The following is an excerpt from Lesson 1 of our Introduction to the Enneagram course. The lesson goes on to give a brief history of the Enneagram, a 9-point personality typology system, as well as an overview of the additional 5 lessons that lay the foundation of self-discovery. This class invites you into a deeper knowing, of yourself and others so you may be more aware and compassionate. If you want to know more about taking the full course, please visit our course catalog. 

“Welcome to the Enneagram journey! First let me applaud you on your willingness to explore this ancient yet newly rediscovered tool for spiritual growth. I’ve been in ministry for 15 years and I spent many hours with people who were struggling with all kinds of different issues. Throughout all those years, many scriptures would come to mind but there was one that I would return to over and over–Romans 7. As you probably recall, Paul is writing to Christians in Rome and in the middle of his letter he is addressing the confusion around God’s laws of the past in light of Christ’s new teachings. I really like how the Message communicates this;

I [Paul] can anticipate the response that is coming, “I know that
all God’s laws are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your
experience?” Yes! I’m full of myself, after all, I’ve spent a long time in
sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one
way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I
can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it
becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need
something more! For I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the
power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I
obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will
it, but I can’t do it! I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it. I decide
not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are,
don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and
gets the better of me every time.

Paul’s well known words in Romans 7 show us that often our best intentions are not enough for us to live a Christ-like life. We do things we don’t want to do and we don’t do things that we know we should! The Message version of Romans 7 also says, “something has gone wrong deep within me”…​this is the power of the Enneagram, it helps us explore the depths of who we are and why we do what we do.”