New Testament Interpretation I

This course is a general introduction to New Testament (NT) literature, methods of interpretation, and various questions of critical study. It focuses on the life and teachings of Jesus as portrayed in the four canonical Gospels and the growth of the church in Acts of the Apostles. Students will also be introduced to some of the extra-canonical Gospels.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY:

The course is designed to help students acquaint themselves with the history, social, philosophical, and religious contexts of the Greco-Roman world and of Judaism contemporaneous with the beginnings of Christianity. A deeper understanding of Christian origins will enhance students’ teaching and preaching of the NT.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students who successfully complete this course will:

Gain competence in biblical studies for vocational ministry and leadership in other public life settings.

• Gain a deeper understanding of the NT books as primarily faith—and to a less extent as historical—documents of early Christianity.

• Be furnished with a critical understanding of the theological, historical, and ethical content of the NT.

• Be equipped with the capacity to use their knowledge of the NT to interpret, critique, and transform the culture in which they find themselves.

• SLOs: 1.1.1-2, 1.2.2, 1.3.1, 1.4.1-2, 1.5.1-3, 1.6.1-2, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.1, 2.4.1-2, 2.5.1-2, 3.1.1-2, 3.2.2, 3.3.1, 3.4.1-2, 3.5.1-2

COURSE FORMAT:

Class time will be a blend of lectures, dialogues, and discussions of how to integrate insights from this course in ministry application. Students should expect to work 3 hours each week for each credit hour of class taken—a total of 9 hours on the coursework.

REQUIRED READING:

Aymer, Margaret, et al., eds. Fortress Commentary on the Bible:

The New Testament. Fortress, 2014. ISBN 978-0-8006-9917-8. Pub. Price: $39.00.

Brown, R. E. An Introduction to the New Testament. Doubleday, 1997. ISBN 0-385-24767-2. Pub. Price: $35.60.

Coogan, M. D, et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Oxford, 1998. ISBN 0-19-528485- 2. Pub. Price: $49.99.

Johnson, Luke T. The Writings of the New Testament. Fortress, 2010. ISBN 978-8006-6361-2. Pub. Price: $35.95.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Attendance and participation, reading of required materials – 10%

Written paper (12-15 pages, excluding bibliography) – 40%;

Midterm – 20%;

Final exam – 30%

PREREQUISITES:

TP 2101; B1703; and for MDiv and MTS students, B1705

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:

This course meets a core curriculum requirement for the MDiv, MTS, and MCL degrees. It could be an elective for the GCCL degree.