Biblical Interpretation: Advanced Study Bundle

by Michael S. Heiser; Craig S. Keener; Logos Mobile Education; Peter J. Leithart

and

9 more

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2013–2022

Overview

In the Biblical Interpretation: Advanced Study Bundle you will comprehensively study the rich field of biblical interpretation and will be equipped with tools to study the Bible effectively. You’ll explore how we got the Old and New Testaments, how sexual ethics are addressed in the Bible, and how to study, interpret, and apply the Scriptures with twelve logical steps.

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Interpretation: Advanced Study Bundle
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
• Courses: 17
• Video Hours: 109

BI101 Introducing Biblical Interpretation: Contexts and Resources

• Instructor: Michael S. Heiser
• Publication Date: 2018
• Video Hours: 5

The Bible is a vast, complex book, and while some of its contents can be understood by a child, much of it requires careful thought. How do we interpret the Bible correctly? Why do biblical scholars disagree on interpretation?

Dr. Mike Heiser introduces students to the science and art of Bible interpretation. The Bible is a book written for us but not to us, so accurate interpretation needs to be informed by the ancient worldview of the biblical writers, their historical circumstances, cultural and religious beliefs of their day, literary genre, and the original languages of the Bible. Learn the necessary tools for accurate and meaningful biblical interpretation.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and Course
• My Task

Unit 1: Obstacles to Interpretation

• Meaning Is Not Self-Evident
• Obstacle #1: Presuppositions
• Obstacle #2: Author
• Obstacle #3: Reader
• Obstacle #4: Medium
• Obstacle #5: Meaning
• Obstacle #6: Translation
• Obstacle #7: Precedent
• Obstacle #8: Context
• Obstacle #9: Relevance
• Obstacle #10: Validation

Unit 2: Seeing the Bible in Context

• Reading Isn’t Seeing
• Three Biblical Contexts

Unit 3: Worldview Context

• Introduction to Worldview Context
• Historical Context
• Cultural Context
• Religious Context
• Tools for Worldview Context
• Primary Sources
• Reference Works
• Academic Monographs
• Bible Commentaries
• Devotional or Popular Commentaries
• Expositional Commentaries
• Scholarly Commentaries
• Journal Articles
• Digital Resources

Unit 4: Literary Context

• Introduction to Literary Context
• Genre
• How Genre Influences Meaning
• Genre and Structure

Unit 5: Literary Context: Old Testament Genres

• Old Testament Narratives
• Genealogies
• Legal Texts
• Psalms and Prayers
• Types of Psalms
• Psalm Interpretation
• Wisdom Literature
• Proverbs
• Old Testament Prophecy and Apocalyptic
• Interpreting Prophetic Literature

Unit 6: Literary Context: New Testament Genres

• New Testament Narrative
• Gospels
• Epistles
• New Testament Hymns
• Domestic Codes
• Virtue/Vice Lists
• New Testament Apocalyptic

Unit 7: Literary Context: Understanding Prophecy

• Fulfillment
• Literalism and Single Intent
• Amos 9 and Acts 15: Part 1
• Amos 9 and Acts 15: Part 2
• Sensus Plenior: Part 1
• Sensus Plenior: Part 2
• Analogical Fulfillment
• Typological Fulfillment

Unit 8: Literary Context: Literary Devices

• Chiasm
• Gematria
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Metaphor
• Merism
• Parallelism

Unit 9: Linguistic Context

• Introduction to Linguistic Context
• Word Level
• Working at the Word Level
• Word-Level Analysis
• Summary of Three Competencies

Unit 10: Application and Conclusion

• Individual and Pastoral Application
• Conclusion to the Course

Dr. Michael S. Heiser is a Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. His varied academic background enables him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contribute to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for nonspecialists.

Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds and MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He is the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and can do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He also specializes in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In addition, he was named the 2007 Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.

BI103 Principles of Bible Interpretation

• Instructor: Craig S. Keener
• Publication Date: 2015
• Video Hours: 2

Join Dr. Craig Keener, a foremost expert in biblical backgrounds, as he provides principles for interpretation along with excellent examples. See the parable of the Prodigal Son through the eyes of a Pharisee, learn the dangers involved in using allegory rather than analogy, and appreciate the contrast between Emperor Augustus and Jesus in the story of the first Christmas. Dr. Keener draws from his meticulous research of the ancient world to show you how to interpret the Bible by understanding its cultural contexts, genres, and more.

Contents:

• Reading the Bible in Context
• Understanding the Background of the Bible
• Interpreting Different Genres in the Bible

Dr. Craig S. Keener is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, and is the author of 17 books, four of which have won Christianity Today book awards. One, IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, has sold more than half a million copies. He has authored scholarly commentaries on Matthew, John (two volumes), Acts (four volumes), and more briefly on Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and Revelation.

BI181 Introducing Bible Translations

• Instructor: Mark L. Strauss
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 2

Bible translation expert Dr. Mark Strauss introduces the philosophies of translation in order to equip students in their selection of a specific version (or versions) of the Bible. Dr. Strauss compares functional and formal equivalence and describes the strengths and weaknesses of each. He discusses elements of language such as gender terminology, idioms, and metaphors to reveal the importance of this often-overlooked but fundamental part of preaching, teaching, and personal Bible study.

Contents:

Unit 1: Introduction to Bible Translation

• Language and Translation
• Philosophies of Translation
• Comparing Translations Using the Version River Graph
• Need for Translations
• Examining the Various Translations of “Gospel”

Unit 2: Translation Processes

• Lexical Semantics
• Studying “Grace” with the Bible Sense Lexicon
• Gender Language
• Translating Idioms
• Helpful Resources for Translating Biblical Idioms
• Translating Metaphors
• Using the UBS Handbooks to Help Translate Metaphors
• Translating Collocations
• Searching the NET Bible Notes for Collocations
• The Precedence of Meaning over Form
• Creating a Parallel Bible Layout in Logos

Unit 3: Translation Philosophies

• Strengths of Formal Equivalence
• Using Visual Filters to Highlight Greek Words in English Translations
• Strengths of Functional Equivalence
• Comparing Translations Using the Text Comparison Tool

Dr. Mark L. Strauss is the professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego. He has written several books, including The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts, Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy, and Luke in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary series.

BI201 The Story of the Bible

• Instructor: Michael W. Goheen
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 6

The Bible is a grand collection of 66 separate books—how are those books unified? This course introduces students to the unifying storyline that runs through the entire Bible. Dr. Michael Goheen—expert in missiology, theology, and worldview studies—shows how the drama of the Bible unfolds by tracing the major theological themes of redemption and restoration across both Testaments.

