Introduction to the New Testament

BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP EQUIPPING SCHOOL FOR SERVANTS (BLESS)

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT SYLLABUS
Sept 1 – Nov 3, 2022 (Every Thursday, 6-9pm)
Dr. Nomer Bernardino

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION.

This introductory course will usher the students to an intelligent and delightful study of some representative books of the New Testament. The lesson and skill acquired will assist them in studying the remaining books of the New Testament. This course hopes to inspire the students to carefully observe, properly interpret and relevantly apply the book or letter to one’s life and ministry. Each book is regarded as inspired Word of God and will be studied through the lenses of historical, grammatical, literary, theological and gospel contexts.

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES

A. To encourage the students to prayerfully do a PERSONAL study of some representative books of the New Testament to discover for themselves their respective message, structure, highlights and life transforming application.

B. To introduce new students, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to contextual, analytical and Christ-centered study of representative books of the New Testament so they can apply the principles and skills learned in class in exegeting the other books of the Bible.

C. To assist the students to see the biblical contexts of specific and popular passages in those books they want to study for teaching and preaching.

III. ASSIGNMENTS

A. You are encouraged to do your PERSONAL assignments as early as possible and not just the day before the class.

If you have to miss an assignment or two, do not be disheartened. You do not even need to submit a late assignment, proceed to the next one. I will consider only 8/12 highest graded assignment in the counting of your final grade.

B. Prayerfully read the assigned book observant of the structural flow and literary clues that will help you understand the thrust or theme of the book.

C. The Basic Contents of Your Assignments. Students who attended my OT Introduction Class knew about this, but for new students, do not worry, I will demonstrate it later using the Gospel of Matthew.
The Content includes –

1. Important Issues – minimum 4, maximum 5 issues. Support briefly why you think each one is a key issue in the book

2. The Literary Outline of the Book, not more than 7 major points, put the corresponding passage or chapters per point.

3. One sentence Theme of the Book/Letter. Or, one sentence suggestion why the book or letter was written.

4. What the author highlighted about Jesus in his book/letter, 1 or 2.

5. Optional: If you encounter a major difficulty or question while reading or studying the book/letter, feel free to include it, 1 or 2.

D. The Basic Content of Inspirational Talk Outline – This talk will give an explanation or exposition of a topic or theme from the book under study and its encouraging and relevant application to the present. Here is the Talk Outline. Note it is not a manuscript (for yourself) but outline (1 page will do)

1. The Title – Appealing or Attention Getting to our Present Context
The Main Passage(s) you will use from the Book under Study
2. Introduction – One sentence
3. The Outline – How the theme is developed with the corresponding
Passage(s) or verse (s)
4. Conclusion – The Ending Application (1 or 2 sentence, it can be a
Challenge, Invitation, Prayer).

E. You are discouraged from consulting Study Bibles, New Testament Introduction, Survey, Commentaries books and internet resources BEFORE doing your assignment. But AFTER you have done your assignments, you may do so, if you have the time.

F. If ever you really liked what you read from the secondary materials and want to include it in your assignment, it’s alright. I just require the students to put your source in the footnote. In the footnote, please include the author and title of the article or book, year published/copyrighted, page or link.

G. The weekly assignment can be 1-2 page long, except the final assignment. Email your assignment by 12 Noon Wednesday at nomerbernardino@gmail.com. Assignment submitted after that will no longer be graded.

CLASS SCHEDULE (Thursdays, 6-9pm)

