Leaders Guide

Exploring Pauls Letters to the Churches

A 13-week Adventure
in the NIV Discovery Study Bible
Objectives
Through 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

Materials

Why teach the NIV

Discovery Study Bible?
You teach the Bible
just the Bible!
You get your group
members into Gods
Word!

FOR THE LEADER

An NIV Discovery Study Bible

A notebook for recording study insights
This free on-line Leaders Guide

You can teach the

whole Bible in eight
13-week courses!

FOR EACH GROUP MEMBER

An NIV Discovery Study Bible

A notebook for recording study insights

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

Lesson Plans
The 13 lesson plans for Exploring Pauls 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 will
usually include five segments: Introduce, Inform, Interact, Internalize and Inspire.
Introduce
You will choose
from several activities that will get
the group session
started.

Inform
You will provide
input (such as a
mini-lecture or
chalkboard illustration) that will bring
the significance of
the Bible passages
into clear focus.

Interact
You will actively
involve your group
members in probing the passages
they have studied.
Each lesson plan
gives you several
activities to choose
from.

Internalize
You will provide
your group members with an opportunity to explore
their own experiences and personalize the truths
studied. (This is
an optional section
that may be used
for groups that
meet for longer
than one hour.)

Inspire
You will encourage
personal application of the truths
studied and motivate your group
members for the
following weeks
fresh discoveries
in Gods Word.

Getting Started
WITH AN ESTABLISHED GROUP

Six weeks before the first group session, tell your group members about the exciting opportunity they have
to explore Gods Word by using the unique NIV Discovery Study Bible. Determine how many NIV Discovery
Study Bibles you will need to order.
Two weeks before the first group session, distribute the NIV Discovery Study Bibles and inexpensive
loose-leaf or spiral-bound notebooks. Ask your group members to read the Introduction to Pauls Epistles to
Young Churches (page 1483 in the NIV Discovery Study Bible) and the Introduction to Romans. They
should also complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 15 in Study Center 112 in
preparation for the first group session. Encourage them to use their notebooks to record discoveries,
thoughts and any questions they may have.
WITH A NEW GROUP

Eight weeks before the first group session, begin promoting the NIV Discovery Study Bible and the new elective Exploring Pauls 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 signed
up. 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 inexpensive
loose-leaf or spiral-bound notebooks. Ask your group members to read the Introduction to Pauls Epistles to
Young Churches (page 1483 in the NIV Discovery Study Bible) and the Introduction to Romans. They
should also complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 15 in Study Center 112 in
preparation for the first group session. Encourage them to use their notebooks to record discoveries,
thoughts and any questions they may have.

A 13-Week Overview
The NIV Discovery Study Bible contains 20 built-in Study Centers to be used in conjunction with this
Exploring Pauls Letters to the Churches course. You will cover these 20 Study Centers in 13 group sessions. Your group members will complete selected Study Center Assignments before each group session. In
this process they will read Romans through 2 Thessalonians and explore key passages that are essential for
gaining an understanding of critical New Testament teachings. The following chart provides an overview of
the course.

Exploring Pauls Letters to the Churches

LESSON

STUDY CENTER

REFERENCE

FOCUS

111112

Ro 15

Righteousness and Faith

113

Ro 68

Righteous in Fact

114115

Ro 916

Righteousness in Community

116117

1Co 17

Problems, Problems, Problems

118, 120

1Co 810; 1516

Knowledge, Love and Resurrection

119

1Co 1114

Spirituality and Worship

121

2Co 15

New Covenant Ministry

122123

2Co 613

New Covenant Lifestyle

124125

Gal 16

Law Versus Promise

10

126127

Eph 16

Christian Unity

11

128

Php 14

Joy in Difficult Times

12

129

Col 14; Phm

True Christianity

13

130

1Th 15; 2Th 13

What Lies Ahead

LESSON 1
study

enters

111112

Righteousness and Faith

LESSON 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 Pauls 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 111112.
Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 111 and Assignments 15 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Meet and Greet. If the group is new, take a few moments for group members to introduce themselves and
briefly indicate why they elected to take this course.
Option 2
Mini-Lecture. Give your group members an outline of the course (located after Option 3 of Introduce in this
lesson plan). Emphasize the fact that Pauls letters clearly present core Christian teachings in a powerful,
organized form. Romans especially is a closely reasoned theological treatise that explains the nature and
necessity 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 Pauls statements about righteousness and faith
in Romans 15, which they read in preparation for the group session.
Option 3
Summarize. After your mini-lecture stressing the significance of Pauls letters in general and Romans in particular, divide your group members into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to take three minutes to
come up with five statements concerning faith and righteousness. Write each teams statements on the
chalkboard, and leave them there for review later in the group session.

COURSE OVERVIEW
Exploring Pauls Letters to the Churches
LESSON

STUDY CENTER

REFERENCE

FOCUS

111112

Ro 15

Righteousness and Faith

113

Ro 68

Righteous in Fact

114115

Ro 916

Righteousness in Community

116117

1Co 17

Problems, Problems, Problems

118, 120

1Co 810; 1516

Knowledge, Love and Resurrection

119

1Co 1114

Spirituality and Worship

121

2Co 15

New Covenant Ministry

122123

2Co 613

New Covenant Lifestyle

124125

Gal 16

Law Versus Promise

10

126127

Eph 16

Christian Unity

11

128

Php 14

Joy in Difficult Times

12

129

Col 14; Phm

True Christianity

13

130

1Th 15; 2Th 13

What Lies Ahead

Inform
Option 1
Review. Have your group members compare their answers to the questions in Assignments 24 in Study
Center 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 group
members the importance of recording discoveries in their notebooks.
Option 2
Lecture. Talk your group members through Romans 15 by using the following outline. Supplement your
comments with information from the Culture Clues and other features in the NIV Discovery Study Bible.
I. Introduction (1:117)
A. Greeting (1:17)
B. Personal Items (1: 815)
C. Theme Stated (1:1617)
II. Universal Need of Righteousness (1:183:20)
A. Gentiles Need Righteousness (1:1832)
B. Jews Need Righteousness (2:13:8)
C. Scripture Proves All Are Unrighteous (3:920)
III. Gods Gift of Righteousness (3:215:21)
A. Righteousness Provided in Christ (3:2126)
B. Justification by Faith, Not Law (3:2731)
C. Justification by Faith Illustrated (4:125)
1. Abraham and David (4:18)
2. Circumcision (4:912)
3. Inheritance (4:1317)
4. Faith Defined (4:1825)
D. Justification in Christ Assured (5:111)
E. Justification Available Now (5:1221)

