Reading the Bible in a Year: 1 Thessalonians

The oldest written evidence of what the first Christian communities look like is... Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians!

One of the themes that emerges in this letter is Paul's concern for Christians returning/assimilating to the broader culture around them.  He quite often reflects on the idea of holiness in the letter.

1)  What do you think about when you hear the word "holiness"?

2)  What do people mean that the Bible is "holy"?  In what way do you consider the Bible "Holy"?

3)  What is gained by having a written record of biblical events and stories?  Is anything lost by moving from an oral to a written tradition?  What might we lose or gain in a post-reading culture?

4)  Do you think that for most people their idols are concrete things or more typically abstract things (like their career, or their kid's success)?

5)  What pieces of Christian art do you find moving?

6)  Do you think it is important for Christian community to have a different standard for sexual ethics than the surrounding community?

7)  Do you think that sexual ethics should be one of, if not the, defining holiness issue for Christians?