Guidelines for this study
Focus: The role of the Church through which God’s wisdom is made known even to spiritual powers in the heavenly realms.
In reading Ephesians 3: 7-13, pay attention to Paul’s responsibility to preach the good news about Christ to the Gentiles. Paul encourages believers not to lose heart because of his sufferings, since they are for their benefit.
General guidelines
- Read the passage: Read the passage together before giving too much explanation. Let the group hear and encounter the text for themselves first.
Where helpful, move from the bigger picture to the details: the wider context, the chapter, and then the specific verses. - Observe and reflect: Invite the group to share what stood out to them, what they noticed, or what struck them personally.
This is an open and non-threatening way to help people engage with the text. It also helps you see what the group is noticing and feeling before moving into deeper discussion. - Discuss the passage: Guide the group with thoughtful questions so they can understand the passage more clearly and deeply.
Use different kinds of questions:
- questions that help them observe what is in the text
- questions that probe meaning more deeply
- questions that clarify confusion or sharpen understanding
Your role is to help participants discover truth from Scripture, not only to tell them the answers. This is where the main lessons and principles of the passage are drawn out.