Your goal is to make sure that your group members can trace the development of Pauls argument and
the flow of thought in Romans 15.

Interact
Option 1
Key Words Study. There are a number of key words used in Romans and in Pauls other letters that your
group members will need to understand. Let each group member choose one of the following key words
to examine: law, righteous/righteousness, faith, grace, promise, justify. Have those who chose the same
word meet together to look through the various meanings identified in the Key Words Dictionary (located in
the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). They are to determine which meaning or meanings are intended in Romans 15. 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 Key
Words feature (located in the side column of the NIV Discovery Study Bible) enables readers to identify the
meanings of various terms in specific passages.
Your goal is twofold: (1) to make sure your group members understand how Paul is using these key
terms in Romans and (2) to familiarize your group members with the Key Words feature in the NIV Discovery Study Bible.
Option 2
Q & A. There are a number of theologically important themes in Romans 15. As time permits, give your
group members an opportunity to ask questions.

Internalize

(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 comparison, were pretty good after all. But we fail to realize that when it comes to righteousness, the person who
sets the standard is God himself, and God is perfectly righteous. As Romans 3:10 states, There is no one
righteous, not even one. It is at this point that we realize that we desperately need a righteousness we do
not have, and it is at this point that the Good News begins to sink in. God has chosen to give his own righteousness 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 is
saying and, by trusting Gods promise, accept Gods gift of righteousness through Jesus today.

Inspire
Challenge. Let your group members know that this course requires much reading and study. Then promise
them that when they finish this course, they will have a better understanding of Pauls letters to the churches than most Christians have. And they will have a better appreciation of God and how he works in our
lives.

ASSIGNMENT

Review Romans 15 in view of what has been discussed in the group session. Read the Background and
Mastery Keys in Study Center 113. Complete Assignments 13 in Study Center 113. Encourage your
group members to study items of interest using the features built into the NIV Discovery Study Bible.

LESSON 2
study

enter

113

Righteousness in Fact
LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with Romans 68

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 13 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Review. A lot of information was packed into the first group session. Ask your group members if there are
any areas they want to return to or ask questions about.
Option 2
Discuss. Paul said, I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Ro 7:18). How common
do you think this experience is?

Inform
Option 1
Overview. Trace Pauls points in Romans 68 by reviewing the Mastery Keys in Study Center 113. Make
sure your group members have the progression of Pauls thought clearly in mind.
Option 2
Mini-Lecture. Use the following outline to talk your group members through Romans 68. (This outline is
a continuation of the outline begun in Option 2 of Inform in Lesson 1.) It is important for your group members 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 Key
Words Dictionary (see baptize) in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible.
IV. Living a Righteous Life Here and Now (6:18:39)
A. Made Possible by Our Union With Christ (6:114)
B. Realized by Choosing Slavery to Righteousness (6:1423)
C. Required Release From the Law (7:125)
1. Released From the LawLegally (7:13)
2. Release From the Law Is Essential (7:46)
3. The Laws Flaw Is in Us, Not in the Law Itself (7:713)
4. Sins Presence Limits Life Under Law (7:1425)
D. Enabled by the Holy Spirit (8:117)
E. Transformed Completely at Historys End (8:1839)
6

Interact
Option 1
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Your group members are to discuss what they
discovered about the Mosaic Law in completing Assignment 2 in Study Center 113. They should list any
questions they may have.
Option 2
Study Summary. Distribute copies of The Law of Moses and the Christian (located at the end of Inspire in
this lesson plan). Work through it with your group members. If Option 1 (above) was used, ask your group
members if they can now answer the questions their teams raised.

Inspire
Mini-Lecture. Becoming a Christian doesnt mean that we automatically begin to live righteous lives. It
means that God has provided the resources we need for godly living. In Romans 6 Paul said that we
know we are bound to Jesus in an unbreakable union. In this union we died with Christ and were also
raised with him, making Gods own resurrection power available to us. How do we access this power? Paul
tells us in Romans 6.
1. We need to know what God has done for us through our union with Christ (Ro 6:57).
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 please
him. And Gods Spirit will enable us. The key is not to try but to rely. Lets trust God to enable usand live
the righteous lives Christ died to make possible for us!