Contents:

Unit 1: Introduction

• The Three Categories of This Course
• Starting with Jesus
• Our Lives Are Shaped by Story
• The Bible as One Story
• Using Reading Plans to Help Read the Bible as One Story
• The Authority of the Biblical Story
• Two Different and Incompatible Stories
• The Drama of Scripture
• Quiz – Unit 1

Unit 2: Act 1: God Establishes His Kingdom

• Genesis 1 in Its Historical and Literary Context
• Genesis 1 in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context
• Using The Context of Scripture to Compare Creation Accounts
• Literary Structure of Genesis 1
• The Importance of Genesis 1 in the Bible Story
• Quiz – Unit 2

Unit 3: Act 2: Rebellion in the Kingdom

• Sin and Judgment in Genesis 3–11
• Genesis 3 and the Origin of Sin
• The Consequences of Sin
• Quiz – Unit 3

Unit 4: Act 3: The King Chooses Israel

• Redemption Initiated
• Sin and Promise in Genesis 3–11
• Blessed to Be a Blessing: Genesis 12:1–3
• Using Theological Lexicons to Understand the Meaning of Blessing
• From Promise to Covenant
• The Patriarchal Narratives of Genesis 12–50
• From Genesis to Exodus
• Redemption from Egypt
• God and Israel’s Covenant
• Israel’s Covenant Vocation
• The Purpose of the Law
• God’s Tabernacle Presence
• Using a Bible Dictionary to Understand the Significance of Tabernacle
• Leviticus: Repairing the Covenant
• Numbers: Through the Wilderness
• Deuteronomy: Israel Prepared to Enter the Land
• Quiz – Unit 4a
• Israel on the Land
• Joshua: God Gives Israel the Land
• Judges: Israel’s Failure on the Land
• The Storyline of Samuel
• A Faithful Covenant King
• The Davidic Covenant
• The Temple
• Using a Greek Lexicon to Look Up the Basic Meaning of Greek Words
• Historical Overview
• First and Second Kings: Israel’s Demise
• The Prophetic Message
• Return from Exile
• Ezra and Nehemiah: Post-Exilic Crisis of Faith
• The Writings
• The Intertestamental Period
• The Unfolding Story of the Intertestamental Period
• Quiz – Unit 4b
• Midterm Exam

Unit 5: Act 4: The Coming of the King

• The Kingdom of God
• Highlighting “Kingdom” in the Gospels with Visual Filters
• Jesus’ Kingdom Mission: A New Way
• Jesus Prepares for His Kingdom Mission
• Jesus Gathers His People
• Jesus Announces the Arrival of the Kingdom
• An “Already–Not Yet” Kingdom
• Jesus Reveals the Kingdom
• The Source of Jesus’ Power
• Opposition to Jesus’ Mission
• Jesus Welcomes Sinners and Outcasts
• Quiz – Unit 5a
• Jesus Forms an “End-Time” Community
• Jesus Explains the Kingdom with Parables
• Jesus Is the Embodiment of the Kingdom
• Who Is Jesus?
• Finding the Titles of Jesus with the Bible Facts Tool
• Three Symbolic Actions of Jesus
• The Context for the Cross and Resurrection
• Crucifixion and the Death of Jesus
• The Significance and Meaning of the Death of Jesus
• The Significance and Meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus
• Resurrection in Three Stages
• The Risen Lord Commissions His Disciples
• Using the Passage Guide to Find Parallel Gospel Accounts
• Quiz – Unit 5b

Unit 6: Act 5: Spreading the News of the King

• The Mission of the Church
• The Exaltation of Jesus
• Pentecost: The Coming of the Spirit
• The Story of Acts
• Prophecy Fulfilled: A Light on a Hill
• Searching for “Means of Grace”
• Witness in Judea and Samaria
• The Church as a Missionary Community
• Spontaneous Expansion of the Church
• The Pattern of Paul
• Two Perspectives on Paul
• The Teaching of Paul
• The Ending of Acts
• Our Place in the Story
• Creating and Searching a Church History Collection
• Quiz – Unit 6

Unit 7: Act 6: Return of the King

• Restoration Completed
• The End of the Story
• Quiz – Unit 7
• Final Exam

Dr. Michael W. Goheen, professor of missiology at Calvin Theological Seminary, served as the Geneva Chair of Worldview Studies at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia, and teaching fellow in mission studies at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He has taught worldview, biblical theology, mission, and world Christianity at Redeemer University College and Dordt College. He began his professional life as a church planter and pastor in the Toronto area. He is also recognized as a leading scholar on the thought of Lesslie Newbigin.

Dr. Goheen has authored several books, including A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church in the Biblical Story (Baker, 2010) and As the Father Has Sent Me, I am Sending You: J.E. Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology (Zoetermeer, 2000). He also coauthored the best-selling Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story (Baker, 2004), Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview (Baker, 2008), and The True Story of the Whole World: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Drama (Faith Alive, 2009). He has also coedited two volumes on globalization and the gospel, and on the unity of the church.

Dr. Goheen lives in the Vancouver area where he is minister of preaching at New West Christian Reformed Church. He’s been married to his wife, Marnie, for 33 years and has four married children and four grandchildren.

OT201 Old Testament Genres

• Instructor: John H. Walton
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 4

Dr. John Walton guides students through the types of literature in the Old Testament. Beginning with narrative and continuing through prophecy, apocalyptic literature, wisdom literature, and the Psalms, this course explains how to best read and understand the Old Testament. Students should walk away with a strong interpretive framework through which they can grapple with the Old Testament. The course guides students into asking broader questions about the overall purpose of the Old Testament and God’s revelations throughout it.

Contents:

Unit 1: Foundations

• Introduction
• Identifying Old Testament Genres
• About the Old Testament
• Introduction to Authority, Inspiration, and Revelation
• Authority
• Inspiration
• Revelation
• Literary Analysis
• Identifying Emphasis in Old Testament Narratives
• What Sort of Reader?
• Ethical Reading
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Genres: Law

• Law: Part 1
• Law: Part 2
• Finding English Translations of Ancient Legal Texts
• Law: Part 3
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Genres: Narrative

• The Significance of Story
• Misreading Biblical Narrative, Part 1
• Using Visual Filters to Identify God as the Subject
• Misreading Biblical Narrative, Part 2
• Finding Practical Ways to Preach Old Testament Narratives
• Writing History
• Ancient History Writing
• Unit 3 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 4: Genres: Prophecy and Apocalyptic

• Prophets
• Using the Bible Facts Report to Research the Role of a Prophet
• Prophecy for the Present
• Kinds of Prophetic Illocution
• Search Parameters for the Prophetic Literature
• The Message of the Prophets
• Focusing on the Message
• Prophecy and the New Testament
• Locating Prophecies about Jesus
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Genres: Wisdom and Psalms

• Introduction to Wisdom
• The Book of Job
• Discovering Ancient Near Eastern Parallels to the Book of Job
• The Book of Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs
• Speaker Identifications in English Translations
• Psalms
• Unit 6: Theology and Faith
• God’s Presence
• Faith
• Unit 5–6 Quiz
• Final Exam

Dr. John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, spent 20 years teaching at Moody Bible Institute.

In his college years, he developed a passion for archaeology and Bible history. Instead of training to be an archaeologist, though, he focused his attention on studies comparing the culture and literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East. He has never lost his fascination with this subject, but comparative studies only provide one of the means by which he tries to get people excited about the Old Testament. He’s saddened by how little exposure to and understanding of the Old Testament many Christians have, but he’s passionate in doing whatever he can to remedy this spiritual and theological loss.

BI260 Interpreting New Testament Genres

• Instructor: William W. Klein
• Publication Date: 2015
• Video Hours: 9

Develop a new level of competency in interpreting the New Testament with Dr. William Klein’s guidance and insight on New Testament genres. Learn how to interpret the different genres found in the New Testament epistles. Distinguish which events in Acts are meant to be descriptive, describing what happened, and which are meant to be prescriptive, instructing on how to live. Discover how the book of Revelation combines three genres, and how this affects its interpretation.

Dr. Klein concludes each unit with practice exercises. He challenges you to interpret a passage using the methods he describes, and then shows you step-by-step how he would interpret it.

