems Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians 1–7as they can recall. When the list is as complete as your group members can make it, add matters they haveoverlooked (see Inform in this lesson plan). Ask your group members how these issues are connected andwhat the underlying issue in Corinth was.

InformMini-Lecture. Briefly identify and comment on the problems that Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians 1–7. Addthe solutions that he provided. List these on the chalkboard as you teach.

1Co 1–4 Unity is shattered by Exalt God, not yourselves.status-seeking believers. Stop thinking like mere men.

1Co 5 The church ignores open, Exercise church discipline.blatant sin.

1Co 6 Disputes are taken to Settle disputes within the church.pagan law courts.

1Co 7 Some advocate divorce Maintain marriage—and a healthyor “spiritual” marriage. sexual relationship.

What about those who They are unmarried and free toare abandoned? remarry.

What about single people? They may remain single or marry,depending on their “gift.”


1 2

In each of these areas, some claim of superiority is involved. But being identified with particular leadersdoesn’t give anyone superior status, and any claim to superiority is absurd in a church that tolerates opensin! Nor does being judged “right” by pagans over a financial dispute or rejecting marriage for a more “spiri-tual” celibacy make one believer better than another. We are to strive for a unity that can only be achievedby adopting God’s perspective and exalting him instead of ourselves.

InteractGroup Bible Study. Read 1 Corinthians 1–4, pausing to let your group members explain the role in Paul’sreasoning of the phrases indicated in Assignment 3 in Study Center 116. Then let volunteers read their one-paragraph summaries of these chapters (Assignment 4 in Study Center 116).


Apply. Let each group member choose either (a), (b) or (c) from the situations listed in Assignment 2 inStudy Center 117. Divide your group members into teams of five or six persons based on their choices.Each team is to determine what they would do in the given situation and explain the principles from1 Corinthians that they applied in coming up with their solution.

InspireChallenge. First Corinthians is a “family” letter. Paul made it clear that God cares about maintaining both theunity of his family and our individual holiness. His directive to not associate with immoral believers but to“hang out” with the unsaved reminds us that we have the greatest impact on the lost if we display God’scharacter in the way we live in the world. It also reminds us that if we want to grow in holiness, we need tobe close to those who are committed to the Lord and to us, not to their own reputations.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 118 and 120. Complete Assignments 1–2 inStudy Center 118 and Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 120. Let your group members know you willstudy the skipped chapters (Romans 11–14) in the Lesson 6.

1 3

LESSON 5

118, 120

Knowledge, Love and ResurrectionLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with 1 Corinthians 8–10; 15–16• To understand Paul’s approach to dealing with conflict over personal convictions• To familiarize group members with the Bible’s teaching on resurrection• To continue to emphasize the significance of unity rooted in love

PREPARATION• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 118 and 120.• Complete Assignments 1–2 in Study Center 118 and Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 120.• Study the Landmark “The Resurrection of Believers” at 1 Corinthians 15. Be sure to look up the refer-

ences cited in the article.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1React. Write the following statement on the chalkboard and have your group members react to it: If youmust choose between a Christian who knows more about the Bible and a Christian who better expresseslove for others, pick the one who loves!

Option 2Preview. In this group session we will look at two issues: (1) How do we settle arguments when both sidesargue from Scripture? (2) What really lies ahead for believers after death?

As to the first issue, Paul makes it clear that in such disputes one side may be closer to the truth thanthe other—but dealing with the dispute by arguing about who is right tends to puff up the disputants anddestroy unity. The better approach emphasizes love. We realize that, as human beings, we will always havelimited knowledge, so while we explore our different viewpoints, we continue to affirm our love for eachother. This opens both sides up to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit and promotes spiritual growth.

As to the second issue, Paul makes it clear that “resurrection” is not something mystical or “spiritual.”When Jesus returns, believers will be provided with resurrection bodies like the material body Jesusreceived at his resurrection. There is a correspondence of the resurrection body to our present mortal bod-ies, but that resurrection body, while material, is not limited as our present physical bodies are. This hope ofresurrection, while not stated as clearly in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament, neverthelessinfuses all of Scripture with hope.

InformOption 1Group Bible Study. Guide your group members through 1 Corinthians 8–10 to be sure they understandPaul’s argument. Briefly, Paul begins by establishing love as the ruling principle to apply in “doctrinal” dis-putes (1Co 8:1–3). He then applies that principle to the dispute about eating meat sacrificed to idols (1Co8:4–13). Paul then points out that while believers have a “right” to do what their consciences permit, some-times we need to give up our “rights” out of concern for others—even as Paul had given up many of his“rights” in order to better minister to the young churches (1Co 9:1–27). Paul then examines the issue doc-trinally (1Co 10:1—11:1). While the “gods” of the pagans do not exist, demons are behind pagan religions.