The Law of Moses and the Christian

In the NT law is sometimes used to mean custom, sometimes natural principles, sometimes the
whole of Gods revelation, and sometimes it means the Mosaic code which regulated the lifestyle of
Israel. In Pauls letters to the Romans and the Galatians he examines Mosaic law and makes many
startling statements. According to the NT, the law of Moses was temporary, limited in its purpose, and
actually stimulated human beings to sin! In effect, the law of Moses condemns us as unrighteous
rather 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 character
of the God who gave it. And we receive a partial explanation of righteousness. (2) Law convicts acts
of sin. When man hears Gods law, the old nature is even stimulated to acts of sin! The great contrast
between what the law says is good and what human beings do is underlined, and thus mankind
stands silent in court, condemned before God. (3) Law is a guide for the believer. Some hold we are
to look to Law and make an effort to keep Gods 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 his
commandmentsor is there some other way?
Paul in Romans and Galatians rejects this third function concept. He teaches that law always
relates to the old nature. In fact law energizes or stirs up that nature. No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:56
says that the power of sin is the law.
What does the Bible put in place of law as the Christians guide to holy living? Jesus said it when
he promised the disciples the Spirit: He, the Spirit of truth, . . . will guide you into all truth (John
16:13). This is the reality Paul turns to in Romans and Galatians. The Holy Spirit energizes the life of
God within us, so that as we live in accordance with the Spirit the righteous requirements of the law
are fully met in us (Romans 8:5).
The Law regulated behavior, but did not change hearts. The Holy Spirit changes hearts, and the
changes 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. But
all too many misunderstand the dynamics of personal relationship with God. Man does not need to
behave righteously; man needs to become righteous. It is not the law written in stone but the law
God is writing on our hearts with which he is concerned (2 Corinthians 3). Laws may tell us how to
behave. But only Gods Spirit can make living the kind of life law describes a spontaneous expression
of a personality that God is reshaping from within.
Adapted from The Illustrated Bible Handbook,
Lawrence O. Richards, Nelson, 1997, p. 617

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 114115. Complete Assignments 1 and 3 in
Study Center 114 and Assignments 13 in Study Center 115. Tell your group members to be prepared
for a quiz on Romans.

LESSON 3
study

enters

114115

Righteousness in Community
LESSON AIMS

To
To
To
To

familiarize group members with Romans 916

demonstrate the consistency of God
develop a portrait of righteousness as expressed in the believing community
encourage acceptance of others in the local church

PREPARATION

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 114115.

Complete Assignments 1 and 3 in Study Center 114 and Assignments 13 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Overview. Give a brief overview of Romans 911, using the Mastery Keys in Study Center 114. This is a
digression from the flow of Pauls argument, but it is an important subject. These chapters demonstrate that
Gods freedom of choice has never been limited by or determined by human beings. In view of this, the
Jews who complained about Pauls teaching regarding law and faith cannot say God is being inconsistent in
choosing to save both Gentiles and Jews by faith. Nor can they say that the gospel conflicts with the promises given to Abraham, for (1) all the physical descendants of Abraham were never included in the promises and (2) God will still keep his promises to Israel at historys end.
Because of time limitations, it is not possible to deal in depth with Romans 911. This session will
focus on the theme of righteousnessmore specifically, how righteousness is to be worked out in the
believing community. You may wish to offer to meet at another time with those group members who are
interested in a further discussion of Romans 911.
Option 2
Quiz. 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.

QUIZ ON ROMANS
True or False
___

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

___

2. Humankinds response to Gods revelation shows that some at least are righteous.

___

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

___

4. The two Old Testament figures who illustrate the truth that God credits righteousness 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 stimulates sin.

___

7. Through the believers union with Jesus, God makes it possible for believers to
resist sins control and make righteous choices.

___

8. The Holy Spirit energizes the new life we have in Christ, making it possible for
us 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 which
Scripture is silent.

Interact
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at an assigned passage
from Romans and answer a related question.
Team(s) 1: Ro 12:121 What relationships in the church make mutual ministry possible?
Team(s) 2: Ro 13:814 How is love expressed in the church?
Team(s) 3: Ro 14:1523 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 the
Mastery Keys in Study Center 115.)

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

Discuss. Ask one or two group members to read their descriptions of an ideal church (Assignment 1 in
Study Center 115). Then invite the group to identify characteristics that must be present if a congregation is
to even begin to reach the ideal. List suggested characteristics on the board, but make sure that each suggestion comes from Pauls discussion of the righteous community in Romans 1216.

1 0

Inform
Case 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 no
one who smoked cigarettes could be involved in any church ministry. One day the pastor ran across Charlie
on a Brooklyn street. Charlie looked stricken and then cupped his hand to hide the burning cigarette hed
been smoking.
Ask your group members to discuss the following questions: What was the impact on Charlie of being
caught smoking by the pastor? What should the pastor have done? Was the church right to establish the
no smoking policy?

Inspire
Option 1
Share. 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 righteousbut God, in his love, has determined to credit righteousness to those who trust him. God also makes
it possible for believers to live righteous lives here and now, and he promises believers total transformation
into completely righteous persons at historys end.
Our response to this good news is to believe that we really have been united to Jesus, so we can not
only be deaf to the urgings of sin within us, but also live righteous lives in service to God. But God does not
leave us alone in this struggle to reject sin and choose his will. Gods plan is to place us in a community of
believers that supports our commitment to righteous living. As we love and serve and accept one another
in this family of faith, we become a righteous community and together display the wonder of Gods transforming 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 we
can become individually and what we can become as a believing community. It presents the ideal and
reminds us that Gods goal is to make that ideal reality.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Introduction to 1 Corinthians and the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 116117.
Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 116 and Assignments 12 in Study Center 117.

1 1

LESSON 4
study

enters

116117

Problems, Problems, Problems

LESSON 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 116117.
Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 116 and Assignments 12 in Study Center 117.
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

Introduce
Option 1
Preview. Review the Introduction to 1 Corinthians. Be sure your group members see the underlying issue of
church 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 17
as they can recall. When the list is as complete as your group members can make it, add matters they have
overlooked (see Inform in this lesson plan). Ask your group members how these issues are connected and
what the underlying issue in Corinth was.

Inform
Mini-Lecture. Briefly identify and comment on the problems that Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians 17. Add
the solutions that he provided. List these on the chalkboard as you teach.
1Co 14

Unity is shattered by
status-seeking believers.

Exalt God, not yourselves.

Stop thinking like mere men.

1Co 5

The church ignores open,

blatant sin.

Exercise church discipline.