Contents:

• The Gospels
• Acts
• Epistles
• Revelation

Dr. William W. Klein is professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary and serves as Chair of the Division of Biblical Studies. He edited and was the major contributor to Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, wrote the commentary on Ephesians in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, and has consulted on several recent Bible versions, serving as chief exegetical consultant for the New Testament portion of The Message.

BI131 Introducing Literary Interpretation

• Instructor: Jeannine K. Brown
• Publication Date: 2015
• Video Hours: 5

Many of us read the Bible a passage or verse at a time. In this course, Dr. Jeannine Brown shows the importance of understanding biblical books as a whole. With her clear and simple approach, Dr. Brown demonstrates three methods to help you grasp the specific messages intended by Old Testament and New Testament authors. Learn about the different literary genres in Scripture and see how authors used certain genres to communicate their message. Discover how to read a passage in its literary context, and understand the importance of the Bible’s historical setting.

Dr. Brown is passionate about helping people understand Scripture and provides the knowledge and practical tools to equip you in this task.

Contents:

• Important Terms: Exegesis, Contextualization, and Hermeneutics
• The Goals of Biblical Interpretation
• Key Values for Exegesis
• A Closer Look at Genre
• Three Primary Genres in the Bible
• A Closer Look at Literary Context
• A Closer Look at Historical Setting
• Bringing All Three Together
• Presuppositions in Biblical Interpretation

Dr. Jeannine K. Brown has taught at Bethel Seminary for nearly two decades in the areas of New Testament, hermeneutics, and integration. Her books include Scripture as Communication: Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics, Becoming Whole and Holy: An Integrative Conversation about Christian Formation, and the forthcoming volume on Matthew in the Teach the Text Commentary series. She’s also associate editor of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 2nd ed..

BI190 The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament: Methodology and Practice

• Instructor: Jeannine K. Brown
• Publication Date: 2015
• Video Hours: 5

In this course, Dr. Jeannine Brown shows how we can better understand what the New Testament writers were communicating, by looking at how they referenced the Old Testament. Dr. Brown begins by explaining why New Testament writers referenced the Old Testament, and the four ways in which they did so. She then walks through references in Matthew, John, Philippians, and 1 Peter.

See how Jesus is portrayed as the new Adam in John’s Gospel. Discover connections between Jesus’ teaching and the stories of Cain and Abel, Noah, Sodom, and others. Learn new methods for interpreting Scripture, and come away with a fuller picture of how Jesus fulfills the hopes of the Old Testament and completes the story God began with Israel.

Contents:

Interpretative Issues

• Assumptions about the New Testament Authors’ Use of the Old Testament
• First-Century Jewish Interpretive Traditions
• Types of Old Testament References in the New Testament
• Christological Lens for Old Testament Usage

Application: New Testament

• The Use of Isaiah and Deuteronomy in Philippians
• The Use of Genesis in Matthew
• The Use of Genesis in John
• The Use of the Old Testament in 1 Peter

Dr. Jeannine K. Brown has taught at Bethel Seminary for nearly two decades in the areas of New Testament, hermeneutics, and integration. Her books include Scripture as Communication: Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics, Becoming Whole and Holy: An Integrative Conversation about Christian Formation, and the forthcoming volume on Matthew in the Teach the Text Commentary series. She’s also associate editor of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 2nd ed..

BI351 History of Biblical Interpretation: Second Temple Judaism through the Reformation

• Instructor: Gerald L. Bray
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 8

In BI351 Dr. Bray explores the history of the text of the Bible and biblical interpretation. He examines the concept of the Bible as self-revelation—a record of the encounters people had with God, which presents a message to be received by faith. He also covers the importance of the Word being communicated and understood, and the value of the discipline of interpretation as a means of bringing people to truths beyond what they are able to discover on their own.

Contents:

Unit 1: The Concept of Scripture: Revelation and Its Forms

• What Revelation Is
• Personal Relationship and Communication
• Speech as the Preferred Mode of Communication
• Human Hearing and the Bible
• Spoken and Written Words: Part 1
• Spoken and Written Words: Part 2
• The Character of Revelation

Unit 2: Jewish Interpretation in New Testament Times

• General Themes of Jewish Interpretation
• Literal Interpretation
• Midrashic Interpretation
• Pesher Interpretation
• Allegorical Interpretation

Unit 3: Early Christian Use of the Old Testament

• General Principles
• Jesus Christ’s Teaching
• Paul’s Preaching
• Gospels, Acts, and Hebrews

Unit 4: The Formation of the Christian Canon of Scripture

• What Is the Canon?
• The Establishment of the Old Testament Canon
• The Establishment of the New Testament Canon
• A Canon within the Canon?
• Heretics and the Canon
• Scripture and Creedal Formation: Creeds and the Gospel Message

Unit 5: The Four Senses of Interpretation

• The Greek Background
• Origen’s Basic Principles
• The Literal and “Higher” Sense of Scripture
• The Moral, Spiritual, and Anagogical Senses of Scripture

Unit 6: Medieval Exegesis

• Jerome and the Latin Bible
• The Inspiration of Scripture
• The Literal Sense of Interpretation
• The Commentary Style
• The Medieval Legacy: What We Still Do Today
• The New Synthesis
• Lectio, Disputatio, Praedicatio, and the Decline of Spiritual Interpretation
• Thomism

Unit 7: Renaissance Humanism and the Reformation

• John Wycliffe and Jan Hus
• Lorenzo Valla and Onward
• Martin Luther (1483–1546)
• John Calvin (1509–1564): Part 1
• John Calvin (1509–1564): Part 2
• The Authority of Scripture

Unit 8: Orthodox Protestant Hermeneutics

• The Supremacy of Scripture
• The Covenant Principle
• Interpretation of the Covenant
• Application of Orthodox Protestant Hermeneutics
• Strengths and Weaknesses of Orthodox Protestant Hermeneutics

Dr. Gerald L. Bray is research professor of divinity, history, and doctrine at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, and distinguished professor of historical theology at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Bray is the editor of the Anglican journal Churchman and has published a number of books, including the award-winning Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present, Yours Is the Kingdom: A Systematic Theology of the Lord’s Prayer, God Is Love: A Biblical and Systematic Theology, and God Has Spoken: A History of Christian Theology.

BI352 History of Biblical Interpretation: Seventeenth Century to the Present

• Instructor: Gerald L. Bray
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 11

In BI352 Dr. Bray examines the foundations of the Old and New Testaments as well as the development of new theological perspectives since the 17th century. He outlines significant trends and major players in biblical criticism and how these relate to the modern scholarly climate. Dr. Bray provides guidance on how to approach Bible study and emphasizes the importance of applying God’s word.

