...104 Survey of Biblical Literature Course Description This survey course is designed to lay a foundational understanding of Scripture via a historical survey of the Old and New Testaments. The student will engage a range of learning activities related to the issues interacting with biblical literature, basic hermeneutical principles, key themes and persons of the canon, and the redemptive theme of Scripture. Rationale The course’s motivation is a combination of both edifying and equipping students. In other words, this course is designed to teach students to “fish,” as it were, so that in their future walk with God they might be able to discern the key theme(s) of Scripture for themselves, therefore, making their own Bible study more effective and increasing their utility in being able to convey the story and universal truths of Scripture to others. I. Prerequisites None II. Required Resource Purchases Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2003. ISBN: 0-310-24604-6. Harbin, Michael A. The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005. ISBN: 0-310-24037-2. Hindson, Ed. Courageous Faith: Life Lessons from the Old Testament Heroes. AMG Publishers, 2003. ISBN: 0-899-57132-4. Disclaimer: The above resource(s) provide information consistent with the latest research regarding the subject area...
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...BIBLE BOOK SUMMARIES INSTRUCTIONS For these assignments, you will write a 150–170 word summary for 5 books from the Old Testament and 5 books from the New Testament. You may select which five books to summarize, but must include at least one book per genre in the following fashion: 1. Old Testament: Must include at least one narrative, law, prophecy, and wisdom book. 2. New Testament: Must include at least one gospel, narrative, epistle, and apocalyptic book. Since a sample of Genesis has been provided in the Summary Template do not include this book in the OT Project. Summaries that are not 150–170 words in length will be penalized. Also, short summaries may have additional points reduced for lack of complete information. In each of the summaries, identify the following four characteristics: 1. The Basic Genre (Please identify the genre in the first sentence of your summary.) 2. Key Themes/Purposes identified 3. Major Events and personalities for narrative, law, gospel, and narrative 4. Major issues/concerns addressed in prophecy, wisdom books, epistles, and apocalyptic Use your textbooks as you identify each of the four characteristics in the summaries. Remember, the Fee textbook explains how to identify and interpret genre. Additionally, a study Bible will be a great tool to help you craft your summaries. However, you will want to paraphrase the data into your own words to avoid plagiarism and course failure. You will submit your summaries...
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...useful tools to learn more about the books, people, and places we encounter in Scripture. Your task will be to write: 1. Three concise 200–250-word essays about a book, person, and setting/place from the Old Testament (Due at the end of Module/Week 5). 2. Three concise 200–250-word essays about a book, person, and setting/place from the New Testament (Due at the end of Module/Week 8). Content Guidelines: Choose 1 book, person, and place from the list of the provided topics for each of the 2 projects. Your essay must include the following per item: Book: Your biblical book essay must include: The basic literary genre, authorship, date written, key themes, purposes, major events, and main personalities. Person: This essay must include: The dates of the character’s life, place of birth, summary of their role or positions held, defining events in their life and work, contemporaries (other biblical characters they are associated with, etc.), and their legacy. If they are a biblical author, list the related works. Setting/Place (i.e., municipality, kingdom, empire): This essay must include: The keys dates (i.e., founding, demise, etc.), clarification of the location (regional description, the relevance of the place from a biblical/Ancient Near East (ANE) perspective, associated biblical books where it is a backdrop or central location), key attributes (religion, commerce, key figures, etc.), and associated biblical books. Formatting Guidelines: * Use...
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...useful tools to learn more about the books, people, and places we encounter in Scripture. Your task will be to write: 1. Three concise 200–250-word essays about a book, person, and setting/place from the Old Testament (Due at the end of Module/Week 5). 2. Three concise 200–250-word essays about a book, person, and setting/place from the New Testament (Due at the end of Module/Week 8). Content Guidelines: Choose 1 book, person, and place from the list of the provided topics for each of the 2 projects. Your essay must include the following per item: Book: Your biblical book essay must include: The basic literary genre, authorship, date written, key themes, purposes, major events, and main personalities. Person: This essay must include: The dates of the character’s life, place of birth, summary of their role or positions held, defining events in their life and work, contemporaries (other biblical characters they are associated with, etc.), and their legacy. If they are a biblical author, list the related works. Setting/Place (i.e., municipality, kingdom, empire): This essay must include: The keys dates (i.e., founding, demise, etc.), clarification of the location (regional description, the relevance of the place from a biblical/Ancient Near East (ANE) perspective, associated biblical books where it is a backdrop or central location), key attributes (religion, commerce, key figures, etc.), and associated biblical books. Formatting Guidelines: * Use...