1Co 6

Disputes are taken to

pagan law courts.

Settle disputes within the church.

1Co 7

Some advocate divorce

or spiritual marriage.

Maintain marriageand a healthy

sexual relationship.

What about those who

are abandoned?

They are unmarried and free to

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 leaders
doesnt give anyone superior status, and any claim to superiority is absurd in a church that tolerates open
sin! Nor does being judged right by pagans over a financial dispute or rejecting marriage for a more spiritual celibacy make one believer better than another. We are to strive for a unity that can only be achieved
by adopting Gods perspective and exalting him instead of ourselves.

Interact
Group Bible Study. Read 1 Corinthians 14, pausing to let your group members explain the role in Pauls
reasoning of the phrases indicated in Assignment 3 in Study Center 116. Then let volunteers read their oneparagraph summaries of these chapters (Assignment 4 in Study Center 116).

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

Apply. Let each group member choose either (a), (b) or (c) from the situations listed in Assignment 2 in
Study 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 from
1 Corinthians that they applied in coming up with their solution.

Inspire
Challenge. First Corinthians is a family letter. Paul made it clear that God cares about maintaining both the
unity 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 Gods
character in the way we live in the world. It also reminds us that if we want to grow in holiness, we need to
be close to those who are committed to the Lord and to us, not to their own reputations.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 118 and 120. Complete Assignments 12 in
Study Center 118 and Assignments 14 in Study Center 120. Let your group members know you will
study the skipped chapters (Romans 1114) in the Lesson 6.

1 3

LESSON 5
study

enters

118, 120

Knowledge, Love and Resurrection

LESSON AIMS

To
To
To
To

familiarize group members with 1 Corinthians 810; 1516

understand Pauls approach to dealing with conflict over personal convictions
familiarize group members with the Bibles teaching on resurrection
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 12 in Study Center 118 and Assignments 14 in Study Center 120.
Study the Landmark The Resurrection of Believers at 1 Corinthians 15. Be sure to look up the references cited in the article.
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

Introduce
Option 1
React. Write the following statement on the chalkboard and have your group members react to it: If you
must choose between a Christian who knows more about the Bible and a Christian who better expresses
love for others, pick the one who loves!
Option 2
Preview. In this group session we will look at two issues: (1) How do we settle arguments when both sides
argue 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 than
the otherbut dealing with the dispute by arguing about who is right tends to puff up the disputants and
destroy unity. The better approach emphasizes love. We realize that, as human beings, we will always have
limited knowledge, so while we explore our different viewpoints, we continue to affirm our love for each
other. 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 Jesus
received at his resurrection. There is a correspondence of the resurrection body to our present mortal bodies, but that resurrection body, while material, is not limited as our present physical bodies are. This hope of
resurrection, while not stated as clearly in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament, nevertheless
infuses all of Scripture with hope.

Inform
Option 1
Group Bible Study. Guide your group members through 1 Corinthians 810 to be sure they understand
Pauls argument. Briefly, Paul begins by establishing love as the ruling principle to apply in doctrinal disputes (1Co 8:13). He then applies that principle to the dispute about eating meat sacrificed to idols (1Co
8:413). Paul then points out that while believers have a right to do what their consciences permit, sometimes we need to give up our rights out of concern for otherseven as Paul had given up many of his
rights in order to better minister to the young churches (1Co 9:127). Paul then examines the issue doctrinally (1Co 10:111:1). While the gods of the pagans do not exist, demons are behind pagan religions.
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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 pagans dinner party without worrying about the origin of the
main dishunless the host makes a big deal of the food and the partys dedication to a pagan deity. Then
the meat should not be eatenfor the sake of the hosts conscience, not because the meat is somehow
polluted.
Option 2
Report. Invite volunteers to share what they discovered when comparing 1 Corinthians 810 with Romans
14:115:13 (Assignment 2 in Study Center 118).

Interact
Option 1
Team Bible Study. Read the Landmark The Resurrection of Believers at 1 Corinthians 15 as a group. Have
group members read aloud and comment on the verses cited in the article. Then divide into teams. Have
each team list what we know about resurrection.
Option 2
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to take a section of 1 Corinthians
15 and develop a list of true statements about resurrection.
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

1
1
1
1
1

Corinthians
Corinthians
Corinthians
Corinthians
Corinthians

15:111
15:1228
15:2934
15:3549
15:5058

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

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

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

Inspire
Mini-Lecture. Briefly contrast the raising of Lazarus with resurrection. Lazarus was truly dead, but his return
to life was resuscitation, not resurrection. Although he was brought back to mortal life, he would age and
die again.
What God has in store for us is resurrectiona total physical and spiritual transformation. We will be
given resurrection bodies that will never age and never die. What lies ahead for believers is the glorious resurrection that Jesus received. As 1 John 3:2 promises, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 119. Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 119. If you wish to focus on the question of women in the church, have your group members also
look at the following passages: 1 Timothy 2:915; 3:11; 4:7; 5:316; 2 Timothy 3:67.

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LESSON 6
study

enter

119

Spirituality and Worship

LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with the issues dealt with in 1 Corinthians 1114
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 14 in Study Center 119.
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

Introduce
Option 1
Identify. Divide into mini-teams of three persons. Each person is to take no more than two minutes to tell
his or her teammates about the most spiritual person he or she knows. This should be done in a way that
will 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 described
were men? How many were women? (2) How many were professional Christians? How many were lay
persons? (3) How many had some notable spiritual gift (identify the gift if possible)? How many did not
have a notable spiritual gift?
Leave this information on the chalkboard.
Option 2
Brainstorm. 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.