Contents:

Unit 1: The Beginnings of Critical Method

• Disagreements about the Bible
• The Growth of Skepticism
• Beginnings of Old Testament Criticism
• The Attack on the Supernatural
• Neologism and Romanticism

Unit 2: Old Testament Criticism: de Wette to Wellhausen (1800–1918)

• W. M. L. de Wette and the Old Testament Text
• Old Testament Theology
• Revival of Confessionalism
• The New Liberalism

Unit 3: Old Testament Criticism: Wellhausen to Alt (1918–1956)

• New Directions
• History of Religions School
• Beyond Literary Criticism

Unit 4: Anglo-Saxon Old Testament Scholarship since 1800

• The Situation from 1800 to 1850
• The Acceptance of Critical Method
• The Development of Archaeology
• Liberal/Conservative Divide

Unit 5: Modern Old Testament Criticism

• Do We Need the Old Testament?
• Post-Barthian Criticism
• Marxist Biblical Interpretation
• Current Issues in Old Testament Interpretation

Unit 6: New Testament Criticism: Reimarus to Strauss (1750–1835)

• H. S. Reimarus (1694–1768)
• Early Rationalism and Some Important Proponents of These Ideas
• The Invention of the Historical Jesus

Unit 7: New Testament Criticism: Strauss to Bousset (1835–1920)

• Reactions to Strauss
• The Tübingen School and Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792–1860)
• Bruno Bauer (1809–1883)
• Later Lives of Jesus
• The Final Phase

Unit 8: Anglo-Saxon New Testament Scholarship since 1800

• Background and the Cambridge School
• English Liberalism and Source Criticism
• The Impact of Archaeology
• English Neo-Conservatism

Unit 9: Modern New Testament Criticism: Jesus

• Form Criticism (1920–1950)
• Redaction Criticism (after 1945) and the Historical Jesus: the New Quest
• The Historical Jesus: Third Quest
• Jesus and the Church

Unit 10: Modern New Testament Criticism: Church

• Paul and the Law
• Paul and Judaism: Montefiore (1856–1938)
• The New Perspective on Paul

Unit 11: Recent Trends in Interpretation: Historical-Critical Approach

• The Inadequacies of the Method
• Two Horizons: the New Hermeneutic
• Points to Remember about the New Hermeneutic

Unit 12: Recent Trends in Interpretation: Literary Approaches

• Literary Criticism and Linguistic Theory
• Non-Ideological Literary Criticism

Unit 13: Recent Trends in Interpretation: Sociological Approaches

• Introduction to Sociological Approaches
• Some Examples of Interpretation
• Sociology as Normative for Interpretation

Unit 14: An Evangelical Approach to Critical Issues

• Introduction to Evangelical Approaches to Critical Issues
• Evangelical Achievements
• The Inspiration of Scripture
• Inerrancy and Infallibility
• Evolving Attitudes on Inerrancy
• Two Testaments, One Bible
• Evangelical Strengths and Weaknesses

Unit 15: An Evangelical Approach to Practical Application

• Different Ways of Reading the Bible
• How to Approach Reading the Bible
• How to Preach the Bible
• Preaching and Application: Part 1
• Preaching and Application: Part 2
• Preaching and Free Interpretation
• Preaching and the Preacher: Part 1
• Preaching and the Preacher: Part 2

Dr. Gerald L. Bray is research professor of divinity, history, and doctrine at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, and distinguished professor of historical theology at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Bray is the editor of the Anglican journal Churchman and has published a number of books, including the award-winning Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present, Yours Is the Kingdom: A Systematic Theology of the Lord’s Prayer, God Is Love: A Biblical and Systematic Theology, and God Has Spoken: A History of Christian Theology.

BI111 Typological Hermeneutics: Finding Christ in the Whole Bible

• Instructor: Peter J. Leithart
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 4

Explore the art and science of Bible interpretation, teaching you how to become a good reader of the Bible so you will hear everything God says in His inspired Word. Dr. Leithart teaches a hermeneutical approach grounded in a robust theology of language, modelled after the way Jesus and the apostles interpreted the Old Testament, and drawing on elements from patristic and medieval methods. Other crucial topics are discussed, such as the nature of texts, semantics, intertextuality, biblical allusions, and literary structure, all reinforced with a plethora of examples from both biblical and extrabiblical literature. All of this contributes to the main point of reading Scripture: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

Contents:

Unit 1:History of Interpretation

• Early Church to Middle Ages
• Reformation to Present

Unit 2: The God Who Speaks Human

• God Speaks
• God Speaks Human
• God Speaks Truth
• Three Models of Theological Language
• Poetry of Creation in Genesis 1: Light
• Poetry of Creation in Genesis 1: Images of God

Unit 3: Everything Concerning Himself

• The Bible Is about Jesus: Part 1
• The Bible Is about Jesus: Part 2
• Typology is a Film, Not a Picture

Unit 4: Open Ears: Becoming a Good Reader

• Qualifications of an Interpreter
• Reading According to the Spirit
• Rules of Reading

Unit 5: Verbal Magic

• Exegesis and Eisegesis
• Semantics: Part 1
• Semantics: Part 2
• Intertextuality: Part 1
• Intertextuality: Part 2
• Scenic Imagery: Part 1
• Scenic Imagery: Part 2

Unit 6: Textual Rhythms

• Reasons for Paying Attention to the Structure of Biblical Texts
• Stage 1: Determine the Subunits of the Text (Part 1)
• Stage 1: Determine the Subunits of the Text (Part 2)
• Stage 1: Determine the Subunits of the Text (Part 3)
• Stage 2: Discern How the Units Are Arranged (Part 1)
• Stage 2: Discern How the Units Are Arranged (Part 2)
• Stage 2: Discern How the Units Are Arranged (Part 3), and Stage 3: What Does It Mean?

Unit 7: Reading to Teach

• Quadriga: The Medieval Fourfold Method
• Strengths of the Quadriga
• Examples of the Quadriga: David and Goliath
• Examples of the Quadriga: Ruth

Peter J. Leithart received an AB in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987, respectively. In 1998 he received his PhD at the University of Cambridge in England. He has served as editor and writer for American Vision in Atlanta, Georgia (1987-1989), and as a pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989-1995. From 1998-2013, he taught Theology and Literature at New Saint Andrews College and between 2003 and 2013 served as pastor of Trinity Reformed Church. He is currently President of the Theopolis Institute, a pastoral training institute in Birmingham, Alabama.

BI173 Problems in Bible Interpretation: Why Do Christians Disagree about the Bible?

• Instructor: Michael S. Heiser
• Publication Date: 2017
• Video Hours: 4

Christians believe the Bible is God’s Word, but the specific implications behind what that means are debated. In Problems in Bible Interpretation: Why Do Christians Disagree about the Bible? (BI173), Dr. Michael Heiser examines the issues of inspiration, inerrancy, and the canon. He explores different views on what role human authors played in the writings found in the Bible and how they were inspired by God. Then he moves on to address several questions surrounding the doctrine of inerrancy: What does the term mean? How have Christians understood it historically? What constitutes an “error”? Finally, he looks at the books included in the Bible, or the canon, and how it came to be. Through a discussion of the historical development of the Christian canon, he explains the reasons why various traditions regard different books as authoritative.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Inspiration

• Millard Erickson’s Five Categories
• Dynamic, Verbal, Dictation
• Human and Divine Element of Inspiration

Unit 2: Inerrancy

• What Does Inerrancy Mean?
• Historical Positions: Part 1
• Historical Positions: Part 2
• Inerrancy: Part 1
• Inerrancy: Part 2
• Historical Positions
• Struggle

Unit 3: What Is an Error?

• Specific Difficulties
• Israelite Cosmology
• The Waters above and below the Heavens
• “God’s Eye” View of the Created World
• Point
• Primitive Conception of Conception: Part 1
• Primitive Conception of Conception: Part 2
• Prophecies that Don’t Happen
• Number Discrepancies: Part 1
• Number Discrepancies: Part 2
• Number Discrepancies: Part 3
• New Testament Citation of Old Testament
• Differences in Gospels: Dialogue
• Differences in Gospels: Narrative Elements
• Editorial Hands
• How Do We Define Inspiration and Inerrancy?

Unit 4: Canon

• Disagreement over What Books Should Be Recognized as Inspired
• Complicating Factors
• Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Canon
• New Testament Canon
• 1 Enoch—Special Case: Part 1
• 1 Enoch—Special Case: Part 2

Conclusion

• Conclusion to the Course

Dr. Michael S. Heiser is a Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. His varied academic background enables him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contribute to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for nonspecialists.

Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds and MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He is the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and can do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He also specializes in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In addition, he was named the 2007 Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.

OT281 How We Got the Old Testament

• Instructor: Michael S. Heiser
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 5

In this course, ancient-language expert Dr. Michael Heiser gives a thorough background of the Hebrew Bible’s writing, composition, canonicity, and transmission through the ages. This course also surveys text criticism—what are Hebrew scholars today doing with these ancient manuscripts? How does their work affect English translations of the Bible? By understanding criticism, your personal Bible study will be richer, even with little knowledge of the Hebrew language.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker
• Introducing the Course

Unit 1: Preliminary Issues

• The Term “Old Testament”
• The Scope of the Old Testament
• The Number of Old Testament Books
• The Order and Structure of Old Testament Books
• Titles of Old Testament Books
• The Authority of the Old Testament
• A Roadmap for the Course

Unit 2: Inspiration

• Two Sides to Inspiration
• A Flawed Conception of Inspiration
• A Coherent Conception of Inspiration
• Inspiration Is Not Dictation: Ezekiel
• Inspiration Is Not Dictation: The Synoptic Gospels
• Inspiration Is Not Dictation: Borrowed Material
• Searching Ancient Near Eastern Literature for Old Testament References
• Inspiration Is Not Dictation: Changing Laws
• Summary of Inspiration

Unit 3: Scripts and Writing

• Summary and Preview
• The Development of Writing
• Scripts
• Early Alphabets
• The Semitic Alphabet
• Writing Materials
• Writing Instruments
• Searching Images for Information on Ancient Writing

Unit 4: The Process of Composition

• Preview of the Composition Process
• Oral Tradition
• Literary Techniques
• Known Sources
• Lost Sources
• Speculative Sources
• Original Material
• Collecting Material
• Editing
• Inspiration as a Process
• Inspiration and Inerrancy

Unit 5: Canon and Canonicity

• The Concept of Canon
• Complicating Factors for the Canon
• The Canon through History

Unit 6: Early Transmission of the Hebrew Bible

• Manuscript Evidence Prior to 1947
• The Aleppo Codex
• The Leningrad Codex
• Exploring the Leningrad Codex
• The Cairo Genizah
• Summary of Manuscript Evidence Prior to 1947
• The Dead Sea Scrolls
• Textual Evidence from Qumran
• The Hebrew Bible in the Exile
• The Old Testament from 586–400 BC
• A Book in Transition
• The Old Testament from 400 BC to AD 100
• The Rise of a Scribal Class
• The Rise of Multiple Textual Traditions
• The Local Texts Theory
• The Masoretic Text in the Local Text Theory
• The Surviving Texts Theory
• Scribal Practices at Qumran, Part 1
• Scribal Practices at Qumran, Part 2
• Viewing Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls in Logos and Online

Unit 7: A Period of Ancient Translations

• The Septuagint
• Comparing the Septuagint and the Hebrew Bible
• Aramaic Targums
• Later Translations
• Creating a Layout of Ancient Translations

Unit 8: The Hebrew Bible from AD 100–1000

• The Importance of AD 100
• The Role of the Scribes
• Scribal Innovations
• Marking Problems in the Text
• The Masorah
• Viewing and Searching for Ketiv-Qere Readings
• Vocalization System
• Variation in the Masoretic Tradition
• Important Manuscripts

Unit 9: The Hebrew Bible since AD 1000

• Transition to Modern Editions
• Pre-Reformational Editions of the Old Testament
• Editions of the Old Testament from the 1500s
• Editions of the Old Testament from the 18th and 19th Centuries
• Editions of the Old Testament from the 20th Century
• Editions of the Old Testament in the 21st Century

Unit 10: Textual Criticism of the Old Testament: Overview

• Preview of the Process
• Determining Variants
• Gathering Evidence: The Specialist
• Gathering Evidence: The Non-Specialist
• Examining Textual Variants with the NET Bible
• Evaluating Evidence

Unit 11: Textual Criticism of the Old Testament: Variant Types

• Unintentional Variants: Letter Confusion
• Unintentional Variants: Word Division
• Unintentional Variants: Vowel Pointing
• Unintentional Variants: Eye Skipping
• Unintentional Variants: Haplography
• Unintentional Variants: Dittography
• Unintentional Variants: Graphic Transposition
• Unintentional Variants: Faulty Hearing
• Intentional Variants

Unit 12: Principles for Evaluating Variants

• Determining the Best Reading
• Internal Considerations
• External Considerations
• Using Favorites to Collect Key Resources on Textual Criticism
• An Example
• Studying a Text Critical Problem in Isaiah 8:11
• Revisiting Inspiration and Inerrancy

Unit 13: The Hebrew Bible and English Translations

• English Translations
• Evaluating English Translations

Conclusion

• Summary of the Course

Dr. Michael S. Heiser is a Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. His varied academic background enables him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contribute to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for nonspecialists.

Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds and MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He is the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and can do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He also specializes in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In addition, he was named the 2007 Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.

NT281 How We Got the New Testament

• Instructor: Michael S. Heiser
• Publication Date: 2014
• Video Hours: 4

In this course, Dr. Michael Heiser explains the story of how we got the New Testament—he guides you from the process of inspiration to the discovery and transmission of manuscripts. Dr. Heiser describes the role of scribes throughout time and discusses significant Greek New Testament manuscripts upon which modern translations are based. Because most students of the Bible read it in their own language, he also examines translation philosophies and controversies.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Preliminary Issues

• What Is the New Testament?
• The Term “New Testament”
• Exploring “Covenant” Using the Topic Guide
• The Scope of the New Testament
• Number of New Testament Books
• Order and Structure of New Testament Books
• Titles of New Testament Books
• The Authority of the Testaments
• Creating a Custom Guide to Study 2 Timothy 3:16
• Road Map for this Course

Unit 2: Inspiration

• Two Sides to Inspiration
• Flawed Conception of Inspiration
• Coherent Conception: Major Verses
• Coherent Conception: Textual Phenomena

Unit 3: The Composition of the New Testament Books

• Preview
• Researching Important Dates with the Timeline Tool
• The Language of the New Testament
• Defining “Autograph”
• Producing Documents in a Graeco-Roman World
• Understanding Technical Terms
• Amanuenses
• Use of External Source Material
• Exploring Ancient Texts Relevant to the Text of the New Testament
• Literary Intent and Occasion

Unit 4: Canonical Recognition of the New Testament Books

• Concept of Canon
• Early Development
• The Impact of Canon on Copying and Transmission

Unit 5: Manuscripts of the New Testament

• The Copying Enterprise
• The Innovation of the Codex
• Manuscript Types and Discoveries
• Papyri
• Uncials and Sinaiticus
• Using Textual Apparatuses in Logos
• Uncials: Alexandrinus
• Viewing Codex Sinaiticus in Logos
• Uncials: Vaticanus
• Uncials: Codex Bezae
• Minuscules
• Lectionaries
• Quotations from the Fathers
• Searching for New Testament Citations in the Early Church Fathers
• Early Versions of the New Testament
• Archaeological Factors in Dating Manuscripts
• Dating and the Forms of Manuscripts
• Dating and Paleography
• Carbon-14 Dating
• Manuscript Families
• Alexandrian Family
• Byzantine Family