1 4

Involvement in religious sacred meals is to be discouraged. But the meat sold at temple markets is neutral. A Christian can feel free to go to a pagan’s dinner party without worrying about the origin of themain dish—unless the host makes a big deal of the food and the party’s dedication to a pagan deity. Thenthe meat should not be eaten—for the sake of the host’s conscience, not because the meat is somehowpolluted.

Option 2Report. Invite volunteers to share what they discovered when comparing 1 Corinthians 8–10 with Romans14:1—15:13 (Assignment 2 in Study Center 118).

InteractOption 1Team Bible Study. Read the Landmark “The Resurrection of Believers” at 1 Corinthians 15 as a group. Havegroup members read aloud and comment on the verses cited in the article. Then divide into teams. Haveeach team list what we know about resurrection.

Option 2Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to take a section of 1 Corinthians15 and develop a list of true statements about resurrection.

Team(s) 1: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11Team(s) 2: 1 Corinthians 15:12–28Team(s) 3: 1 Corinthians 15:29–34Team(s) 4: 1 Corinthians 15:35–49Team(s) 5: 1 Corinthians 15:50–58

Have teams report the statements they developed (compare with the Mastery Keys in Study Center 120).


Share. Invite group members to share the exhortation they chose from 1 Corinthians 16 and tell the reasonfor their choice (Assignment 4 in Study Center 120).

InspireMini-Lecture. Briefly contrast the raising of Lazarus with resurrection. Lazarus was truly dead, but his returnto life was resuscitation, not resurrection. Although he was brought back to mortal life, he would age anddie again.

What God has in store for us is resurrection—a total physical and spiritual transformation. We will begiven resurrection bodies that will never age and never die. What lies ahead for believers is the glorious res-urrection that Jesus received. As 1 John 3:2 promises, “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.’”

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 119. Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Cen-ter 119. If you wish to focus on the question of women in the church, have your group members alsolook at the following passages: 1 Timothy 2:9–15; 3:11; 4:7; 5:3–16; 2 Timothy 3:6–7.

1 5

LESSON 6

119

Spirituality and WorshipLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with the issues dealt with in 1 Corinthians 11–14• To develop a deeper understanding of spirituality• To help break down status distinctions based on gift or gender

PREPARATION• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 119.• Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 119.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Identify. Divide into mini-teams of three persons. Each person is to take no more than two minutes to tellhis or her teammates about the most spiritual person he or she knows. This should be done in a way thatwill allow the others to get a good picture of that person.

After six minutes, record the following on the chalkboard: (1) How many of the persons describedwere men? How many were women? (2) How many were “professional” Christians? How many were laypersons? (3) How many had some notable spiritual gift (identify the gift if possible)? How many did nothave a notable spiritual gift?

Leave this information on the chalkboard.

Option 2Brainstorm. Ask your group members, “What criteria do most people use to judge whether a person is ‘spiritual’?” List ideas on the chalkboard. Then have the group briefly analyze each so-called indicator of spirituality.

InformOverview. The competition for status in the church at Corinth even showed up when the believers met forworship. Some women asserted their new right to participate in congregational worship by rejecting tradi-tional female dress. Some of the well-to-do church members turned the Lord’s Supper into a banquet dur-ing which they could assert cultural and financial superiority over poorer members of the church. Someclaimed superiority on the basis of their possession of a more spectacular spiritual gift. Others simply triedto push themselves forward during worship, disrupting the church’s gatherings. They interrupted speakers,shouted out foolish questions and generally caused chaos.

In 1 Corinthians 11–14 Paul deals with the worship-linked problems of the Corinthians, and in theprocess, he helps us think more clearly about such issues as the mark of true spirituality and the role ofwomen in the church. You can divide the next hour between these two major issues or focus on one issue.(You may wish to let your group members decide.)

s t u d y e n t e r

1 6

InteractOption 1Team Bible Study. Have teams examine the question of spirituality. Each team of five or six persons is to answer the following questions from 1 Corinthians 12–14:

1. What did the Corinthians take as evidence of spiritual superiority?2. What was wrong with their view?3. What actually is a valid indicator of spirituality?4. What spiritual gifts are more important to the body? Why are they more important?

When teams report, go back to the numbers listed on the chalkboard and evaluate them in view of what is said in these chapters.

Option 2Team Bible Study. Have teams examine critical New Testament passages on the role of women in thechurch. Assign the following passages to teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look carefully at thepassage assigned and the accompanying information in the NIV Discovery Study Bible and summarize whatthe passage indicates about women in the church.

Team(s) 1: 1 Corinthians 11Team(s) 2: 1 Corinthians 14Team(s) 3: 1 Timothy 2:9–15

Have the teams report what they discovered. Then go back to the numbers listed on the chalkboard(from Option 1 of Introduce) and evaluate them in terms of what is said in these chapters.