• Sept 1 – Introduction to the NT and example of the Gospel of Matthew
  • Assignment 1 – Gospel of Mark (16 chs.), due Sept 7, 12noon
  • Do Items # C1-4 in the Assignment Contents
• Sept 8 – Discussion on the Gospel of Mark
  • Assignment 2 – Gospel of John (21 chs.), due Sept 14, 12noon
  • Do Items # C1-4 in the Assignment Contents
  • Additional: Why was there a need for Four Gospels, will not one suffice? How would you explain to a non-Christian some differences in the accounts of the Gospels in some stories?
• Sept 15 – Discussion on the Gospel of John
  • Assignment 3 – Acts (28 chs.), due Sept 21, 12noon
  • Do Items # C 1-4 in the Assignment Contents
  • Additional: For your own file: See the progress of the spread of
  • The Gospel. Trance the 3/4 Missionary Travels of Paul and Co.
• Sept 22 – Discussion on the Book of Acts
  • Assignment 4 – Romans (16 chs.), due Sept 28, 12noon
  • Do Items # C 1-4 in the Assignment Contents
• Sept 29 – Discussion on the Letter to the Romans
  • Assignments 5 & 6 – 1,2 Thess (5+3 chs.), due Oct 5, 12noon
  • Do Items # C 1-4 in the Assignment Content for each letter
  • Additional: Inspirational Talk Outline from any passage from 1&2 Thessalonians
• Oct 6 – Discussion on the 1st and 2nd Letters to the Thessalonians
  • Assignments 7 & 8 – 1,2 Tim (6 +4 chs.), due Oct 12, 12noon
  • Do Items # C 1-4 in the Assignment Content for each letter
  • Additional: Make a Lecture on How to Disciple the Pauline Way
  • Clue: How did Paul disciple Timothy (See Acts and Timothy)
• Oct 13 – Discussion on 1st and 2nd Letters to Timothy
  • Assignment 9 – James (5 chs)
  • Do Items # 1-4 in the Assignment Contents
  • Additional: Is not James (2:14-26) contradicting Paul in the issue of Justification by faith (e.g. Rom 3:21-26; 5:1-2; Gal 2:15-21; 3:6-14)? Explain (not more than 1 page please, no need to copy that texts, I will only look for your explanation)
• Oct 20 – Discussion on the Letter of James
  • Assignment 10 and 11 – 1,2 Peter (5 +3 chs.)
  • Do Items #1-4 in the Assignment Contents
  • Additional: Do a simple Inspirational Talk on the Topic of Christian Suffering from 1 &2 Peter. Submit only the Outline
• Oct 27 – Discussion on the 1st and 2nd Letters of Peter
• Assignment 12: FINAL PAPER – The Book of Revelation
• Part 1 – Do items # 1-4 in the Assignment Contents.
• Part 2 – Choose one from the three options below, study and explore. Here you are encouraged to consult extra Biblical resources such as Bible Commentaries, Studies, and Internal articles. But again, please put source(s) when you use them in your paper.
  • Choose a church in Rev 2-4, do an Inspirational Talk about that church, with relevant application today. Submit only the Outline of that Talk
  • Do an Inspirational Talk about the Beast from the Sea (Rev 13 onwards). Submit only the Outline of the Talk
  • Do an Inspirational Talk about the Glorious Comfort of our heavenly home. Submit only the Outline of the Talk.
• Nov 3 Sharing on the lessons learned from the Book of Revelation
  • Class and Teacher Evaluation

VI. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

A. If you attended the course for at least 7 sessions, whether for Audit or Credit, you will be given a Certificate of Attendance.

B. If you submitted at least 8 assignments and your standing is 75% and up, you will be given instead a Certificate of Completion and a final grade.

C. The final paper is equivalent to 2 assignments.

D. Grading will be based on the following

1. Submission of Weekly Assignments – 80%
2. Submission of the Final Paper – 20%
3. Total 100%

V. SOME BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION

• Achtemeier, Paul J, Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001.
• Bailey, Mark, and Tom Constable, Nelson’s New Testament Survey: Discover the Background, Theology and Meaning of Every Book in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999.
  Barr, David L. New Testament Story: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1995.
• Beker, J. Christiaan. The New Testament: A Thematic Introduction. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1994.
• Boring, M. Eugene. An Introduction to the New Testament: History, Literature, Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.
• Burge, Gary M., Lynn H. Cohick, and Gene L. Green. The New Testament in Antiquity: A Survey of the New Testament within Its Cultural Contexts. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.
• Caird, G. B. New Testament Theology. Edited by L. D. Hurst. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1994.
• Carson, D. A, Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992.
• Childs, Brevard S. The New Testament as Canon: An Introduction. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1985.
• Drane, John. Introducing the New Testament. 3rd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010.
• Dunn, James D. G., ed., New Testament Theology [The complete series from Matthew to Revelation is treated using a book by book format of exposition.]. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991-2003.
• Filson, Floyd V. A New Testament History. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1964.
• Finegan, Jack. The Archaeology of the New Testament: The Life of Jesus and the Beginning of the Early Church. Rev. ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992.
• Geisler, Norman L. A Popular Survey of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007.
• Gromacki, Robert G. New Testament Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008.
• Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament. 5th ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
• Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. 4th ed. Leicester, UK: Apollos, 1990.
• Hagner, Donald A. The New Testament: A Historical and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2012.
• Hendriksen, William. Survey of the Bible. Durham, UK: Evangelical Press, 1995.
• Lea, Thomas D., and David Alan Black. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. 2nd ed. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2003.
  Marshall, I. Howard. New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel. Downers Grove, IL: Inter- Varsity Press, 2004.
• Mc Ray, John. Archaeology and the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1991.
• Metzger, Bruce M. The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1987.
• Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009.
• Puskas, Charles B. An Introduction to the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989.
• Riches, John K. A Century of New Testament Study. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1993.
• Schnelle, Udo. Theology of the New Testament. Translated by M. Eugene Boring. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009.
• Schreiner, Thomas R. New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008.
• Scott, J. Julius, Jr. New Testament Theology: A New Study of the Thematic Structure of the New Testament. Fearn, Ross-shire, UK: Mentor, 2008.
• Stewart, Robert B., ed. The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart D. Ehrman and Daniel B. Wallace in Dialogue. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011.
• Tenney, Merrill C. New Testament Survey. Revised by Walter M. Dunnett. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1985.
• Thielman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.
• Towns, Elmer L. and Ben Gutierrez, eds. The Essence of the New Testament: A Survey. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2012.
• Wright, N. T. The New Testament and the People of God. London, UK: SPCK, 1992.
• Zuck, Roy, ed. A Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1994.