What to do with Ephesians

Tonight, I chose the book my small group will be covering: Ephesians. With a high view of the church and a structure matching that of Colossians, this text encapsulates the whole of Pauline literature and offers a plethora of academic discussions.

Yup, it's a book we can argue about for 10 weeks easy.

But that's not really the point of a small group, is it? While the text provides a central core, a focus point, the group's life and purpose moves beyond that. For a group exists, not to answers theological and philosophical questions, but to enrich the spiritual lives of its members.

The Word of God is not meant to be studied only. It's meant to change and shape us, until the written word becomes the living word, until the living Word enters and transforms our lives. Thus, in life, the written scripture is the guiding line we follow, but is not an end in itself. For the group it must be the same: the written Scripture draws us together, gives us a focus and center point, but is meant to be lived in our group life and spread from there outward to our individual daily lives.

So, while the group may be studying Ephesians, I suspect we won't be discussing the merits of a 60's or 90's dating. I'll save those discussions for Soul Theology. But the group, we'll see if we can't learn to live it, just a little.