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...ABSTRACT John Oswalt, in his book The Bible Among the Myths, presents his position to the reader that the bible is different and separate from other writings of the Ancient Near East. He asserts the Bible is both historically accurate and theologically sound. He makes the defense the Bible was divinely inspired and revealed to humanity and unique from other Ancient Near East literature. There was a time when the Bible, and the Israelite religion was different from its neighboring societies. But as times have changed, many people now lump the bible with other Ancient Near East myths. The book is broken up into two sections. The first half of the book, “The Bible and Myth,” Oswalt takes the time to define what a myth is and what differentiates the Bible from a myth. He then describes the different between the worldview of the Ancient Near East and continuity is different from the Bible’s transcendence. The second half of the book, “The Bible and History,” examines several philosophical thoughts proposed by others that attempt to explain the Bible’s relevance separate from historical validity. Oswalt provides excellent arguments against the new age philosophies. Oswalt provides an articulate argument for the veracity of the Bible’s history and theology by providing several convincing points to affirm the Bibles varicity. Introduction John N. Oswalt, in his book The Bible Among the Myths, provides the reader with a brief, yet comprehensive view of the differences and similarities...
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...University Book Review: Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament Submitted to Dr. Gary Schnittjer in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for OBST 515 Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary by CURTIS TERRY Lynchburg, Virginia Tuesday February 18, 2014 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Summary 3 Critical Interaction5 Conclusion8 Bibliography9 Introduction Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright love for Hebrew scripture played a major role in his decision to write Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament. Dr. Wright wrote that he was saddened that so many Christians love Jesus but know so little about who he thought he was and what he had come to do. Dr. Wright background is one of Anglican descent born in Belfast, North Ireland during World War II. He is the son of missionaries and a graduate of Cambridge. Dr. Wright was ordained by the Anglican Church of England in 1977 and has served in the capacities of high school teacher, associate pastor, Old Testament scholar. Dr. Wright has served at Union Biblical Seminary in India as seminary professor and served as Principal of All Nations Christian College from 1993-2001. Dr. Wright has authored numerous books and currently serves as the International Director for Langham Partnership International. This paper will provide a review of Dr. Wright’s Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament by providing a summarization of the work and provide an analysis of various theological topic discussed by Dr. Wright. Summary Dr....
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...Jenna Erickson BIBL 104-D13 04/17/2015 Old Testament Bible Dictionary Project: Exodus/Moses/Sinai Exodus: Exodus is the second book of five in the Pentateuch or Torah of the Old Testament. It is also the second book in the Hebrew Bible, and is known as V’elleh Shemoth, while in the Greek Bible it is known as Exodus, meaning “departure” or “outgoing”. Moses is believed to be the author of Exodus, and it was most likely written during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, between 1451 and 1491 BC. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (Exodus 17:14). The main themes of Exodus is God’s covenant with the Hebrew nation, and Moses leading the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt. “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew” (Exodus 2:24-25). A brief summary of Exodus would include the beginning chapters about; the enslaved Israelites, the birth, education and first leaving of Moses, the 10 plagues set about by God, the first Passover, the Israelites departure (Exodus) from Egypt along with the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egypt Army. The middle of the book includes; the journey to Mt. Sinai from the Red Sea, the making of the covenant at Sinai and the writing of the Ten Commandments. And the Lord said to Moses...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Book Review: Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament Submitted to Dr. Homer Heater, Professor of Biblical Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of OBST 515 –D11 Old Testament Orientation I by Wuan D. Miller November 29, 2014 Introduction Christopher J. H. Right, author Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, is an Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. A Ph.D. graduate of Cambridge, he currently is the Director of International Ministries for the Langham Partnership International. Wright records at least ten years prior to the release of this work, three things inspired him to research this topic; his students at Union Biblical Seminary who listened to his initial thoughts; John Goldiway’s articles related to the Old Testament and Christian faith; and a friend, Jim Punton, who personally requested that he write a book on how the Old Testament influenced Jesus. Thus, Wright explores the connection between Jesus and the Old Testament with the intention of showing how his identity, mission, and values are interwoven within its metanarrative. In doing so, he prefaces this work with his conviction that “the deeper you go into understanding the Old Testament, the closer you come to the heart of Jesus.”[1] While there is much to be gained from Wright’s work, a critical examination of the underlying themes will reveal a need for further evaluation of critical theological...
