WESTERN SEMINARY

                                                         Portland, Oregon  97215

 

                                     BLS 502 and BLS 512 (Prophets and Gospels)

 

                                                             Fall Semester 2003

                                                              J. Carl Laney, Th.D

 

Course Purpose

 

This course is designed to help the student know the major themes and developments with biblical history and to understand the "big picture" of God's redemptive program.

 

Course Description

 

In this course you will learn the historical background of each of the prophets and become acquainted with their distinctive contribution and modern relevance. After examining the prophecies concerning the Messiah, you will see how they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Our focus in the Gospels will be on Matthew and John. You will study Jesus' teachings, miracles, and parables with consideration given to present day application. Four semester hours credit.

 

 

Course Goals and Objectives 

 

1.  The student will have a meaningful experience in studying God's Word and grow spiritually.

 

To achieve this we will give attention to the practical application of biblical principles, practicing the "fear of the Lord."  

 

2.  The student will master the basic introduction of each book studied.

 

To achieve this goal, the student will learn the theme, purpose, theological contribution and contemporary relevance of each book.

 

3.  The student will be able to interact with the major interpretive and critical problems of the books surveyed.

 

To accomplish this, the student will receive class notes and participate in class discussion on these issues.  

 

4.  The student will know the major themes and developments in God's plan for the ages.


To achieve this, the student will be able to define the eschatological Day of the Lord and outline the prophetic events of that period. The student will also be able to explain Jesus' teaching concerning the "kingdom of God" and the development of that theme in the gospels.

 

5.  The student will know the the historical backgrounds of the Prophets and the Gospels. 

 

To achieve this, the student will be learn the basic outline of Israel's history, the chronological order of the prophets, and the dates and major events associated with the life of Christ.

 

6. The student will become familiar with the literature of the books studied in this course.

 

To accomplish this goal the student will be able to explain the relationship between the prophets and the covenant form, including prophetic lawsuit speeches and the rib motif.

 

 

Course Texts

 

Required:       New American Standard Bible

                        Robert Hughes and J. Carl Laney, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

 

Helpful:           J. Carl Laney, Answers to Tough Questions

J. Carl Laney, Concise Bible Atlas

 

 

Course Requirements - BLS 501

 

1.  Maintain a record of your reading and report in on the last class day of fall semester, Friday, December 12th.  

 

Required reading (mastery level; 20 pages per hour) includes the Prophets and Gospels, Young=s Jesus, the Jewish Theologian, and class handouts.  Estimated: 40 hours 

 

2.  Complete preparation for each class. Preparation includes reading the Scripture section, the class notes, and writing a response to the study questions.  A check list will be provided to record your preparation. The check list must be turned in on the last day of class, Thursday, December 11th.

 

3.  Participate in four Bible Reviews which will measure your mastery of the course objectives and help you prepare for the final exam. To receive credit for the Bible Reviews, they must be turned in with the week after they are distributed. The final exam will be taken on December 11th, the last day of class. 

 

4. Complete a course project designed to accommodate the educational needs and specific interests of the student. The introduction and outline is due October 14th. The completed project is due November 25th. You may select from three options:

 

Expositional: Prepare an exposition of a biblical text. Suggested texts include Isaiah 53:4-6, Jer. 31:31-34, Micah 6:6-8, Matt. 15:21-28 or 22:23-33. In addition to your explanation of the text, making some reference to the Hebrew or Greek original, demonstrate it's relevance and practical application. Suggested length: 10-12 pages. 

 

Educational: Prepare a lecture or Bible study. The lecture should include an outline of the text, comments, treatment of problem issues, visuals, and application. Prepare material suitable for a 50 minute presentation.

 

Academic: Write a research paper or exegesis of a biblical passage. This project should take you to the library resources to consult the journals and commentaries. Your presentation should follow the academic style of journal articles. Be sure to include footnotes and a bibliography. Suggested length: 10-12 pages.

 

Whichever approach you choose, your paper must include an introduction, an outline of the biblical text, a summary statement of the biblical principles or truths discovered in your text, a discussion of the practical application of the text, and a bibliography of resources on the text or subject you have written about. 

 

This project is worth 40 points total, including the introduction and outline. The highest grades will be reserved for the top papers which are clearly exceptional.  All late papers (no exceptions) will be reduced by 20% (8 points). Papers over a week late will be reduced another 10% (4 points).

 

 

Evaluation

 

Course grading will be done on a point and percentage system.

 

Project: 40%     Bible Reviews: 40%      Final: 10%          Preparation 10%

 

100-96 = A                 95-91 = B                   90-86 = C                   85-80 = D

 

Reading: The student is required to complete all the assigned reading. Failure to complete the reading will result in a reduction of the semester grade by one grade level.

 

Late Work: Students are expected to submit their Bible reviews on the date due, one week after they are distributed. All late reviews will be penalized by 10% reduction of the maximum possible points.