InspireChallenge. If we are truly to have unity in any congregation of believers, Christians must first utterly aban-don any claim to personal superiority over other believers. We may have obvious spiritual gifts—but thatdoes not make us spiritually superior to others. Nor does gender confer superiority. In Christ both men andwomen are vital parts of the Christian community, and they are both provided with spiritual gifts that are tobe used in ministry to others. When we “rank” fellow believers by such things as gifts or gender, we fall intoserious error, and we fail to understand what God has done for, and is doing in, the community of faith.

If we are looking for a test of spirituality—a measure of how mature a believer is or how closely he orshe is connected to the Lord—the one measure we should use is affirmed in 1 Corinthians 13. And if wewant to excel as Christians, we can do so by focusing our every effort on loving God and loving others. Thatis something that each one of us can do. We don’t have to be a theologian to love. We don’t have to be apowerful speaker or have a great singing voice to love. We don’t have to be male to excel in loving others.Love is a gift anyone can give.

So let’s forget every claim we may have to spiritual superiority, and let’s follow Scripture’s “most excel-lent way” (1Co 12:31). Let’s concentrate on love.

ASSIGNMENTComplete the Self-Tests for Study Centers 116–120 (located in the back of the NIV Discovery StudyBible). Read the Introduction to 2 Corinthians and the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center121. Complete Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 121.

1 7

LESSON 7

121

New Covenant MinistryLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with 2 Corinthians 1–5• To understand the significance of the new covenant• To familiarize group members with new covenant ministry principles• To encourage open and honest relationships among believers

PREPARATIONS• Read the Introduction to 2 Corinthians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 121.• Complete Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 121.• Read the Landmark “The Promise of a New Covenant” at Jeremiah 31, checking the passages referred

to in the article.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1React. Write the following statement on the chalkboard: “I’d be afraid that people wouldn’t like me if I saidwhat I really feel or think.” Ask your group members the first thing that comes to mind when they read thisstatement. Ask them to speculate on how common they think this attitude is and why people might feelthis way.

Option 2Discuss. What is the hardest thing about raising children today? What are some of the fears parents have fortheir children?

InformMini-Lecture. Provide an overview of the new covenant that will help to put 2 Corinthians in perspective.One of the most important concepts in Scripture is that of “covenant.” Simply put, a “covenant” is a state-ment by God of what he firmly intends to do.

The first of the Biblical covenants is found in Genesis 12. Genesis 12:1–3 records promises God madeto Abraham, including promises to bless Abraham’s descendants and promises to bless all humankindthrough Abraham’s descendants. God did watch over Abraham’s descendants, the Jewish people. Andthrough the Jews, God gave all of us the Scriptures and Jesus, our Savior. But the promises in Biblicalcovenants ultimately look ahead to history’s end, the time when they will be completely fulfilled. God bless-es his people along the way, but it is only when we reach the end of the journey that the complete and fullblessings promised in the covenant will be realized.

The next covenant in Scripture is the law covenant God made with the Jewish people in the time ofMoses. It, too, is a statement of what God firmly intends to do. But it is different from the Abrahamiccovenant. The law covenant told each generation of Jews how they must live to gain God’s blessing duringtheir lifetime. If a particular generation remained faithful to the Lord and kept God’s law, he would blessthem. If they were unfaithful and violated God’s law, he would discipline them. The law covenant wasn’trelated to what would happen at history’s end.

s t u d y e n t e r

1 8

The problem with the law covenant was that while it spelled out a godly way of life, it did not changethe hearts of God’s people. So, through Jeremiah, God promised that one day he would make a “newcovenant with the house of Israel” (Jer 31:31) that was “not like” the law covenant. Instead of writing thelaw on stone tablets, as he did when the new covenant was instituted, God would begin to write on thehearts of believers. There would not only be full and complete forgiveness, but there would also be aninner transformation.

(At this point, direct your group members to Jeremiah 31:33–34. Read it aloud and then read theLandmark “The Promise of a New Covenant” at Jeremiah 31.)

The new covenant was initiated at Jesus’ death. In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul shared his under-standing of how the new covenant shaped not only his attitude toward believers, but also his approach toministry.

InteractTeam Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Give each team a passage to read and questionsto answer. Circulate among the teams to help them if they run into difficulties. Later, as each team reports,be prepared to supplement their answers to the questions as necessary.

Team(s) 1: Study 2 Corinthians 1:3–11; 2:1–4. How does Paul model openness and hon-esty in relationships? What in the situation might make most people hesitateto be so open? What ministry principle in 2 Corinthians 1:4 requires the kindof openness that Paul displayed? Can you give examples of the effectivenessof that ministry principle from your own experience?