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...Content Summary I was taught very early on from Godly men in my life that hermeneutics were essential tools in interpreting the Word of God. However, as I traveled through the various stages of life in regard to hermeneutics that ranged from pride, frustration, ignorance, and now a desire to learn these tools. Stuart and Lee set out to offer guidelines for just that, hermeneutics - the art and science of the interpretation of literature and more specifically, the Bible The primary goal of their book seems to be to provide the interpreter with a variety of tools to assist in properly interpreting scripture. From the beginning Stuart and Fee provide reasons for the need of accurately interpreting scripture. For example, the letters and writing of the Bible were written in various times, in various cultures, and in different languages. All of these factors must be taken into account when discerning the original meaning of the text. In addition, I specifically appreciate the fact that Stuart and Fee from very beginning of their book explained that a temptation in exegeting scripture is the motivation of pride. I completely agree that the learning of and teaching of God’s Word should be done in confident humility. In regards to the Old Testament, for example, Stuart and Fee give great caution to properly understanding the nuances of the Old Testament narratives. The Old Testament narratives are primarily, thought not solely, there to gives us a better understand of who...
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...Review of Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament by Christopher J.H. Wright James Pruch Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary May 2012 Introduction Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright (Ph. D., Cambridge) is an Old Testament scholar, an ordained Anglican ministry, and is the director of international ministries with the Langham Partnership International. In Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, Wright seeks to display the continuity between the Hebrew Scriptures and Jesus’ self-understanding. Wright maintains that Jesus’ self-understanding rooted in the history of salvation that God planned and worked for Israel. This review will show that Wright’s book provides the reader with a rich understanding of Jesus’ unique identity as the Hebrew Messiah and gives helpful insights for understanding how the OT should be viewed from the Christian perspective. Brief Summary Wright’s thesis is that one cannot fully know the story of Jesus unless he sees “it in the light of a much longer story which goes back for many centuries.”1 He works this out in five chapters, which he summarizes at the end of the book: We have seen that the Old Testament tells the story which Jesus completed. It declares the promise which he fulfilled. It provides the pictures and models which shaped his identity. It programmes a mission which he accepted and passed on. It teaches a moral orientation to God and the world which he endorsed, sharpened, and laid as the foundation for obedient discipleship.2 He argues...
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...The reliability and authenticity of the Bible The Bible claims to be the inspired word of God (2 Tim. 3:16, TEV). Yet much controversy and criticism exists over this book. If we are to accept and base our lives on the Bible as the word of God, then we need to have confidence in the reliability and the authenticity of the Bible. That is, we need to have confidence that the Bible is dependable and trustworthy and that what was written did happen. This essay outlines some convincing evidence to prove that this is the case. I will summarize and discuss bibliographical, external and internal evidence which confirms the reliability and authenticity of the bible. One of the first pieces of evidence lies in the uniformity of the message of the Bible. It is a collection of sixty-six books written over a period of approximately fifteen hundred years in three languages on three continents by forty authors. Kings, peasants, educated men, a doctor, a prime minister, a tax collector a rabbi, a fisherman are among the authors (McDowell, 1973). While it discusses numerous issues, and each book has different purposes, the overall themes of creation, the fall of man and redemption are clear throughout (Williams, 2002). Military historian Chauncy Sanders mentions three criteria scholars use in historiography (Williams, 2002). When applied to test whether the scriptures we have are the same as the original documents, that is to test their accuracy, these are manuscript evidence (textual)...