Inform
Overview. The competition for status in the church at Corinth even showed up when the believers met for
worship. Some women asserted their new right to participate in congregational worship by rejecting traditional female dress. Some of the well-to-do church members turned the Lords Supper into a banquet during which they could assert cultural and financial superiority over poorer members of the church. Some
claimed superiority on the basis of their possession of a more spectacular spiritual gift. Others simply tried
to push themselves forward during worship, disrupting the churchs gatherings. They interrupted speakers,
shouted out foolish questions and generally caused chaos.
In 1 Corinthians 1114 Paul deals with the worship-linked problems of the Corinthians, and in the
process, he helps us think more clearly about such issues as the mark of true spirituality and the role of
women 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.)

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Interact
Option 1
Team 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 1214:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What
What
What
What

did the Corinthians take as evidence of spiritual superiority?

was wrong with their view?
actually is a valid indicator of spirituality?
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 2
Team Bible Study. Have teams examine critical New Testament passages on the role of women in the
church. Assign the following passages to teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look carefully at the
passage assigned and the accompanying information in the NIV Discovery Study Bible and summarize what
the passage indicates about women in the church.
Team(s) 1: 1 Corinthians 11
Team(s) 2: 1 Corinthians 14
Team(s) 3: 1 Timothy 2:915
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.

Inspire
Challenge. If we are truly to have unity in any congregation of believers, Christians must first utterly abandon any claim to personal superiority over other believers. We may have obvious spiritual giftsbut that
does not make us spiritually superior to others. Nor does gender confer superiority. In Christ both men and
women are vital parts of the Christian community, and they are both provided with spiritual gifts that are to
be used in ministry to others. When we rank fellow believers by such things as gifts or gender, we fall into
serious 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 spiritualitya measure of how mature a believer is or how closely he or
she is connected to the Lordthe one measure we should use is affirmed in 1 Corinthians 13. And if we
want to excel as Christians, we can do so by focusing our every effort on loving God and loving others. That
is something that each one of us can do. We dont have to be a theologian to love. We dont have to be a
powerful speaker or have a great singing voice to love. We dont have to be male to excel in loving others.
Love is a gift anyone can give.
So lets forget every claim we may have to spiritual superiority, and lets follow Scriptures most excellent way (1Co 12:31). Lets concentrate on love.

ASSIGNMENT

Complete the Self-Tests for Study Centers 116120 (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study
Bible). Read the Introduction to 2 Corinthians and the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center
121. Complete Assignments 15 in Study Center 121.

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LESSON 7
study

enter

121

New Covenant Ministry

LESSON AIMS

To
To
To
To

familiarize group members with 2 Corinthians 15

understand the significance of the new covenant
familiarize group members with new covenant ministry principles
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 15 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.

Introduce
Option 1
React. Write the following statement on the chalkboard: Id be afraid that people wouldnt like me if I said
what I really feel or think. Ask your group members the first thing that comes to mind when they read this
statement. Ask them to speculate on how common they think this attitude is and why people might feel
this way.
Option 2
Discuss. What is the hardest thing about raising children today? What are some of the fears parents have for
their children?

Inform
Mini-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 statement by God of what he firmly intends to do.
The first of the Biblical covenants is found in Genesis 12. Genesis 12:13 records promises God made
to Abraham, including promises to bless Abrahams descendants and promises to bless all humankind
through Abrahams descendants. God did watch over Abrahams descendants, the Jewish people. And
through the Jews, God gave all of us the Scriptures and Jesus, our Savior. But the promises in Biblical
covenants ultimately look ahead to historys end, the time when they will be completely fulfilled. God blesses his people along the way, but it is only when we reach the end of the journey that the complete and full
blessings 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 of
Moses. It, too, is a statement of what God firmly intends to do. But it is different from the Abrahamic
covenant. The law covenant told each generation of Jews how they must live to gain Gods blessing during
their lifetime. If a particular generation remained faithful to the Lord and kept Gods law, he would bless
them. If they were unfaithful and violated Gods law, he would discipline them. The law covenant wasnt
related to what would happen at historys end.

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The problem with the law covenant was that while it spelled out a godly way of life, it did not change
the hearts of Gods people. So, through Jeremiah, God promised that one day he would make a new
covenant with the house of Israel (Jer 31:31) that was not like the law covenant. Instead of writing the
law on stone tablets, as he did when the new covenant was instituted, God would begin to write on the
hearts of believers. There would not only be full and complete forgiveness, but there would also be an
inner transformation.
(At this point, direct your group members to Jeremiah 31:3334. Read it aloud and then read the
Landmark 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 understanding of how the new covenant shaped not only his attitude toward believers, but also his approach to
ministry.

Interact
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Give each team a passage to read and questions
to 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 1:311; 2:14. How does Paul model openness and honesty in relationships? What in the situation might make most people hesitate
to be so open? What ministry principle in 2 Corinthians 1:4 requires the kind
of openness that Paul displayed? Can you give examples of the effectiveness
of that ministry principle from your own experience?
Team(s) 2: Study 2 Corinthians 3:718. What happened to Moses face when he spoke
with God (see Exodus 34:2835)? What reason does Paul give for Moses putting on the veil? In what way are Christians not to be like Moses? Why does
this take boldness? What is the significance of the contrast between Moses
fading splendor (2Co 3:13) and our progressive transformation with everincreasing glory (2Co 3:18) by the Holy Spirit? What ministry principle is
expressed here? Can you give examples of its effectiveness from your own
experience?
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, persons with weaknesses. Second, people see the reality of Jesus in what he is doing to transform us, and this
is impossible if we hide our weaknesses and flaws.

