Paul's Prison Epistles

Thank you for leading a small group study! At Thirdmill we produce teaching materials to help church leaders study and teach the Bible more deeply. We are grateful you have chosen to let us accompany you as you grow in your knowledge and application of the Scriptures. With this 10-week study, you will lead participants through the series Paul’s Prison Epistles. Together you will explore the background to Paul’s imprisonment and the theological unity of the letters he wrote from prison to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. Our hope is that along the way, you find encouragement in Paul’s perseverance in the face of injustice and suffering and delight in the rich theology preserved for us in these letters. This study is designed to build community and foster learning in a group setting like a Bible study or adult Sunday school. It can be done online or in person. Each session is expected to take about 60 minutes. The lesson includes approximate times for each section to help you guide your group through the material within that time frame. However, feel free to adapt the timing to your circumstances and the needs of your group. Read – Each session includes several chapters of recommended reading from Paul’s writings and the story of his life and ministry as recorded in the book of Acts. We encourage you to ground the lesson in this primary source material by reading these chapters yourself and by encouraging the participants to read them as well. Connect – Each session begins with some introductory comments and a reflection question (or questions). These questions help participants get to know each other as they share about non-threatening areas of their lives. Once a person speaks in a small group setting, they are much more likely to participate in a more personal discussion later. We recommend that you give participants a short time to write an answer to the question on their handout, and then invite each participant to briefly answer the question out loud. If your group is large, you can have them answer in one sentence without an explanation, or you can divide the group into pairs or threes. If your group is online, participants can write their answers in the chat box. Watch – Each session includes a 15-20-minute video. To help participants get the most out of the video, please print and distribute copies of the handout for them to fill in as they watch the video. A link to the handout can be found at the end of each session. We recommend that you, as the group leader, watch the video and fill in the answers before the session. You do not need to review the answers with the group; however, be prepared to provide any answers participants may have missed. (Note: To keep the videos under 20 minutes, some content from the original videos has been removed. If anyone wants to experience the full-length videos, they can find them along with other resources, including manuscripts and a forum where experts answer questions raised by the lesson, on the series page Paul’s Prison Epistles.) Discuss – Each session includes a series of questions related to the content of the video. While facilitating this section, you should make it a priority to rein in participants who might try to dominate the time, as well as to draw out participants who are quieter and slower to respond. Apply – Each session invites participants to engage more deeply with themes from the lesson, often drawn from parts of the video not included in the “Watch” section. Please give equal, if not more, time to this section than to the “Discuss” section. Challenge – Each session finishes with questions to prompt personal application of the content. Give time for participants to consider their answers and write them on the handout. Then give time for several people to share what they have written for one or two of the questions. We recommend that you always hear several brief answers about what has encouraged and what has challenged the group. Do not require people to share answers that require vulnerability, but model transparency yourself. Hopefully, as the study progresses, trust will grow among the participants, and they will become a community of true fellowship. May God use your investment in this study to help you and your community grow in your appreciation of Jesus’ redemptive work and in your participation in his kingdom.