Team(s) 2: Study 2 Corinthians 3:7–18. What happened to Moses’ face when he spokewith God (see Exodus 34:28–35)? What reason does Paul give for Moses put-ting on the veil? In what way are Christians not to be like Moses? Why doesthis take boldness? What is the significance of the contrast between Moses’“fading” splendor (2Co 3:13) and our progressive transformation “with ever-increasing glory” (2Co 3:18) by the Holy Spirit? What ministry principle isexpressed here? Can you give examples of its effectiveness from your ownexperience?

Be sure that your group members understand the two ministry principles Paul was expressing here.First, we can best share what Christ can do in others’ lives when people see us as persons like them, per-sons with weaknesses. Second, people see the reality of Jesus in what he is doing to transform us, and thisis impossible if we hide our weaknesses and flaws.

InspireMini-Lecture. Close with a word of hope from 2 Corinthians 4:1,18; 5:14–21.

Paul was writing to the Corinthians, the “problem church” of the first century. Not only was the churchriddled with problems, but many in the congregation were also openly hostile toward Paul. Yet Paul wrote,“We do not lose heart” (2Co 4:1), and he expressed confidence in the Corinthians. How was this possible?

First, Paul was not relying on “what is seen” (2Co 4:18). He knew that what is seen is temporary. Onlyunseen realities are changeless and eternal. Immaturity—like the behaviors Paul saw in the Corinthians andlike the flaws we see in ourselves and in our children that trouble us so greatly—belongs to the temporaryand the changing. Paul looked beyond what he saw and discerned the eternal.

What did Paul see? Paul saw the love of Jesus. And Paul saw what Jesus died to accomplish. That isstated in 2 Corinthians 5:15. Jesus died “that those who live should no longer live for themselves but forhim who died for them and was raised again.” Christ died to transform those who have been given life inhim.

Paul was convinced that this transformation is not only possible, but it is certain. Anyone who is inChrist is a “new creation” (2Co 5:17). Totally new spiritual principles are at work in the believer. Andbecause of this, God will surely accomplish the transformation Jesus died to make possible!

You and I are all too aware of our weaknesses. We are all too aware of the flaws in our children. Some-times we are almost ready to give up hope. But Paul understood the new covenant and the transformation

1 9

it assures. He did not look at what can be seen—the way we are now. He looked at the unseen realities ofour faith and saw what God will most certainly accomplish in us. And because of this, Paul continued tohave hope and minister confidently. As Paul said, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so thatin him we might become the righteousness of God” (2Co 5:21).


Apply. Have each group member pick one relationship to which he or she can apply Paul’s positive attitudetoward fellow believers despite their disappointing behavior. The relationship could be with a spouse, withchildren, with a Christian friend, with your church, etc. Divide group members into teams based on the rela-tionship they chose to concentrate on. Have them encourage each other to have and express positiveexpectations.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 122–123. Complete Assignments 1–4 in StudyCenter 122 and Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 123.

2 0

LESSON 8

122–123

New Covenant LifestyleLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with 2 Corinthians 6–13• To develop an understanding of new covenant principles of giving• To develop an understanding of the nature of spiritual authority

PREPARATION• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 122–123.• Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 122 and Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 123, paying

special attention to Assignment 3 in Study Center 123.• Study the Old Testament teaching on giving that is summarized in Inform (below).• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Share. Invite group members to share the most interesting thing they discovered in completing the assign-ment for this week’s lesson. Then invite them to share the most important thing they discovered.

Option 2Quiz. Give your group members this simple quiz, which is taken from the Self-Tests (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). Have them write down their answers. Then share and discuss theanswers briefly.

1. What does it mean to be “unequally yoked”?2. What is the difference between “godly sorrow” and “worldly sorrow”?3. For what purpose did God grant Paul his authority?4. Why didn’t God remove Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”?5. What is the secret power underlying spiritual authority?

InformBackground. The Old Testament called for a tithe of ten percent of all produce of the land and of domesti-cated animals. The tithe was considered “rent” paid to God as the owner of the land he had given to hispeople. The tithe was used to support the Levites and priests who served God at the tabernacle and laterthe temple, because, unlike the other Israelite tribes, the tribe of Levi had not been given its own territory.The tithe was also used to support widows and orphans and others in need. Additional support for thetemple and its ministries came from the sacrifices and the freewill offerings made by God’s people.

In 2 Corinthians 8–9 the apostle Paul develops principles that are to guide Christian giving. He doesnot call for a tithe here, nor does he do so in any of his other letters. While some Christians still use the tenpercent figure as a guide for giving, we are not to ignore the guidelines that Paul lays down for newcovenant believers.

(For background, study Lev 27:30–33; Dt 12:7; 14:22–29; 26:12.)


2 1

InteractOption 1Team Bible Study. Divide your group members into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to study2 Corinthians 8–9 and prepare to report its findings to the group.

Team(s) 1: Develop “Principles to Guide New Covenant Giving”Team(s) 2: Develop “New Covenant Motives for Giving”Team(s) 3: Develop “Benefits of New Covenant Giving”

Option 2Compare. Divide your group members into teams of five or six persons to compare the papers written forAssignment 4 in Study Center 122. Group members are to critique each other’s papers and then summa-rize what they have discovered by agreeing on the principles that are to guide new covenant giving.