 

Incompletes:  According to Western Seminary policy, in cases of serious illness or family emergency an instructor may grant an incomplete providing a maximum extension of six weeks to finish the semester's work.  Incompletes are not granted for reasons of a student=s inability to manage their time. The granting of an incomplete does not remove the penalties for late work.       

 

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes to benefit from the lectures, discussion and visual presentations. While an occasional absence may be necessary due to illness or family emergency, regularly tardiness or absence will be reflected in the student=s semester grade.

 

 

Course Schedule      (Reading should be completed in preparation for the class lecture)

 

Date                                        Bible Text                               Lecture Topic                                   

 

September 2                         Obadiah                                Introducing the Prophets      Obadiah: Problems with Pride

 

September 4                         Joel & Jonah                          Joel: Living with Locusts

Jonah: A Whale of a Tale

 

September 9                         Amos & Hosea                      Amos:  The Social Gospel?

Hosea: The Prophet's Marriage

 

September 11                       Isaiah 1-39                             The Immanuel Prophecies              

 

September 16                       Isaiah 40-66                           The Servant Songs                          

 

September 18                       Micah, Nahum                       Micah: The Barefoot Prophet

Nahum: Jonah's Favorite Book

Bible Review (Obadiah-Micah)

 

September 23                       Zephaniah                              Zephaniah: Hidden of Yahweh

Habakkuk                               Habakkuk: the Problem of Doubt

 

September 25                       Jeremiah 30‑33                     Jeremiah and the New Covenant


                                                           

September 30                       Daniel 1‑6                              Daniel's Experiences

 

October 2                               Daniel 7‑12                            Daniel's Visions

 

October 7                               Ezekiel 1‑24                          Ezekiel: Prophet of Pantomime

 

October 9                               Ezekiel 33‑48;                       Ezekiel: Israel's Future

 

October 14                             Hag. Zech.                             Restoring and Rebuilding

Malachi                                   Bible Review (Nahum‑Malachi)

 

October 16                             Matt. 1-2                                 Birth of Christ                                    

 

October 21                             Matt. 3-4                                 Baptism & Temptation                    

                        

October 23                             Matt. 5-10                               Sermon on Mount; Miracles      

 

October 28                             Matt. 11-13                Rejection, Parables

 

October 30                             Matt. 15-19                            The Church; Divorce                        

 

November 4                           Matt. 20-25                            Olivet Discourse

                             

November 6                           Matt. 26-27                            Passover, Arrest & Trial

                   

November 11             Matt. 27-28,                           Crucifixion & Resurrection

                                    Mark 16                                  Last Twelve Verses of Mark

                                                                                                Bible Review (Matthew)

                      

November 13                         John 1-2                                 John's Prologue, First Miracle        

 

November 18                         John 3-4                                 Two Strategic Interviews                 

 

November 20             John 5-6                                 Controversy over Miracles

 

November 25                         John 7-9                                 Conflict at the Feast of Tabernacles

Project Due                         

 

November 27             Thanksgiving - No Class!

 

 

December 2                          John 10-12                            The Hour of Crisis

Bible Review  (John)

 

December 4                          John 13-15                             Upper Room Discourse

 

December 9                          John 15-19                             Consummation of Belief

 

December 11                        John 20-21                             Confirmation of Belief

 

Class Prep checklist due

Final Exam

 

December 12                        Reading Report Due

 

 

Bibliography

 

Prophets

 

H. L. Ellison, The Old Testament Prophets

Charles Feinberg, The Minor Prophets

Walter C. Kaiser, Micah through Malachi

 J. Carl Laney, Zechariah

 __________, Answers to Tough Questions

 __________, Messiah's Coming Temple

Leon Wood, A Survey of Israel's History

 

Gospels

 

F. F. Bruce, New Testament History

Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Harold Hoehner, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ

______________, Herod Antipas

Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus

J. Carl Laney, The Gospel of John

____________, Answers to Tough Questions

A. H. M. Jones, The Herods of Judaea

J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ

W. Graham Scroggie, A Guide to the Gospels

R. L. Thomas & Stanley N. Gundry, A Harmony of the Gospels

N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus

 

 

 

                                    ASSIGNED READING AND READING REPORT 

 

 

                                                                        Name________________

Box   __________

 

 

Due: Friday, December 12th

 

Record the date completed.

 

If incomplete, record the approximate percentage completed.

 

Obadiah   ______________           Nahum      ________________

 

Joel      ______________               Zephaniah  ________________

 

Jonah     ______________             Habakkuk   ________________

 

Amos      ______________            Daniel     ________________

 

Hosea     ______________            Ezekiel    ________________

 

Isaiah    ______________              Haggai     ________________

 

Micah     ______________             Zechariah  ________________

 

Jeremiah  ______________          Malachi    ________________

 

Matthew   ______________           John         ________________    

 

 

The Concise Bible Commentary     _________________         

 

            Class Handouts                                 _________________