Course objectives
To prepare leaders of new discipleship groups and church plants to “rightly divide the word of truth” through simple and practical tools of Biblical interpretation (hermeneutics).
Course description
This course explores several approaches to Bible study, including analysis of the text, book study, study of a topic, and character study in a simple overview of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation). The course introduces to students the principles of observation, interpretation and application by means of a study of 1 Peter. Students are then expected to apply those principles in a study of Philemon.
Learning Outcomes
Contents: By the end of the course, the student will be able:
- To present the five general principles of dynamic Bible study.
- To explain the four Bible study methods used to study 1 Peter in this course.
- To explain general principles for interpreting a specific passage of Scripture.
Character: By the end of the course, the student will demonstrate:
- Sensitivity to the dangers of misinterpreting scripture, or using it in ways that justify one’s own position in contradiction to the original context and meaning of a passage.
- An appreciation for applying the scripture in practical ways, rather than merely studying for the sake of “head knowledge.”
- A thirst for knowledge of God’s Word “as the deer pants after water in a dry and thirsty land.”
Competency: By the end of the course, the student will be able:
- To take into consideration the biblical, historical, cultural, and linguistic context of a passage when facilitating a Bible study.
- To use the following Bible study tools: concordance, Bible dictionary, cross references, commentaries, and Bible atlas.
- To model how to identify an author’s purpose in writing by explaining the purpose of 1 Peter.
- To apply the message of a passage of Scripture to his/her own context and time period.
- To find the main idea of a given biblical text.
- To apply thematic study of scripture to a specific concept.