Introduction to Biblical Interpretation Bundle (4 courses)

by Michael S. Heiser; Logos Mobile Education; Craig S. Keener; Jeannine K. Brown

and

1 more

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2013–2022

Overview

Become a more informed reader of the Bible with Mobile Ed’s Introduction to Biblical Interpretation Bundle. These four courses will introduce you to important principles for interpreting the Bible. You’ll understand the importance of reading the Bible in its literary, historical, and worldview context, learn to recognize and interpret the various literary genres used through both the Old and New Testaments, and see how the various books of the Bible fit together to tell a single unifying story.

Product Details

• Title: Introduction to Biblical Interpretation Bundle
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education
• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
• Courses: 4
• Video Hours: 18

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.

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..

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.