Inspire
Mini-Lecture. Close with a word of hope from 2 Corinthians 4:1,18; 5:1421.
Paul was writing to the Corinthians, the problem church of the first century. Not only was the church
riddled 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. Only
unseen realities are changeless and eternal. Immaturitylike the behaviors Paul saw in the Corinthians and
like the flaws we see in ourselves and in our children that trouble us so greatlybelongs to the temporary
and 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 is
stated in 2 Corinthians 5:15. Jesus died that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for
him who died for them and was raised again. Christ died to transform those who have been given life in
him.
Paul was convinced that this transformation is not only possible, but it is certain. Anyone who is in
Christ is a new creation (2Co 5:17). Totally new spiritual principles are at work in the believer. And
because 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. Sometimes we are almost ready to give up hope. But Paul understood the new covenant and the transformation

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

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

Apply. Have each group member pick one relationship to which he or she can apply Pauls positive attitude
toward fellow believers despite their disappointing behavior. The relationship could be with a spouse, with
children, with a Christian friend, with your church, etc. Divide group members into teams based on the relationship they chose to concentrate on. Have them encourage each other to have and express positive
expectations.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 122123. Complete Assignments 14 in Study
Center 122 and Assignments 13 in Study Center 123.

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LESSON 8
study

enters

122123

New Covenant Lifestyle

LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with 2 Corinthians 613

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 122123.

Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 122 and Assignments 13 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Share. Invite group members to share the most interesting thing they discovered in completing the assignment for this weeks lesson. Then invite them to share the most important thing they discovered.
Option 2
Quiz. 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 the
answers briefly.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What does it mean to be unequally yoked?

What is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?
For what purpose did God grant Paul his authority?
Why didnt God remove Pauls thorn in the flesh?
What is the secret power underlying spiritual authority?

Inform
Background. The Old Testament called for a tithe of ten percent of all produce of the land and of domesticated animals. The tithe was considered rent paid to God as the owner of the land he had given to his
people. The tithe was used to support the Levites and priests who served God at the tabernacle and later
the 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 the
temple and its ministries came from the sacrifices and the freewill offerings made by Gods people.
In 2 Corinthians 89 the apostle Paul develops principles that are to guide Christian giving. He does
not call for a tithe here, nor does he do so in any of his other letters. While some Christians still use the ten
percent figure as a guide for giving, we are not to ignore the guidelines that Paul lays down for new
covenant believers.
(For background, study Lev 27:3033; Dt 12:7; 14:2229; 26:12.)

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Interact
Option 1
Team Bible Study. Divide your group members into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to study
2 Corinthians 89 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 2
Compare. Divide your group members into teams of five or six persons to compare the papers written for
Assignment 4 in Study Center 122. Group members are to critique each others papers and then summarize what they have discovered by agreeing on the principles that are to guide new covenant giving.

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

Discuss. Lead your group members in a discussion of Christian giving. Some of the questions you might
raise 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 allocation of funds change?
4. How might adopting New Testament principles of giving affect your own giving?
After the discussion, close with silent prayer.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 124125. Complete Assignments 13 in Study
Center 124 and Assignments 1, 3 and 4 in Study Center 125.

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LESSON 9
study

enters

124125

Law Versus Promise

LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with Pauls 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 124125.
Complete Assignments 13 in Study Center 124 and Assignments 14 in Study Center 125.
Review Lesson 2 of this Leaders Guide (covering Study Center 113).
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

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

Inform
Mini-Lecture Overview. Both Galatians and Romans are concerned with present-tense salvation. They
answer the question, How can a believer be delivered from the power of sin and enabled to live a Godhonoring, holy life here and now? The Galatians knew that past-tense salvationforgiveness for sins and
acceptance into Gods familywas theirs by faith alone. Their problem was that after being saved (past
tense), they were relying on their own efforts to keep Gods law. Paul calls this foolish (Gal 3:1,3). If the
try-harder approach to getting saved didnt work, why adopt the same, failed, try-harder approach to Christian living?
Pauls letter to the Galatians makes two vitally important points. First, the law was never able to produce righteousness. The law was temporary and severely limited in what it could do. It was never intended
to produce righteousness. Second, a principle that Paul called promise is able to produce righteous people. Under promise God provides sonship, forgiveness and his Holy Spirit. Believers simply look to, and rely
on, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces a change in character, so that believers become genuinely
good persons and gladly choose Gods will. Pauls letter makes it clear that a believer cannot adopt both
the try-harder approach to Christian living and the rely-fully approach. These two approaches are mutually
exclusive. Believers must choose between the two.
This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote of being alienated from Christ (Gal 5:4). Jesus
cant make a practical difference in a believers life as long as the believer is looking to the law and trying
harder to be righteous. This is also what Paul was getting at when he described Christian character and
then stated that against such things there is no law (Gal 5:23). The truly good person doesnt need the
law 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

Interact
Option 1
Pick-a-Verse. Invite each group member to select a single verse from Galatians that they believe supports
one of the points made in the mini-lecture (see Inform). Have each group member quote the verse he or
she chose, explain the point the verse makes, and tell how it relates to the basic message of Galatians.
Option 2
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at their assigned passage
from 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)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Galatians
Galatians
Galatians
Galatians
Galatians

3:15
3:1014
3:1722
5:26
5:1326

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

Inspire
Mini-Lecture. In reviewing Galatians, we left out one important passage: Galatians 3:264:7. This passage
contains 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 childeven though he might one
day inherit his fathers estatelived 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 comes
freedom from subjection to the slave (the law). As adult sons, believers have direct access to God the
Father, in a relationship so close and intimate that believers are free to address him as Abba (Daddy).
Whats more, as acknowledged heirs, believers no longer have to depend only on their own limited
resources. 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 heavenly
Father, he will infuse us with his strength and enable us to do what is right and good. All we need to do is
claim his promise, trust him and step out in faith to do his will.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Centers 126127. Complete Assignments 15 in Study
Center 126 and Assignments 23 in Study Center 127.