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...KENDALL FOR NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTERS OF PASTORAL COUNSELING DEGREE IN THE LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SEMINARY BY JASON MOORE OMAHA, NE OCTOBER 2013 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………1 SILENCE WITHOUT SILENCE...……………………………………………………………..2 SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………….….7 iii INTRODUCTION For many people the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament is strange and considerably confusing. Without knowing what took place in the “silent years”, it very well can be a difficult task to make the leap from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Old Testament world looks and sounds completely different from the world the New Testament describes, however, the same spirit inspired the writings of both canons. It must be known to the reader that the Old and New Testaments complement each other. In order to get the full understanding and the entire picture of God’s Word, you must understand them together. But, in order to understand them together, there is the time period of 400 years that are not included. This 400 year time frame plays a huge part in understanding how the two different worlds of the Old and New Testaments come together to make a comprehensive story. The “Intertestamental Period” is a short amount of time in relativity to the rest of Biblical history, but this short time frame sets the stage for the New Testament. The period between the Old and New Testament can very well...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Book Summary of Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament by John H. Walton Submitted to Dr. Peter Hamilton in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course 201420 Spring 2014 OBST 510-B08 LUO by March 2, 2014 ABSTRACT There are fourteen chapters in the book Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible written by John H. Walton. It includes five main sections. Along with these sections there are historical pictures that consist of over 20 images. Each one of those images are included in a complete appendix at the beginning of the book. Walton gives acknowledgements, which are followed by a list of abbreviations. Part 1- Comparative Studies In this first section it includes the first two chapters. Chapter one is appropriately named history and methods. The resolution of this part of the book is to protect the Bible from the harm done by comparative studies which warped evidence to work against the historicity, canonicity, and divine revelation of the Bible. Chapter 1- History and Methods This chapter opens up with the rediscovery of Egypt and Mesopotamia, dating back to the 1800s and the mid 1900s. The author states that archeologists were very quickly discovering that the Bible in its entirety was completely and wholly accurate and true. It was during this time that evolution and the scientific...
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...Philosophy of Culture Summary Sheet The second module covers Philosophy of Culture. This encompasses the three main world views. These views are theism, transcendentalism, and naturalism. First Week - Introduction The first class covered the introduction ot the Philosophy of Culture course by having us answer seven thought-provoking questions. Each question, though simple, was worded in such a way as to make one think about it in-depth. These questions dealt with our perception of reality and our thoughts concerning life and its meaning. It challenged our religious faith and made us declare not only what we believed, but why we believed it. We read “An Atheist’s Values”, a statement of secular humanism. We then wrote a paragraph describing the views of this type of naturalist. Although brotherly love, courage, cheerfulness, and dignity are promoted in the statement, no basis or foundation upon which these virtues should come is given other than the author’s opinion. We read and discussed in class the three basic world views. By studying these views, we will be able to understand the mindset of those whose world views differs from ours. Second Week – Overview of World Views Theism is the belief in one superior being, a creator or god. This can be broken down even further into monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs. Monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, believe in one god. Polytheistic religions, such as those practiced by the ancient Greeks...
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...SEMINARY IPAJA, LAGOS, NIGERIA. COURSE TITLE: OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS COURSE CODE: OT 614 COURSE LECTURER: PASTOR AKINOLA TOPIC: BOOK SUMMARY OF “A STUDY OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT” by Emmanuel Itapson & George E. Janvier prepared by: AYOBAMIJI JOSEPH OLUWAGUNNA March 2013 CHAPTER 1 It is pertinent to have a good understanding of hermeneutics in order to have a correct content and context concepts in the interpretation of the prophets. Because the Bible is quite uniquely different from all other types of literature – its divine Authorship and inspiration, being the major distinguishing feature and prominent hallmark, the interpretation requires divine guidance. Inspiration is the act of the Holy Spirit in leading a man to record the message of God in written documentary while Interpretation is the act of a man in determining the meaning as intended by God in the original passage and how it applies to us today. Interpretation involves skill, but more critically involves Spirit in keeping to rightness. The grammatico-historical method is generally applicable in Biblical hermeneutics to both basic, broad types of writings contained in Biblical literature. Categorized broadly as prose and poetry. Further insights is gained when there is understanding of the literature type being interpreted. Features of Old Testament prophecy: • Bible prophecy is for both CURRENT...
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