In Reading the Bible as a Complete Story Chip Bennett and Warren Gage teach that the Bible’s sixty-six book collection is ultimately the profound work of a divine author and tells one story with Jesus as the central theme. Drs. Bennett and Gage argue that such a reading of the Bible is consistent with the context of other Hellenistic literature, which leads us to understand Scripture as a beautiful, poetic comedy that ends in a divine marriage between Christ and His bride, the church. Such an Alexandrian reading of the Bible does not contradict but rather complements a traditional historical-grammatical hermeneutic, providing a more holistic reading of Scripture and opening up entirely new vistas in understanding the Bible.
Upon successful completion you should be able to:
Summarize the story line of the Bible
Explain what an Alexandrian reading of Scripture looks like, and provide illustrations from the Bible
Discuss major themes found in Scripture, including the themes of third day resurrection, the transition from suffering to glory, and the bride of Christ, and trace them through both the Old and New Testaments
Explain the genre of Scripture from a Hellenistic perspective and compare it to traditional fairy tales in folk literature
Demonstrate how to see Christ in all of Scripture
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and Course: Chip Bennett
Introducing the Speaker and Course: Warren Gage
Unit 1: The Story of the Bible: An Introduction
Can We Read the Bible as a Book Written by a Single Author?
What Do the Beginning and Ending of the Bible Tell Us About Its Story?
The Wedding Theme of Scripture
The Center of the Story and the Central Conflict
The Ending of the Story
Unit 2: Old Testament Introduction
The Old Testament Contribution to the Story of the Bible
The Pattern of the Fall of David’s Kingdom and Our Deliverer
Unit 3: New Testament Introduction
The New Testament Contribution to the Story of the Bible
The Hero as Israel’s Messiah and Redeemer of the World
The Open Door to the New World
The Resurrection and the Redemption of All Things
Unit 4: Finding Christ's Suffering and Glory in All the Scriptures
An Alexandrian Reading of Daniel 6
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Introduction
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Joseph
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Moses
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Mordecai
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Christ
Suffering and Glory in the Bible: Believers
Unit 5: Raised the Third Day According to Scripture
Third-Day Resurrection in the Old Testament: Genesis
Third-Day Resurrection in the Old Testament: Moses and the Exodus
Third-Day Resurrection in the Old Testament: David and the Kings
Third-Day Resurrection in the Old Testament: The Prophets and Esther
Unit 6: The Comedy of Holy Scripture
From Suffering to Glory in the Old Testament
Metaphors of Salvation in the Old and New Testaments
Unit 7: The Bridal Themes of Scripture
The Bride of Christ: Introduction
An Old Testament Portrait of the Bride of Christ
Excursus: Fairy Tales
Portrait of the Bride of Christ: The Redemption of Mary Magdalene
The Bride’s Redemption: The Story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well
Rebekah’s Engagement to Isaac at the Well
Rachel’s Engagement to Jacob at the Well
The Samaritan Woman at the Well of Sychar
John’s Vision of the Bridal City: Part 1
John’s Vision of the Bridal City: Part 2
Conclusion
Conclusion to the Course
Title: BI202 Reading the Bible as a Complete Story
Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio (forthcoming), and video resources
Courses: 1
Video Hours: 4
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Chip Bennett is an online professor at Knox Theological Seminary, where he earned his DMin and MA. Both an academic and a pastor, Dr. Bennett serves as an adjunct professor teaching systematic theology and New Testament exegesis at Southeastern University and as a member of the Residential Faculty of the Alexandrian Forum, and he is the founding senior pastor of Grace Community Church in Sarasota, Florida. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion.
Warren A. Gage is founder and President of the Alexandrian Forum. He received his PhD and MA from the University of Dallas, his ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, and his JD from SMU Dedman School of Law. Previously, Dr. Gage served as Professor of Old Testament and Dean of Faculty at Knox Theological Seminary. While at Knox, he founded and directed the Christianity and Classical Studies graduate program. Dr. Gage is an ordained minister in the PCA and has authored numerous books and both scholarly and popular-level articles.
Interesting introduction into oft-neglected concepts. We gain valuable insight into what God is like and how he works as we see repeated patterns in scripture: God has done this before! The instructors work their way through the typologies shown in the course outline above, briefly pointing to insights that become clear when we apply this kind of discipline. There are many additional typologies in Scripture. This is a good launching point to help us think about them and recognize them.
Extraordinary. I only wish it was longer. I doubt I ever would have picked this course from the description alone. I subscribe to Mobile Ed from time to time and am often surprised by those courses that I am not excited about at first and how they often end up being one of the most valuable of what I have surveyed. I just finished the videos and have just finished weeping. I was ministered to so deeply by the last part of the course. Some of the introductions had me wondering what was to come in the following section and then deep truths of connection would come forth that would give me deeper appreciation of Christ and the entire biblically story. So often, I have seen the church reactionary in theological bent-- our human nature, I suppose. The bible is a gem with many facets. I am happy to have discovered another. May God keep us out of the ditches and draw us deeper into understanding and relationship with Him. This course has lots of reference readings to the Ancient Christian Commentary set, which I do not yet own, but have on my radar for the future.