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LESSON 10
study

enters

126127

Christian Unity
LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with Pauls 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 126127.
Complete Assignments 15 in Study Center 126 and Assignments 23 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Brainstorm. What visible indications of unity might we expect to see in a local church?
Option 2
Report. Ask half of the group to select a vice from Ephesians 4:120 and tell how it might disrupt Christian
unity. Ask the other half of the group to select a virtue from the same passage and tell how it might promote Christian unity. (See Assignment 2 in Study Center 127.)

Inform
Option 1
Mini-Lecture. Ephesians presents the church as a single, living organism in which Christ is the head and
believers make up the body. Pauls letter to the Ephesians carefully explains what God has done to make
this possible. Ephesians shows how each person of the Trinity has been involved in our salvation, and it
describes the raw materialsinful human beingsfrom which God has created this one body. Despite the
tensions between Jew and Gentile, between male and female, between members of different social classes, 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 teaching
practical principles for maintaining unityin our churches and in our homes.
The Assignments in Study Center 126 helped group members discover the basis for Christian unity. If
group members have questions about something in Ephesians 13, provide brief, succinct answers; however, this group session will focus primarily on Ephesians 46 and on how believers maintain unity.
Option 2
Talk-Through. Discuss the Landmark The Church at Ephesians 2 and briefly comment on passages referenced there.

2 5

Interact
Option 1
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to study the assigned passage and
answer the related questions. Then each team will report its findings to the group.
Team(s) 1: Study Ephesians 4:116. What basic attitude is necessary to keep the unity of
the Spirit (Eph 4:3)? What is the basis for Christian unity? What is Gods goal
for all Christians? Why is it essential that Christians live and function as one
body?
Team(s) 2: Study Ephesians 4:1724. Why must Christians adopt a totally new way of
thinking 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 4:255:2. What practices are not appropriate for those who
are members of one body (Eph 4:25)? What negative impact might these
inappropriate practices have on unity? What behaviors are appropriate for
those who are members of one body? How would these appropriate behaviors promote unity?
Team(s) 4: Study Ephesians 5:320. What practices are not appropriate for those who are
members of one body? What negative impact might these inappropriate
practices have on unity? What behaviors are appropriate for those who are
members of one body? How would these appropriate behaviors promote
unity?
Be prepared to supplement each teams comments when they give their reports.
Option 2
Group Bible Study. Work through Assignments 2, 3 and 5 in Study Center 126 and Assignments 23 in
Study Center 127, discussing what your group members discovered as they completed the Assignments in
preparation for the group session.

Inspire
Remarks. Point out that one of Satans priorities is to distort and destroy the unity that is to mark the Christian community. In response, God has provided us with armor similar to that worn by a Roman infantryman. Ephesians 6 reviews what Paul taught in Ephesians by picturing various truths as parts of the
infantrymans equipment.
Go through Ephesians 6:1018, discussing the importance of each piece of armor in resisting Satans
attempts to destroy our unity. Also read the Closer Look The Armor of God at Ephesians 6:1018.
Close in prayer

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Introduction to Philippians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 128. Complete Assignments 14 in Study Center 128. Quickly review Study Centers 111127 to recall the major
themes 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 Study
Bible. Ask if your group members are interested in following up this course with one of the other seven
courses.

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LESSON 11
study

enter

128

Joy in Difficult Times

LESSON AIMS

To familiarize group members with Pauls 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 14 in Study Center 128.
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

Introduce
Option 1
Discuss. What are the major differences between happiness and the joy described in Pauls letter to the
Philippians? List your group members ideas on the chalkboard.
Option 2
Quiz. Have your group members number a sheet of paper from one to ten. Read your group members the
following questions, and have them write down their answers. Allow no more that ten seconds between
questions. When they have completed the quiz, let volunteers give the answers. (The answers appear in
brackets.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What is the theme of Romans? [righteousness]

What book develops a new covenant theology of giving? [2 Corinthians]
What book contains a chapter dedicated to resurrection? [1 Corinthians]
What book is most like the book of Romans in its content? [Galatians]
What is the theme of Ephesians? [the unity of the body of Christ]
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]

Inform
Talk-Through. The incarnation is an essential Christian doctrine. Discuss the Landmark The Incarnation at
Philippians 2. Look up and read the passages referred to in the article. Be sure your group members understand this fundamental doctrine of our faith.

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Interact
Team 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 Paul
in that chapter. Each team is to prepare a report on how each source of joy can be accessed by Christians
today. Teams will give their reports to the group. (See Assignment 2 in Study Center 128.)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)
Team(s)

Internalize

1:
2:
3:
4:

Philippians
Philippians
Philippians
Philippians

1
2
3
4

(OPTIONAL)

Share. Paul drew a practical lesson from Christs incarnation and applied it to himself and to the Philippians
(Php 2:111,2126). Invite group members to share how they apply this lesson in their daily life (Assignment 3 in Study Center 128).

Inspire
Share. Give your group members a few moments to meditate on Philippians 4:8. Then invite group members to share how focusing on such things might strengthen them in their daily Christian life (Assignment
4 in Study Center 128). Close in prayer.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Introduction to Colossians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center 129. Complete Assignments 15 in Study Center 129. As review, take the Self-Tests for Romans through Philippians (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible).

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LESSON 12
study

enter

129

True Christianity
LESSON AIMS

To
To
To
To

familiarize group members with Colossians and Philemon

distinguish central teachings that mark true Christianity
better appreciate the significance of Christs death for us
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 15 in Study Center 129.
Develop a ten-item quiz by using the Self-Tests for Romans through Philippians. (Self-Tests for Study
Centers 111128 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.

Introduce
Option 1
Quiz. Give your group members a quick, ten-item quiz. Develop the quiz from the Self-Tests on Romans, 1
Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians (Self-Tests for Study Centers 111128 are
located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). Design the questions so they can be answered with
one or two words. After the group members have completed the quiz, let volunteers answer the questions.
Option 2
Brainstorm. Colossians is a Christological (about Christ) epistle. What are some of the things we learn
about Christ in this book? List your group members suggestions on the chalkboard without commenting on
them. Then move on to the next activity.

