Suggestions for leading a study:

• Familiarize yourself with the passage in context, including the book itself.  Who wrote it to whom, and why?
• Read through the study guide a couple times to get the “big idea” as well as the flow of the argument
• Have the group read through the passage in it’s entirety before beginning the study.  One of the goals is to try to get your members to learn how to study Scripture methodically, and this is an important step.
• Be prayed up
• Have fun!
  

Body Behavior

         
¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Discussion Questions

-How does verse 12 describe us? 

-Why do you think being chosen and loved by God is important to being able to exhibit the character traits described in verse 12?

-Which of the traits described in verse 12 are the most difficult for you to display?  Could remembering how secure we are in God’s love help?

-Verse 13 talks about forgiveness.  What is the example we should follow in regards to our willingness to forgive each other?  What do you think that means in regards to how we offer forgiveness?

-Verse 14 tells us that that all these virtues should be in unity.  Why is it important that all of these are working together in our relationships?  How is it that love (agape: an intentional willingness to sacrifice for others) can help accomplish this?

-According to verse 15, where should the peace of Christ rule?  How does that effect peace within the body (the church)?  How can we have that kind of peace?

-In verse 16 Paul tells us that the word of Christ can dwell in us richly through two major activities in the church.  What are they? How do you think that both are important in “internalizing” the word?

-In verse 17, what is the attitude that should effect all of the things that we do?  Where does it show up in verses 15 and 16? 

Leaders' Guide

This is a lesson from a powerful section of Scripture describing some of the ways that we should behave toward each other in the church (and often times don’t).

-How does verse 12 describe us? 

            There are two primary things:  chosen, and dearly loved.  Both of these speak to a sense of ultimate security in regards to our relationship to God.  He picked us and isn’t about to throw us back because his love for us is complete and intense. 

-Why do you think being chosen and loved by God is important to being able to exhibit the character traits described in verse 12?

            Under almost all circumstances, an inability to treat other people in the ways that this verse describes stem from a sense of insecurity or not feeling loved ourselves.  Regardless of how others may have treated us in the past, God offers us what is necessary in order to be able to treat people in these kinds of ways.

-Which of the traits described in verse 12 are the most difficult for you to display?  Could remembering how secure we are in God’s love help?

            Just a practical application question in regards to these five traits.  Everyone should be able to find in this list something that they struggle with in how they treat others.  If we are able to grasp how secure we are in being chosen by God and how completely loved we are by the one who created us, we should be able to make inroads in dealing with these issues.

-Verse 13 talks about forgiveness.  What is the example we should follow in regards to our willingness to forgive each other?  What do you think that means in regards to how we offer forgiveness?

            This says that we should forgive as the Lord forgave us.  That kind of forgiveness is complete and unconditional, and displayed in ways that cannot be ignored or misconstrued: he hung on a cross for us.  Keep in mind that this does not automatically mean restoration of relationship.  God offers us forgiveness unconditionally, but to restore our relationship to him we have to be willing to repent and live according to his will.  If someone in your group wonders if this requires them to return to unsafe relationships without a change on someone else’s part, assure them of the contrary.  This is about our own hearts, and being able to forgive like this will truly set us free, regardless of the reaction of the other party in a conflict.

-Verse 14 tells us that that all these virtues should be in unity.  Why is it important that all of these are working together in our relationships?  How is it that love (agape: an intentional willingness to sacrifice for others) can help accomplish this?

            If you take any of these out of the “mix” of how you behave, it will tend to compromise the effectiveness of all of them.  Forgiveness without patience, patience without kindness, etc. etc. just doesn’t work.  This isn’t about choosing one of these to get right before we start working on another.  The key to accomplishing this is love as it is described.  This kind of love is not a warm fuzzy feeling.  It is an intentional choice to put the welfare of others ahead of your own.  We need to always be training ourselves to think this way in order to grow in our ability to treat each other in the ways that this section describes.

-According to verse 15, where should the peace of Christ rule?  How does that effect peace within the body (the church)?  How can we have that kind of peace?

            This verse tells us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, but then applies that to the body, or the relationships we have within the church.  Unless it begins within us, any attempts at living at peace with each other will be contrived and superficial, and ultimately fail as the negative emotions inside of us inevitably find their way into our behavior.  How we find that kind of peace is, of course, be developing a deep relationship to God and allowing his Spirit to transform us.  Prayer, the Word, meditation, and all the rest of the inner disciplines are essential to this.  It won’t just happen.  We have to daily give ourselves over to the rule of Christ in our hearts.

-In verse 16 Paul tells us that the word of Christ can dwell in us richly through two major activities in the church.  What are they? How do you think that both are important in “internalizing” the word?

            The two major activities mentioned are teaching and singing.  Throughout church history these two have always been together in our gatherings.  To express the truths of the faith and our devotion to God in song brings along the emotional and expressive parts of us that help to cement the word of God inside of us.  Getting the word of God to “dwell in us richly” is more than just an intellectual exercise.  We take the whole of who we are and express it together in community through song in order to really make that happen.

-In verse 17, what is the attitude that should effect all of the things that we do?  Where does it show up in verses 15 and 16? 

            The attitude is one of giving thanks.  Verse 15 says in regards to living at peace with each other, “and be thankful.”  Verse 16 tells us to sing “with gratitude in our hearts to God.”  Obviously, this should permeate our gatherings together.

-Why do you think Paul puts such an emphasis on an attitude of thanksgiving in regards to the things we do together as a church?