Discussion starters, Revelation 2-3
This entry is part 43 of 43 in the series: Discussion Starters
- Discussion Starters, Gen 3
- Discussion starters – Exodus 3 & 4
- Discussion starters – Exodus 11 & 12
- Discussion starters – the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-21
- Discussion starters, Joshua 1-6
- Discussion starters – Judges 6-8
- Discussion starters, 1 Samuel 1-15
- Discussion Starters, 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 24
- Discussion starters – 1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 2
- Discussion starters, Ruth
- Discussion starters, Daniel 1-6
- Discussion Starters, Mt 1:1-17
- Discussion Starters, Mt 5:1-12, Lk 6:20-26
- Discussion Starters, Matt 5:13-16, 21-26 & 38-48
- Discussion starters, Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:1-13
- Discussion starters, Matt 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25
- Discussion Starters, Matt 12:1-21, Mk 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11
- Discussion Starters, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26
- Discussion Starters, Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:1-13
- Discussion Starters, Mk 11:1-11; Mt 21:1-11
- Discussion Starters, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26
- Discussion Starters, Lk 2:1-21
- Discussion starters, Lk 2:41-52
- Discussion starters, Lk 7:18-35
- Discussion Starters, Lk 10:25-37
- Discussion Starters, Lk 22:39-23:55
- Discussion Starters, Luke 24:36-49
- Discussion Starters, Lk 24:50-52; Acts 1:6-11
- Discussion Starters, John 2:1-11
- Discussion starters, Jn 6:28-58; 8:12-20
- Discussion Starters, Jn 13:1-17; Lk 22:7-23
- Discussion starters, Jn 20:1-18
- Discussion starters, Jn 20:19-31
- Discussion starters, Acts 3:1-10
- Discussion starters, Acts 3 – 4:31
- Discussion starters, Acts 8:26-40
- Discussion Starters, Acts 9:1-19a
- Discussion starters, Acts 18:1-28
- Discussion starters, Paul’s epistles
- Discussion Starters, Gal 1:13-22
- Discussion starters, Ephesians 3:1-13
- Discussion starters, Phil 2:19-30
- Discussion starters, Revelation 2-3
I’m sure you won’t want to plough through all these questions! But I hope they stimulate you to think of the kinds of things it might be helpful for your group to discuss.
1. Looking at the passage as a whole
Each of the seven letters follows a rough pattern. Can you spot the six or so elements that recur in most of the letters?
Can you see any indications within the passage that these letters were intended to be read and taken to heart by all churches, and not just by those to whom they were originally addressed?
Each letter begins with a description of Christ. Can you see how these descriptions link back to chapter 1? What do they tell us about Jesus?
Are there any words and phrases that repeatedly crop up in these letters?
What visual images stand out in these letters?
2. Looking at the individual letters
You might divide your group into twos and threes. Ask each ‘mini-group’ to ‘adopt’ a different church, and do a SWOT analysis on it (standing for ‘strengths’, ‘weaknesses’, ‘opportunities’, and ‘threats’).
Can you summarise the Lord’s instruction to each of these churches in no more than three words?
3. Applying it to the Christian church today
Are there things that we regard as worthy of either commendation or criticism in today’s church which are simply not mentioned by the Lord Jesus in any of these letters? What might this say about our priorities and our Lord’s?
In these letters, as in the New Testament generally, local churches are characterised by their location. They are ‘the church in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum’, and so on. What then should we make of the tendency, since New Testament days, of characterising churches by denominations (Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Anglicans, and so on)?
According to this passage, what are the things that Jesus values in a church, and what are the things that he rejects?
In which parts of the world is the Christian church thriving, and in which parts is it in decline? In the light of this passage, how do you account for this?
Which one of these seven churches would have welcomed you most warmly as ‘one of them’?
What parallels can be seen between the life of these churches and aspects of church life today?