Discuss. Lead your group members in a discussion of Christian giving. Some of the questions you mightraise include:

1. How do most Christians determine how much to give?2. How do you think understanding what Paul teaches here would affect giving in most

churches? Would giving increase or decrease? Why?3. How do you think understanding what Paul teaches here would affect church budgets?

Would churches change the way they allocate their funds? If so, how would the alloca-tion of funds change?

4. How might adopting New Testament principles of giving affect your own giving?

After the discussion, close with silent prayer.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 124–125. Complete Assignments 1–3 in StudyCenter 124 and Assignments 1, 3 and 4 in Study Center 125.

2 2

LESSON 9

124–125

Law Versus PromiseLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Paul’s letter to the Galatians• To grasp the importance of relying on promise rather than law• To gain confidence in the power for holy living provided by the Spirit

PREPARATIONS• Read the Introduction to Galatians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 124–125.• Complete Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 124 and Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 125.• Review Lesson 2 of this Leader’s Guide (covering Study Center 113).• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceKey Words Study. Have your group members look up the words “law” and “promise” in the Key Words Dic-tionary (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). In view of these definitions, have your groupmembers explain what Paul was saying to the Galatians.

InformMini-Lecture Overview. Both Galatians and Romans are concerned with present-tense salvation. Theyanswer the question, How can a believer be delivered from the power of sin and enabled to live a God-honoring, holy life here and now? The Galatians knew that past-tense salvation—forgiveness for sins andacceptance into God’s family—was theirs by faith alone. Their problem was that after being saved (pasttense), they were relying on their own efforts to keep God’s law. Paul calls this “foolish” (Gal 3:1,3). If thetry-harder approach to getting saved didn’t work, why adopt the same, failed, try-harder approach to Christ-ian living?

Paul’s letter to the Galatians makes two vitally important points. First, the law was never able to pro-duce righteousness. The law was temporary and severely limited in what it could do. It was never intendedto produce righteousness. Second, a principle that Paul called “promise” is able to produce righteous peo-ple. Under promise God provides sonship, forgiveness and his Holy Spirit. Believers simply look to, and relyon, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces a change in character, so that believers become genuinelygood persons and gladly choose God’s will. Paul’s letter makes it clear that a believer cannot adopt boththe try-harder approach to Christian living and the rely-fully approach. These two approaches are mutuallyexclusive. Believers must choose between the two.

This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote of being “alienated from Christ” (Gal 5:4). Jesuscan’t make a practical difference in a believer’s life as long as the believer is looking to the law and tryingharder to be righteous. This is also what Paul was getting at when he described Christian character andthen stated that “against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:23). The truly good person doesn’t need thelaw to tell him what to do. He or she spontaneously chooses what is right.

In this group session, we will explore some of the key passages in Galatians that make these points.


2 3

InteractOption 1Pick-a-Verse. Invite each group member to select a single verse from Galatians that they believe supportsone of the points made in the mini-lecture (see Inform). Have each group member quote the verse he orshe chose, explain the point the verse makes, and tell how it relates to the basic message of Galatians.

Option 2Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at their assigned passagefrom Galatians, determine what their passage teaches, and summarize that teaching in their own words.Each team will then explain the assigned passage and its significance to the group.

Team(s) 1: Galatians 3:1–5Team(s) 2: Galatians 3:10–14Team(s) 3: Galatians 3:17–22Team(s) 4: Galatians 5:2–6Team(s) 5: Galatians 5:13–26

Be prepared to clarify these critical passages as the teams give their reports.

InspireMini-Lecture. In reviewing Galatians, we left out one important passage: Galatians 3:26—4:7. This passagecontains an image familiar to first-century readers. The law is compared to a household slave, a pedagogue,who was in charge of minor children. As long as a child was a minor, the child—even though he might oneday inherit his father’s estate—lived as if he were subject to the household slave. He was, in practice, the“slave of a slave.”

But now, in Christ, Christians have received “the full rights of sons” (Gal 4:5). With those rights comesfreedom from subjection to the slave (the law). As adult sons, believers have direct access to God theFather, in a relationship so close and intimate that believers are free to address him as “Abba” (“Daddy”).What’s more, as acknowledged heirs, believers no longer have to depend only on their own limitedresources. In fact, God makes his unlimited resources available for believers to draw on!

We may be utterly weak, and we may be pulled by many temptations, but as we rely on our heavenlyFather, he will infuse us with his strength and enable us to do what is right and good. All we need to do isclaim his promise, trust him and step out in faith to do his will.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 126–127. Complete Assignments 1–5 in StudyCenter 126 and Assignments 2–3 in Study Center 127.