Unit 6: The History of the Text’s Transmission

• The Early Centuries (1st–4th)
• The Byzantine Era (400–1516)
• The “Received Text” (1516–1633)
• Erasmus’ First Edition (1516)
• Erasmus’ First and Third Editions
• Later Editions of Erasmus’ Text
• The Period of Critical Research (1633–1881)
• Important Scholarly Work
• Westcott and Hort
• Positive Reaction to Westcott and Hort
• Negative Reaction to Westcott and Hort
• H. von Soden’s Text (1913)
• Eberhard Nestle (1898–1963)
• UBS First Edition
• UBS Third Edition and Nestle-Aland Edition
• Modern Majority Text Editions
• SBL Greek New Testament
• Comparing Major Editions of the Greek New Testament

Unit 7: The Impact of Textual History

• Pre-20th Century
• Evaluating Modern Translations
• The American Standard Version
• The Revised Standard Version
• The New American Standard Bible
• The New International Version
• The New King James Version
• The New Revised Standard Version
• The New English Translation
• The English Standard Version

Unit 8: Textual Criticism of the New Testament

• Preview of the Process
• Determining Variants
• Gathering Evidence: The Specialist
• Gathering Evidence: The Nonspecialist
• Using Digital Tools for Conducting Text-Critical Research
• Evaluating Evidence: Types of Variants
• Unintentional Variants: Word Division
• Unintentional Variants: Letter Confusion
• Unintentional Variants: Eye Skipping
• Unintentional Variants: Haplography
• Unintentional Variants: Dittography
• Unintentional Variants: Transposition
• Unintentional Variants: Faulty Hearing
• Intentional Variants: Clarifying the Text
• Intentional Variants: Conflation
• Intentional Variants: Harmonization and Smoothing
• Evaluating Variants
• Evaluating Variants: Internal Considerations
• Evaluating Variants: External Considerations
• Evaluating Variants: Logical Considerations
• Investigating the “Johannine Comma” with Various Tools
• Textual Criticism, Inspiration, and Inerrancy

Unit 9: The “King James Only” Controversy

• Preview of the Issue
• The Merit Argument
• The Providence Argument
• The Satanic Argument
• The Heresy Argument
• A Personal Note

Conclusion

• Course Summary

Dr. Michael S. Heiser is a Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. His varied academic background enables him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contribute to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for nonspecialists.

Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds and MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He is the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and can do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He also specializes in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In addition, he was named the 2007 Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.

BI390 Biblical Sexual Ethics

• Instructor: David Instone-Brewer
• Publication Date: 2015
• Video Hours: 6

Dr. David Instone-Brewer examines how marriage, divorce, polygamy, homosexuality and other topics are addressed in the Bible by looking at both the text of Scripture and the context in which Scripture was written. “Translating from Hebrew or the Greek into English is only half of the job of translation,” he says. “You also have to translate the context that it came from.”

From ancient Near Eastern marriage laws that were literally written in stone to the sexual practices that were accepted and not accepted in Rome, Dr. Instone-Brewer paints a picture of how Old and New Testament Jewish culture compared to other cultures of the time. He shows how understanding this context illuminates the truth of Scripture and helps us discern what ethics God had for His people in the past and what He has for us today.

Contents:

Unit 1: Marriage

• Introduction to Marriage
• Marriage in the Bible
• Marriage in Genesis
• Marriage in the ANE
• Marriage Covenants/Contracts
• Marriage in the Law
• Marriage Certificates
• Marriage in the NT
• Marriage Today
• Addition of Obedience
• Biblical Marriage Is Different
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Divorce in the Old Testament

• Breaking a Contract
• Grounds for Divorce
• Divorcees in the OT
• God's Divorce Certificate
• Grounds for God's Divorce
• God Forgives Adultery in Judah
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Divorce in Jesus’ Teaching

• Divorce Should Never Happen
• Grounds for Divorce in the OT
• Divorce for Infertility
• Infertility in the NT
• Divorce for Unfaithfulness
• Jesus on Divorce for Adultery
• Rabbinic Divorce for "Any Cause," Part 1
• Rabbinic Divorce for "Any Cause," Part 2
• Different Versions in Mark and Luke
• Jesus' Silence on Divorce for Neglect
• Other Interpretations of Jesus' Teaching
• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: Divorce in Paul’s Teaching

• Putting Jesus and Paul Together
• Divorce for Material Neglect
• Material Neglect in the NT
• Divorce for Sexual Neglect
• Sexual Neglect in the NT
• How Men and Women Divorced for Neglect
• Divorce for Neglect in the NT
• Roman Divorce-by-Separation in Paul
• Putting Paul and Jesus Together
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Remarriage

• Remarriage in the ANE
• Remarriage in the OT
• Remarriage to Priests
• The Divorce Certificate Allows Remarriage
• Paul Quotes the Remarriage Formula
• Paul Allows Divorcees to Remarry
• Does Jesus Forbid Remarriage?
• Does Paul Forbid Remarriage?
• Married Till Death?
• Remarriage in the NT World
• Conclusions from Relative Silence
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Intermarriage

• Marriages before Canaan
• The Mixed Population of the Exodus
• Moses' Wives
• Continuing Foreign Marriages
• The Seven Nations
• After the Exile
• Divorcing Foreign Wives
• The Jewish and Roman World
• Paul's Warnings
• Intermarriage: How Does This Apply Today?
• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: Polygamy

• Polygamy in the OT
• Marrying Prostitutes
• Samson: a Possible Example
• Polygamy in NT Times
• Monogamy in the OT according to Qumran Judaism
• Monogamy in the OT according to Diaspora Judaism
• Polygamy Criticized by Jesus
• Problems with Widows in the NT
• Polygamy: How Does This Apply Today?
• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Abortion and Child Abuse

• A Personal Note
• Roman Child Abuse
• The Warren Cup
• Jesus on Child Abuse
• The Crime of Skandalizō
• Jewish Safeguards
• Roman Abortion and Infanticide
• Jews and Christians on infanticide
• NT Summary of Ethics for Gentiles
• Blood or Bloodshed?
• The Meaning of Pniktos: Snuffing Out
• A Note on Bible Translations
• Applying Ancient Rules to Modern Life
• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: Homosexuality

• Introduction to Homosexuality
• The Creation Pattern
• Sodom and Gibeah
• ANE Background
• Levitical Laws
• Greek and Roman Background
• Jewish Condemnation of Homosexuality
• Paul on What Is Natural
• Pauline Vice Lists
• What is “Lying with a Male” (Arsenokoitēs)?
• Unit 9 Quiz
• Conclusion: The Importance of Application

Dr. David Instone-Brewer graduated from South Wales Baptist College with the highest marks in that college’s history, and later earned his PhD from Cambridge University, where he studied early rabbinic exegesis. Dr. Instone-Brewer ministered at the Llanishen Baptist Church in Cardiff for five years, and is now research fellow and technical officer for Tyndale House, which is, arguably, among the three best libraries in the world for biblical studies.

Specializing in rabbinic studies, Dr. Instone-Brewer has been a regular contributor to Christianity magazine, and has written several books, including Traditions of the Rabbis from the Era of the New Testament (2 vols.).

BI205 Old Testament Exegesis: Understanding and Applying the Old Testament

• Instructor: Jason DeRouchie
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 15

Embark on a journey of OT Hebrew exegesis with Jason DeRouchie. The books of the OT were the only Scriptures Jesus had. It was books like Genesis and Deuteronomy, Isaiah and Psalms that shaped Jesus’ upbringing and that guided His life in ministry as the Jewish Messiah. It was these Scriptures that Jesus identified as God’s Word and that He considered to be authoritative; it was these Scriptures that He believed called people to know and believe in God and guarded them against doctrinal error and hell. This course will give you the tools you need to access meaning in the OT and then apply it to your life. It will help you to grow in reading God’s living Word for depth and not just distance.

