This is an ongoing weekly/fortnightly series, based on the material in my Adult Education class at the church I attend. I have a particularly bright group, with many difficult (but honest) questions and we often get 'way off track'. But we cover many of the more difficult issues in the Christian worldview. The class title is "God's Witness in History--the miracle of the Bible" and it began in the fall of 1994.
I have entered the original syllabus, breaking it up into smaller-size chunks, and will be adding some feeble (but explanatory) prose as fast as I can. The general theme of the class concerns God's communication to humanity; future directions will expand into theological method and Christology.
(If you live in the San Jose CA area, and would like to visit us, we are at the Palo Alto Pennisula Bible Church.)
Meta-Course Things (of course!)
- Course Description
- Course Objectives
- Who should attend this course
- Final Exam!
- Introduction--the concept of revelation
- The Human setting in which it would occur
- The possible "Other Side" setting from which it might occur
- If it 'occurred', what might it look like?
- Excursus: How we "process" communication
- Other means of revelation other than the Scripture
- The Christian revelation in history: the recording
- The Christian revelation in history: the recognition of the canon
- The Christian revelation in history: the preservation of the data (OT)
- The Christian revelation in history: the preservation of the data (NT)
- Translation, Preaching, and Theological Development in History
- Inspiration and Illumination: What they ARE and ARE NOT
- Inerrancy, the Data of Scripture, and the Approach of Honest Faith
- Hermeneutics and "Scripture Twisting"
- Important Distinctions within the doctrine of revelation
- Sola Scripturavs. Tradition
- The Clarity of Scripture vs. the "Hidden-ness" of God's Disclosure
- Skeptical Arguments of our Day
- Skeptical Arguments of our Day-Part II
- Course Implications for our Lives
God's Witness in History: The Miracle of The Bible--This Adult Education Elective is designed to examine the recent data, arguments, and issues around a central theme in historic Christianity: that God spoke into history and produced a written record of that for use by subsequent generations of the community of the faithful. There are many skeptics and anti-Bible arguments today, but God has left a faithful record of his work for the believer. This course will attempt to establish the central concepts in the doctrine of revelation and how they can be understood and communicated in today's world.
Objectives of the Course
- To develop a greater appreciation for the reliability of God's word
- To be able to think clearly and critically about modern day objections against the revelation of God in history
- To develop a clearer understanding of how much God desires to communicate with us, as indicated by the awesomeness of His revelatory process
- To develop greater humility and submission before God's Holy Word, resulting in more commitment, more consistent obedience, and greater depth of appreciation of God in worship
Who Should Attend This Course
- Professionals who encounter skeptical arguments against the Bible in their work settings
- Students who will be taking Religion courses in their schools
- Active Believers who study the Bible regularly and seek to understand it for applying to their lives
- Christians with intellectual questions and/or doubts about the Bible as God's Word
- Bible Students who want an 'update' on the current issues and data in this area
- Concerned parents of any of the above!
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