2 4

LESSON 10

126–127

Christian UnityLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Paul’s letter to the Ephesians• To deepen an understanding of the church as the body of Christ• To encourage the loving acceptance so vital to Christian unity

PREPARATIONS• Read the Introduction to Ephesians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 126–127.• Complete Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 126 and Assignments 2–3 in Study Center 127.• Study the Landmark “The Church” at Ephesians 2, looking up the Bible references cited in the article.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Brainstorm. What visible indications of unity might we expect to see in a local church?

Option 2Report. Ask half of the group to select a vice from Ephesians 4:1–20 and tell how it might disrupt Christianunity. Ask the other half of the group to select a virtue from the same passage and tell how it might pro-mote Christian unity. (See Assignment 2 in Study Center 127.)

InformOption 1Mini-Lecture. Ephesians presents the church as a single, living organism in which Christ is the head andbelievers make up the body. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians carefully explains what God has done to makethis possible. Ephesians shows how each person of the Trinity has been involved in our salvation, and itdescribes the raw material—sinful human beings—from which God has created this one body. Despite thetensions between Jew and Gentile, between male and female, between members of different social class-es, believers are one body in Christ. Because the body is one, and in order for it to function as God intends,it is vital for us to maintain unity and interpersonal harmony. Much of Ephesians is dedicated to teachingpractical principles for maintaining unity—in our churches and in our homes.

The Assignments in Study Center 126 helped group members discover the basis for Christian unity. Ifgroup members have questions about something in Ephesians 1–3, provide brief, succinct answers; howev-er, this group session will focus primarily on Ephesians 4–6 and on how believers maintain unity.

Option 2 Talk-Through. Discuss the Landmark “The Church” at Ephesians 2 and briefly comment on passages refer-enced there.

2 5


InteractOption 1Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to study the assigned passage andanswer the related questions. Then each team will report its findings to the group.

Team(s) 1: Study Ephesians 4:1–16. What basic attitude is necessary to “keep the unity ofthe Spirit” (Eph 4:3)? What is the basis for Christian unity? What is God’s goalfor all Christians? Why is it essential that Christians live and function as onebody?

Team(s) 2: Study Ephesians 4:17–24. Why must Christians adopt a totally new way ofthinking and living? What characterizes the “old self,” which believers are to“put off” (Eph 4:22)? What characterizes the “new self,” which believers are to“put on” (Eph 4:24)?

Team(s) 3: Study Ephesians 4:25—5:2. What practices are not appropriate for those whoare members of “one body” (Eph 4:25)? What negative impact might theseinappropriate practices have on unity? What behaviors are appropriate forthose who are members of “one body”? How would these appropriate behav-iors promote unity?

Team(s) 4: Study Ephesians 5:3–20. What practices are not appropriate for those who aremembers of “one body”? What negative impact might these inappropriatepractices have on unity? What behaviors are appropriate for those who aremembers of “one body”? How would these appropriate behaviors promoteunity?

Be prepared to supplement each team’s comments when they give their reports.

Option 2Group Bible Study. Work through Assignments 2, 3 and 5 in Study Center 126 and Assignments 2–3 inStudy Center 127, discussing what your group members discovered as they completed the Assignments inpreparation for the group session.

InspireRemarks. Point out that one of Satan’s priorities is to distort and destroy the unity that is to mark the Christ-ian community. In response, God has provided us with “armor” similar to that worn by a Roman infantry-man. Ephesians 6 reviews what Paul taught in Ephesians by picturing various truths as parts of theinfantryman’s equipment.

Go through Ephesians 6:10–18, discussing the importance of each piece of “armor” in resisting Satan’sattempts to destroy our unity. Also read the Closer Look “The Armor of God” at Ephesians 6:10–18.

Close in prayer

ASSIGNMENTRead the Introduction to Philippians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 128. Com-plete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 128. Quickly review Study Centers 111–127 to recall the majorthemes of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians and Ephesians.

This might be a good time to describe other “Exploring” courses based on the NIV Discovery StudyBible. Ask if your group members are interested in following up this course with one of the other sevencourses.

2 6

LESSON 11

128

Joy in Difficult TimesLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Paul’s letter to the Philippians• To understand the nature and sources of joy available to Christians• To review major themes developed in books that were previously studied

PREPARATION• Read the Introduction to Philippians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 128.• Complete Assignments 1–4 in Study Center 128.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Discuss. What are the major differences between “happiness” and the “joy” described in Paul’s letter to thePhilippians? List your group members’ ideas on the chalkboard.

Option 2Quiz. Have your group members number a sheet of paper from one to ten. Read your group members thefollowing questions, and have them write down their answers. Allow no more that ten seconds betweenquestions. When they have completed the quiz, let volunteers give the answers. (The answers appear inbrackets.)