Contents:

Unit 1: Text Boundaries

• Basic Rules for Text Boundaries
• Identifying Text Blocks
• Distinguishing Text Types
• Delimiting Paragraphs
• Transition/Climax Markers
• Markers of Immediate Significance and Inference
• Citation Formulas
• Text Boundaries for Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 2: Text Criticism

• The Nature of Text Criticism: An Overview
• Book Titles, Arrangement, and the Masorah
• The Textual Apparatus
• The Most Important Texts and Versions
• Some Common Scribal Errors
• Guidelines for Text Criticism
• Text Criticism in Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 3: Translation

• Making Your Translation
• Engaging Different Translations and Translation Theory
• The Importance of Day 6 in Genesis 1
• Made for Praise in Zephaniah 3:20
• Translation of Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 4: Grammar

• A Man after God’s Heart? Grammar in 1 Samuel 13:14
• What Is Grammar?
• Clauses and Sentences
• Delimiting Clauses and the Thought Flow of Exodus 19:4
• Markers of Immediate Significance
• The Inference Markers and the Use of וְעַתָּה in Exodus 19:5
• Thought Flow of Genesis 12:1–3
• Verbless Clauses: Subject vs. Predicate
• The Grammar of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4
• Text Blocks, Reported Speech, and Embedded Discourse
• More on Marked and Unmarked Clauses: Part 1
• More on Marked and Unmarked Clauses: Part 2
• Determining the Protasis and Apodosis in Exodus 19:4–6
• The Thought Flow of Exodus 19:4–6
• The Function of כִּי in Exodus 19:4–6
• The Lexham Discourse Hebrew Bible: An Overview
• The Lexham Discourse Hebrew Bible on Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 5: Structure

• Stage 1: Capturing the Logical Relationships
• Logical Relationships in Genesis 12:1–3
• Logical Relationships in Habakkuk 3:17–19
• Logical Relationships in Exodus 19:4–6
• Stage 2: Exegetical Outlining—An Introduction
• Stage 2: Exegetical Outlining—The Process in Genesis 12:1–3
• Exegetical Outline of Habakkuk 3:17–19
• Exegetical Outline of Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 6: Genre

• Defining Genre and Its Relationship to Exodus 19:4–6
• Putting Genre within Its Biblical Context
• Genre Analysis and the OT’s Polemical Theology
• Differences of Genre and the Question of Historicity
• Psalms
• The Variety of the Psalm Genres
• Psalms of Lament, Trust, and Thanksgiving
• Genre Analysis: Benefits and Cautions
• Narrative
• The Distinctive Nature of Biblical Narrative
• Biblical Narratives—Factual History or Myth?
• Guidelines for Interpreting OT Narrative
• Interpreting the Historical Narrative in 1 Kings
• Prophecy
• The Distinctive Nature of YHWH Prophecy
• The Categories of Prophetic Oracles
• Principles for Interpreting OT Prophecy: Part 1
• Principles for Interpreting OT Prophecy: Part 2
• Law as a Subset of Prophecy
• Proverbs
• General Characteristics of Biblical Proverbs
• Reconsidering the Familiar Proverbs
• Are There Ever Absolute Proverbs?

Unit 7: Word Studies

• Understanding Your Lexicons and Theological Wordbooks
• Principles for Using Your Lexicon and Performing Word Studies
• Four Factors to Remember When Doing Word Studies
• סְגֻלָּה (“Treasured Possession”) in Exodus 19:5: Part 1
• סְגֻלָּה (“Treasured Possession”) in Exodus 19:5: Part 2
• זֶ֫רַע (“Seed”) in the OT
• “YHWH” in Zephaniah

Unit 8: Historical Context

• Key Questions for Assessing Historical Context
• Key Spheres in Which to Establish Historical Context
• Shared Assumptions and the Bible’s Clarity
• Engaging Historical Context Errors and Guidelines
• The Historical Context of 1 Samuel 13:14
• Geographical Details in Deuteronomy 1:1
• The Historical Context of Exodus 19:4–6

Unit 9: Literary Context

• Grasping Literary Context
• The Theological Message of Each OT Book (The OT in Ten Minutes)
• The Literary Flow of Psalms
• Psalm 121 in Its Literary Context
• Flow of Thought in the Book of the Twelve
• The Literary Context of Exodus 19:4–6: Part 1
• The Literary Context of Exodus 19:4–6: Part 2

Unit 10: Biblical Theology

• The Presuppositions of Biblical Theology: Part 1
• The Presuppositions of Biblical Theology: Part 2
• Biblical Theology’s Task
• Biblical Theology and Salvation-Historical Connections: Part 1
• Biblical Theology and Salvation-Historical Connections: Part 2
• Biblical Theology and Literary-Canonical Connections
• Biblical Theology and the Relationship of the Testaments
• Biblical Theology and the Centrality of Christ
• The Bible’s Frame, Form, Focus, and Fulcrum
• The Kingdom of Priests in Exodus 19:4–6 and Redemptive History: Part 1
• The Kingdom of Priests in Exodus 19:4–6 and Redemptive History: Part 2

Unit 11: Systematic Theology

• What Is Systematic Theology?
• Systematic Theology and Exodus 19:4–6: Soteriology
• Systematic Theology and Exodus 19:4–6: Missiology
• Ecclesiology and Eschatology in Zephaniah 3:9–10

Unit 12: Pastoral Theology

• The Importance and Challenge of Applying the OT
• Reasons the OT Is Still Important
• The OT Was Written for Christians: Part 1
• The OT Was Written for Christians: Part 2
• Guidelines for Application with a Look at Exodus 19:4–6: Part 1
• Guidelines for Application with a Look at Exodus 19:4–6: Part 2
• The Christian and OT Law
• Establishing the Law’s Relevance for Christians
• Assessing the Threefold Division of the Law
• Guidelines for Applying OT Law
• House Building with Love in Deuteronomy 22:8
• Gender Confusion in Deuteronomy 22:5
• Keeping the Sabbath in Deuteronomy 5:12: Part 1
• Keeping the Sabbath in Deuteronomy 5:12: Part 2
• The Christian and OT Promises
• The Challenge and Necessity of Applying OT Promises to Christians
• Guidelines for the Christian’s Application of OT Promises: Part 1
• Guidelines for the Christian’s Application of OT Promises: Part 2
• Kept in Perfect Peace in Isaiah 26:3: Part 1
• Kept in Perfect Peace in Isaiah 26:3: Part 2
• Preaching Christ and the Gospel from the OT

Jason S. DeRouchie received his PhD at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is associate professor of Old Testament at Bethlehem College and Seminary. He is coauthor of A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew and A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew: Workbook.

BI206 New Testament Exegesis: Understanding and Applying the New Testament

• Instructor: Andy Naselli
• Publication Date: 2016
• Video Hours: 14

When people interpret the Bible, even though they may have the best motives in the world, they can still read their ideas into the Bible rather than draw out what the author originally intended to mean. Don’t miss the whole point of exegesis. It’s to know and worship God. Dr. Naselli will help you exegete the New Testament texts in a way that spreads a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ by exploring the concepts of genre, theology, translation, and much more. Exegesis and theology are thrilling because they help you know and worship God, and only God satisfies.