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

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Gnosticism
Most scholars believe the church at Colosse was being corrupted by teachings that later were organized into a religious system called Gnosticism. The developed theology of Gnosticism incorporates the
following concepts, countered in Pauls letter.
What is God like? The Gnostics were dualists. They saw all things in terms of two contrasting principles. On the one side was good, which they associated with the spiritual and the immaterial. On the
other 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 contact! The material universe was an accident or, at worst, the error made by the lowest of a long series
of supernatural beingsintermediary angelsranked 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 human
flesh? Unthinkable! Christ must be a lower angel or perhaps an appearancea shadow cast by God
on a screen. But never God in human form!
It was also unthinkable that God might wish to be involved in believers lives. The Gnostics saw
human beings as trapped, as sparks of the divine held captive in fleshly prisons. Salvation meant
release from bondage to all that was material, including our own bodies. This ruled out bodily resurrection. To the Gnostic the very notion was horrible.
How do humans approach God? The Gnostic saw God as remote and inaccessible. God might be
approached 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 material
universe, Christ must rank very low in the chain of intermediary angels. Here is a partial explanation of
Pauls reference to the worship of angels (Col. 2:18): people were striving to gain the attention and
support of these beings who formed a chain leading to God. These powerful spirits should be placated, the Gnostics taught, for human destiny lay in their hands, not in Gods.
How do we humans find fulfillment? The Gnostics saw spirituality as something internal, divorced
from life in the world. Some believed that what they did in the body was irrelevant. The body was
material and thus evil, and so indulgence in sins of the flesh was simply to be expected and had no
impact on the spark of the spirituality within. Others stressed asceticism and rigid regulations. They
attempted to discipline the flesh and abstain from fleshly desires as a means of strengthening the
spiritual. But neither the ascetic nor the licentious believed that what they did in daily life had a significant impact on spirituality.
Pauls letter to the Colossians confronts these ideas directly. Jesus truly is God come into the
material universe to live among us as a real human being. He is the Creator of the universe; he is not
repelled by it. Whats more, it was Jesus death in his human body that reconciles us to God and
brings us into a personal relationship with him. We are now called to live out Christs life in this world,
displaying his character in the way we live our daily lives. In making these and other points, the Apostle Paul clearly presents true Christianity in contrast to the false notions not only of the Gnostics but of
others 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 crossand a clear picture of how we are to
live our Christian lives in this world.
Adapted from The Leaders Commentary, by
Larry Richards, published by Chariot-Victor

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Interact
Team Bible Study. Divide into teams of five or six persons. Each team is to look at a chapter of Colossians
and 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 1
Team(s) 2: Colossians 2
Team(s) 3: Colossians 3
You will want to complete this study yourself before the group session, so you are prepared to supplement what your group members discover.

Inspire
Unison Reading. Close by reading Colossians 3:1516 in unison.

ASSIGNMENT

Read the Introduction to 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Read the Background and Mastery Keys in Study Center
130. Complete Assignments 13 in Study Center 130. Take the Self-Tests covering the Letters of Paul to
the Churches (i.e., Self-Tests for Study Centers 111130, located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study
Bible).

3 1

LESSON 13
study

enter

130

What Lies Ahead

LESSON AIMS

To
To
To
To

familiarize group members with 1 and 2 Thessalonians

develop a portrait of ideal ministry relationships
understand the present impact of prophetic passages
review Pauls letters to the churches

PREPARATION

Answer the questions to the Unit Self-Test on Pauls 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 13 in Study Center 130.
Develop your own lesson plan by selecting from the options below.
Pray daily for your group members.

Introduce
Option 1
React. Ask your group members to share the most interesting or valuable thing they read in either 1 or
2 Thessalonians and explain why it was interesting or valuable.
Option 2
Review. Review the Unit Self-Test on Pauls Letters to the Churches (located in the back of the NIV Discovery Study Bible). Let volunteers answer the questions and, if necessary, let your group members correct
each other.

Inform
Preview. Pauls letters to the Thessalonians make two major contributions. First, in his first letter, Pauls
description of his time with the Thessalonians provides an important reminder that effective ministry takes
place in the context of close and loving personal relationships. Second, these letters remind us that the Old
and New Testaments are in essential harmony concerning their view of the future, even though the Old and
New Testaments emphasize different aspects of Gods plan. The prophetic passages in these two books
also remind us of another important truth: God does not provide information about the future so we can
develop charts placing each event in sequence. When Scripture gives us a window into the future, it does
so in order that we may reshape our attitudes and behaviors in view of the reality portrayed. When God
speaks of tomorrow, it is to affect believers today.
Your group members may have questions about the prophetic passages in 2 Thessalonians. Be ready
to refer to the various features in the NIV Discovery Study Bible to help them answer their questions.

Interact
Option 1
Report. Ask two volunteers to read their descriptions of the ideal pastor (Assignment 2 in Study Center
130). Then look together at Pauls description of his time in Thessalonica (1Th 2:112). What characterized
Pauls ministry? What principles of ministry can we develop from this passage? List your group members
ideas on the chalkboard.
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Option 2
Team Bible Study. Divide into groups of five or six persons. Give each group one of the following passages
to study. Each group is to describe the impact its snapshot of the future is to have on believers today. How
will an understanding of this aspect of what God intends to do in the future impact Christians during their
lives here and now?
Team(s) 1: 1 Thessalonians 4:135:3
Team(s) 2: 2 Thessalonians 1:712
Team(s) 3: 2 Thessalonians 3:112
Have teams report their insights to the group.

Internalize

(OPTIONAL)

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

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