1. What is the theme of Romans? [righteousness]2. What book develops a new covenant theology of giving? [2 Corinthians]3. What book contains a chapter dedicated to resurrection? [1 Corinthians]4. What book is most like the book of Romans in its content? [Galatians]5. What is the theme of Ephesians? [the unity of the body of Christ]6. What book teaches that spirituality is not indicated by the spiritual gift a person

possesses? [1 Corinthians]7. What book contrasts law and promise? [Galatians]8. What book depicts attempts by different groups to establish spiritual superiority?

[1 Corinthians]9. What chapter of Romans explains and defines “faith”? [Romans 4]

10. What chapter of Ephesians explains the roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in salvation? [Ephesians 1]

InformTalk-Through. The incarnation is an essential Christian doctrine. Discuss the Landmark “The Incarnation” atPhilippians 2. Look up and read the passages referred to in the article. Be sure your group members under-stand this fundamental doctrine of our faith.

s t u d y e n t e r

2 7

InteractTeam Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look for the use of “joy” or“rejoice” in its assigned chapter from Philippians and identify the source or sources of joy indicated by Paulin that chapter. Each team is to prepare a report on how each source of joy can be accessed by Christianstoday. Teams will give their reports to the group. (See Assignment 2 in Study Center 128.)

Team(s) 1: Philippians 1Team(s) 2: Philippians 2Team(s) 3: Philippians 3Team(s) 4: Philippians 4


Share. Paul drew a practical lesson from Christ’s incarnation and applied it to himself and to the Philippians(Php 2:1–11,21–26). Invite group members to share how they apply this lesson in their daily life (Assign-ment 3 in Study Center 128).

InspireShare. Give your group members a few moments to meditate on Philippians 4:8. Then invite group mem-bers to share how focusing on “such things” might strengthen them in their daily Christian life (Assignment4 in Study Center 128). Close in prayer.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Introduction to Colossians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 129. Com-plete Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 129. As review, take the Self-Tests for Romans through Philippi-ans (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible).

2 8

LESSON 12

129

True ChristianityLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with Colossians and Philemon• To distinguish central teachings that mark true Christianity• To better appreciate the significance of Christ’s death for us• To understand the impact of true Christianity on lifestyle

PREPARATIONS• Read the Introduction to Colossians.• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 129.• Complete Assignments 1–5 in Study Center 129.• Develop a ten-item quiz by using the Self-Tests for Romans through Philippians. (Self-Tests for Study

Centers 111–128 are located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible.)• Duplicate the article on Gnosticism (see Inform in this lesson plan).• Prepare for a discussion on true Christianity versus Gnosticism (see Interact in this lesson plan).• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1Quiz. Give your group members a quick, ten-item quiz. Develop the quiz from the Self-Tests on Romans, 1Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians (Self-Tests for Study Centers 111–128 arelocated in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). Design the questions so they can be answered withone or two words. After the group members have completed the quiz, let volunteers answer the questions.

Option 2Brainstorm. Colossians is a Christological (“about Christ”) epistle. What are some of the things we learnabout Christ in this book? List your group members’ suggestions on the chalkboard without commenting onthem. Then move on to the next activity.

InformExplain. Provide your group members with a copy of the article on Gnosticism (below). Review it togetherto gain a better understanding of the background for this letter to the Christians at Colosse.

s t u d y e n t e r

2 9

Gnosticism

Most scholars believe the church at Colosse was being corrupted by teachings that later were organ-ized into a religious system called Gnosticism. The developed theology of Gnosticism incorporates thefollowing concepts, countered in Paul’s letter.

What is God like? The Gnostics were dualists. They saw all things in terms of two contrasting prin-ciples. On the one side was good, which they associated with the spiritual and the immaterial. On theother side was evil, which was associated with the material universe. God himself was perfectly good,spiritual, and totally disassociated from the material. He would not pollute himself by any such con-tact! The material universe was an accident or, at worst, the error made by the lowest of a long seriesof supernatural beings—intermediary angels—ranked between God and matter. To God, the pure spirit,the world was alien and despicable.

To the Gnostics the idea of Incarnation was shocking. God become man? God take on humanflesh? Unthinkable! Christ must be a lower angel or perhaps an “appearance”—a shadow cast by Godon a screen. But never God in human form!

It was also unthinkable that God might wish to be involved in believers’ lives. The Gnostics sawhuman beings as trapped, as sparks of the divine held captive in fleshly prisons. Salvation meantrelease from bondage to all that was material, including our own bodies. This ruled out bodily resur-rection. To the Gnostic the very notion was horrible.

How do humans approach God? The Gnostic saw God as remote and inaccessible. God might beapproached through the long chain of intermediary angels that stretched between him and matter.Jesus Christ might even be one of these intermediaries. But since Jesus had contact with the materialuniverse, Christ must rank very low in the chain of intermediary angels. Here is a partial explanation ofPaul’s reference to the worship of angels (Col. 2:18): people were striving to gain the attention andsupport of these beings who formed a chain leading to God. These powerful spirits should be placat-ed, the Gnostics taught, for human destiny lay in their hands, not in God’s.