Contents:

Unit 1: Introduction to Exegesis and Theology

• What Is Exegesis?
• Twelve Steps for Exegesis and Theology
• How Do Exegesis and Theology Interrelate?
• Which Is More Valuable: 10 minutes of Prayer or 10 Hours of Study?
• Why You Should Organize Your Personal Theological Library and a Way How
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 2: Genre: Establish Rules for Interpreting a Passage’s Style of Literature

• Why Start with Genre Instead of Textual Criticism?
• What Are Some General Principles for Interpreting the Bible?
• How Should We Interpret Figures of Speech?
• What Genres Are the Gospels and Acts, and How Do They Relate to Each Other?
• How Should We Interpret the Gospels and Acts?
• How Should We Interpret Jesus’ Parables?
• Example: The Parable of the Prodigal Son
• How Should We Interpret the Epistles?
• How Should We Interpret Revelation?
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 3: Textual Criticism: Establish the Original Wording

• What Is Textual Criticism?
• How Should You Evaluate Variant Readings?
• What about the KJV-Only View?
• Example: “If I Deliver Up My Body That I May Boast” vs “If I Deliver Up My Body to Be Burned”
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 4: Translation: Translate the Greek Text and Compare Other Translations

• Four Qualities That Make a Translation Excellent
• Three Main Approaches to Translation
• How Do Contemporary English Bible Versions Compare?
• Are the NASB and ESV Always More Formal Than the NIV?
• How to Disagree about Bible Translation Philosophy
• What to Do Instead of Bickering about Which Bible Translation Is the Best: Part 1
• What to Do Instead of Bickering about Which Bible Translation Is the Best: Part 2
• Translating Figurative Language and Cultural Issues
• The Importance of Dignified Translations
• Translating with Gender Accuracy
• Footnotes in Bible Translations
• Three Examples: Matthew 6:34, Romans 11:33, and 1 Corinthians 7:1
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 5: Greek Grammar: Words, Phrases, and Clauses

• What Are the Basics of Greek Grammar? (Part 1)
• What Are the Basics of Greek Grammar? (Part 2)
• Identifying and Analyzing Exegetically Significant Words, Phrases, and Clauses
• Analyzing the Nominative Case
• Analyzing the Genitive Case
• Analyzing the Dative Case
• Analyzing the Accusative Case
• Analyzing Articles
• Analyzing Verbal Aspect
• Analyzing Infinitives
• Analyzing Participles: Part 1
• Analyzing Participles: Part 2
• Analyzing Antecedents of Pronouns
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 6: Argument Diagram: Trace the Logical Argument by Arcing, Bracketing, or Phrasing

• Why Tracing the Argument Is the Best Part about Knowing Greek
• How Do Propositions Relate to Each Other?
• Tracing the Argument with an Argument Diagram: Arcing, Bracketing, and Phrasing
• Eight Steps for Phrasing
• Why Phrasing Is My Favorite Method for Tracing the Argument
• Example: Phrasing Peter
• Example: Phrasing Matthew
• Example: Phrasing Jude
• Example: Phrasing Romans
• Example: Phrasing Colossians
• Example: Phrasing Romans
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 7: Historical-Cultural Context: Authorship

• Is “Background Information” Ever Necessary to Understand the Bible?
• Two Examples Where “Background Information” Is Necessary to Understand the Bible
• If “Background Information” Is Necessary to Understand the Bible, Does that Mean that the Bible Isn’t Sufficiently Clear?
• Analyzing the Historical-Cultural Context of a New Testament Book or Passage
• Mirror Reading: Good and Necessary but Dangerous
• What Primary Resources Should You Use to Understand the Historical-Cultural Context?
• Six Ways to Use Jewish and Graeco-Roman Resources Responsibly
• Example: “It Is Easier for a Camel to Go through the Eye of a Needle” (Matt 19:24)
• Example: Rhetoric in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 8: Literary Context: Understand the Role a Passage Plays in Its Whole Book

• What Are the Different Levels of the Literary Context?
• Theological Message of Each Book in the New Testament: The New Testament in 10 minutes
• Four Practical Suggestions for Reading the New Testament in Its Literary Context
• How to Memorize an Entire New Testament Book and Why
• Example: “Judge Not, That You Be Not Judged” (Matt 7:1)
• Example: “I Can Do All Things through Him Who Strengthens Me” (Phil 4:13)
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 9: Word Studies: Unpack Key words, Phrases, and Concepts

• Why Are Word Studies Important?
• Four Steps for Doing a Word Study
• Four Common Dangers to Avoid When Doing Word Studies: Part 1
• Four Common Dangers to Avoid When Doing Word Studies: Part 2
• A Thought Experiment on Poor Commentaries
• Example: συνείδησις (Conscience)
• Example: σάρξ and πνεῦμα (Flesh and Spirit)
• Example: μὴ γένοιτο (God Forbid!)
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 10: Biblical Theology: Integration of the Old and New Testaments

• You Are Here: A Quick Reminder of Where We Are on the Exegetical-Theological Map
• What Is Biblical Theology?: Part 1
• What Is Biblical Theology?: Part 2
• Illustration: Harry Potter and Some Other Stories
• Example: Holiness
• Example: Temple (1 Cor 6:19–20)
• Example: Mystery (Eph 3:1–6)
• Example: Work
• Motivation to Do Biblical Theology
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 11: Historical Theology: Study of Significant Exegetes and Theologians

• What Is Historical Theology, and Who Are Some of the Most Significant Exegetes and Theologians?
• Ten Reasons to Study Historical Theology: Part 1
• Ten Reasons to Study Historical Theology: Part 2
• Example: Keswick Theology
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 12: Systematic Theology: Discern How a Passage Theologically Coheres with the Whole Bible

• What Is Systematic Theology?
• Ten Corresponding Strengths and Dangers of Systematic Theology: Part 1
• Ten Corresponding Strengths and Dangers of Systematic Theology: Part 2
• Ten Corresponding Strengths and Dangers of Systematic Theology: Part 3
• Ten Corresponding Strengths and Dangers of Systematic Theology: Part 4
• Example: What Is the Gospel?
• Example: The Logical Problem of Evil
• Resources for Further Study

Unit 13: Practical Theology: Apply the Text to Yourself, the Church, and the World

• What Is Practical Theology?
• Six Guidelines for Applying the Bible: Part 1
• Six Guidelines for Applying the Bible: Part 2
• Six Guidelines for Applying the Bible: Part 3
• Six Guidelines for Applying the Bible: Part 4
• Example: How Paul Uses Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35
• Example: How Should You Work?
• Resources for Further Study

Andy Naselli serves as Assistant Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology. He teaches courses primarily at the seminary-level on Greek exegesis, New Testament, biblical theology, and systematic theology. He loves to study and teach how the theological disciplines (exegesis, biblical theology, historical theology, systematic theology, and practical theology) interrelate and culminate in doxology.

Andy earned two PhDs before he turned thirty: a PhD in theology from Bob Jones University and a PhD in New Testament Exegesis and Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School under D. A. Carson. He served as Carson’s research assistant from 2006 to 2013 and continues to work with him on various projects, including the theological journal Themelios, for which Carson is editor and Andy is administrator.

Prior to coming to the Bethlehem College & Seminary in 2013, Andy taught New Testament Greek at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he continues to teach Bible and theology as adjunct faculty at several other seminaries.

Andy and his wife, Jenni, have been married since 2004, and God has blessed them with three girls.