How do we humans find fulfillment? The Gnostics saw spirituality as something internal, divorcedfrom life in the world. Some believed that what they did in the body was irrelevant. The body wasmaterial and thus evil, and so indulgence in sins of the flesh was simply to be expected and had noimpact on the spark of the spirituality within. Others stressed asceticism and rigid regulations. Theyattempted to discipline the flesh and abstain from fleshly desires as a means of strengthening thespiritual. But neither the ascetic nor the licentious believed that what they did in daily life had a signifi-cant impact on spirituality.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians confronts these ideas directly. Jesus truly is God come into thematerial universe to live among us as a real human being. He is the Creator of the universe; he is notrepelled by it. What’s more, it was Jesus’ death in his human body that reconciles us to God andbrings us into a personal relationship with him. We are now called to live out Christ’s life in this world,displaying his character in the way we live our daily lives. In making these and other points, the Apos-tle Paul clearly presents true Christianity in contrast to the false notions not only of the Gnostics but ofothers through history. In this little letter we have a powerful portrait of who God is, of who Jesus is,of the significance of what Jesus has done for us in the cross—and a clear picture of how we are tolive our Christian lives in this world.

Adapted from The Leader’s Commentary, byLarry Richards, published by Chariot-Victor

3 0

InteractTeam Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at a chapter of Colossiansand identify “true Christianity” teachings of Paul that directly or indirectly contradict a related Gnostic belief.Teams are then to present their discoveries to the group.

Team(s) 1: Colossians 1Team(s) 2: Colossians 2Team(s) 3: Colossians 3

You will want to complete this study yourself before the group session, so you are prepared to supple-ment what your group members discover.

InspireUnison Reading. Close by reading Colossians 3:15–16 in unison.

ASSIGNMENTRead the Introduction to 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center130. Complete Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 130. Take the Self-Tests covering the Letters of Paul tothe Churches (i.e., Self-Tests for Study Centers 111–130, located in the back of the NIV Discovery StudyBible).

3 1

LESSON 13

130

What Lies AheadLESSON AIMS• To familiarize group members with 1 and 2 Thessalonians• To develop a portrait of “ideal” ministry relationships• To understand the present impact of prophetic passages• To review Paul’s letters to the churches

PREPARATION• Answer the questions to the Unit Self-Test on Paul’s Letters to the Churches (located in the back of the

NIV Discovery Study Bible).• Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 130.• Complete Assignments 1–3 in Study Center 130.• Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.• Pray daily for your group members.

IntroduceOption 1React. Ask your group members to share the most interesting or valuable thing they read in either 1 or2 Thessalonians and explain why it was interesting or valuable.

Option 2Review. Review the Unit Self-Test on Paul’s Letters to the Churches (located in the back of the NIV Discov-ery Study Bible). Let volunteers answer the questions and, if necessary, let your group members correcteach other.

InformPreview. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians make two major contributions. First, in his first letter, Paul’sdescription of his time with the Thessalonians provides an important reminder that effective ministry takesplace in the context of close and loving personal relationships. Second, these letters remind us that the Oldand New Testaments are in essential harmony concerning their view of the future, even though the Old andNew Testaments emphasize different aspects of God’s plan. The prophetic passages in these two booksalso remind us of another important truth: God does not provide information about the future so we candevelop charts placing each event in sequence. When Scripture gives us a window into the future, it doesso in order that we may reshape our attitudes and behaviors in view of the reality portrayed. When Godspeaks of tomorrow, it is to affect believers today.

Your group members may have questions about the prophetic passages in 2 Thessalonians. Be readyto refer to the various features in the NIV Discovery Study Bible to help them answer their questions.

InteractOption 1Report. Ask two volunteers to read their descriptions of the “ideal” pastor (Assignment 2 in Study Center130). Then look together at Paul’s description of his time in Thessalonica (1Th 2:1–12). What characterizedPaul’s ministry? What principles of ministry can we develop from this passage? List your group members’ideas on the chalkboard.

s t u d y e n t e r

3 2

Option 2Team Bible Study. Divide into groups of five or six persons. Give each group one of the following passagesto study. Each group is to describe the impact its snapshot of the future is to have on believers today. Howwill an understanding of this aspect of what God intends to do in the future impact Christians during theirlives here and now?

Team(s) 1: 1 Thessalonians 4:13—5:3Team(s) 2: 2 Thessalonians 1:7–12Team(s) 3: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–12

Have teams report their insights to the group.


Share. Close by asking each group member to identify one way in which God has ministered to him or herthrough this 13-week study of his Word. After volunteers have had a chance to share, close in prayer.

3 3

Documents

Exploring Paul's Letters to the Churches