City Vision Syllabus · Web view... Davis; Wright 6/12 4 -- 1, 5, 3 3 Listen/View: Davis; Bible Project 6/12 1.5 -- 1, 3, 5 3 Assignment: Exegetical Research Project; Forum 5; Student

Instructor: Dr. Hank Voss Email: [email protected]: (323) 496-4308

Old Testament Survey: The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His KingdomCVC 340

The kind of questions serious young theologians put to us are: How can I learn to pray? How can I learn to read the Bible? Either we can help them to do this, or we can’t help them at all.

Nothing of all this can be taken for granted.Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a 1936 letter to Karl Barth1

This means not only that we need to look at Jesus in the light of the history of the Old Testament, but also that he sheds light backwards on it. You understand and appreciate a journey in the light of its destination. And certainly as you journey through the history of the Old Testament it makes a difference to know that it leads to Jesus and that he gives meaning to it.

Christopher Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, p. 2.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Luke 24:25-27

I. Course Description

The Spirit-breathed Scriptures are anchored on the witness of Jesus of Nazareth. He and he alone provides unity, continuity, and coherence to both the Old and New Testaments, and no one can claim a holistic or accurate view of the Bible without him being central in all phases of exegesis. He is the Bible’s theme (John 5.39-40). In this course we trace some of the significant markers of the OT’s witness to Messiah, and see how those markers provide us with a strong handle on the meaning of the entirety of Scripture.

We will examine the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament through the idea of progressive revelation, as well as consider how the events, institutions, and persons of the OT represent an analogy where we can understand the larger relationship of God with all of the redeemed through Jesus Christ.  Specifically, we will study key character types in the OT with Jesus' roles as a prophet (Moses), priest (Melchizedek), and king (David).  We will also consider the nature and scope of OT Messianic prophecy as it relates to providing us with a clear witness to Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of the promised Christ and his coming Kingdom. Finally,

1Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Meditating on the Word, trans. Gracie David McI. (Cambridge, MA: Cowley, 1986), 22.

1

we will survey the background and context in which the Old Testament books were written, including their historical and cultural setting, and each student will have the opportunity to do an in-depth study on one book as they write an exegetical paper on an Old Testament passage.

II. Course Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the background and context in which the Old Testament books were written, and be able to outline the overall chronology of events in the Old Testament as well as relate those events to the grand arc of redemptive history, culminating in the coming of Christ.

2. Define the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament through the ideas of progressive revelation, the motif of promise-fulfillment, and the idea of Scripture as a single story (e.g. protoevangelium). Students will be able to use these concepts to explain how the OT explains and reveals the NT through the person of Christ (e.g., Augustine’s epigram on the relationship between the two testaments: “In the OT the NT lies concealed; in the NT the OT stands revealed”).

3. Give a clear and simple definition of type, as an object, event, happening, image, or reality that prefigures in the OT a reality in the NT, usually focused on Jesus Christ (as its antitype). Be prepared to discuss major aspects, defend hermeneutical principles, and explain major examples of type (e.g. Flood, Exodus, Passover, Conquest, Tabernacle, Sacrifice and Offerings, Feasts) and character types (Adam, Melchizedek, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Elijah, etc.).

4. Provide a general overview of the basic characteristics of OT Messianic prophecy, show how it relates to Jesus of Nazareth, how it relates to an eschatological ingathering of Gentiles, and how it was understood by the Apostles.

5. Identify how specific scriptural texts have personally shaped their own life during the course as they have participated in spiritual practices such as memorization and meditation upon Scripture.

III. Required Texts

1. Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom . Don L. Davis. 290 pages. Kindle Edition is cheapest, if paperback version is preferred, it is available here. This is a student workbook. It includes both reading assignments as well as outlines for the lectures we will be watching each week.

2. Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament , Christopher J. H. Wright. 256 pages.

2

3. A Popular Survey of the Old Testament , Norman L. Geisler. 299 pages. Kindle version available here. (Geisler #1)

4. To Understand the Bible Look for Jesus , Norman L. Geisler. 128 pages.  Kindle version available here, retitled for e-version as Christ: The Theme of the Bible. (Geisler #2)

IV. Recommended Texts

1. A NIV (kindle version) or ESV (kindle version) Study Bible. A hard copy is also fine and may be preferable if you plan to use the Bible for personal study after this course. If you don’t want to buy a study Bible, you can access a previous version of many of the NIV study notes here.

2. Clowney, Edmund P. The Unfolding Mystery, Discovering Christ in the Old Testament. Second edition. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R Publishing, 2013.

3. Goldsworthy, Graeme. Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000.

4. Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.

5. Longman, III, Tremper. Immanuel in Our Place: Seeing Christ in Israel’s Worship. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2001.

6. Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Craig G. Bartholomew, Daniel J. Treier, and N. T. Wright, eds. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005.

V. Course Outline

Week Weekly Learning Expectations Due Date

MaxHours

Grade Weight

Objective #’s

1 Course Introduction and Relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament

1 Read: Davis; Wright; 5/29 5.8 -- 1, 2

1 Listen/View: Voss; Davis; Lectures at www.bibilcaltraining.org

5/29 5.5 -- 1, 2, 5

1 Assignments: Forum 1; Forum 2; 5/29 6 7% 1, 2

2 One Story and One Protagonist: Christ as the Theme of the OT

3

2 Read: Davis; Geisler #1, Geisler #2 6/5 6.7 -- 1, 2, 3, 5

2 Listen/View: Voss; Davis 6/5 1.5 -- 1, 3, 5

2 Assignment: Forum 3; Forum 4; Student Review Questions; Student Application Questions

6/5 9 8% 3, 5

3 Four Milestone Moments in the OT and their Significance for God’s People

3 Read: Davis; Wright 6/12 4 -- 1, 5, 3

3 Listen/View: Davis; Bible Project 6/12 1.5 -- 1, 3, 5

3 Assignment: Exegetical Research Project; Forum 5; Student Review Questions; Spiritual Formation Assignment #1 (Forum 6)

6/12 12 11% 1, 3, 5

4 Understanding Jesus and the OT Sacrificial System

4 Read: Davis; Geisler 1; Geisler 2 6/19 5.5 -- 1, 3, 5

4 Listen/View: Davis 6/19 .5 -- 1, 3, 5

4 Assignment: Exegetical Project; Student Review Questions; Forum 7; Student Application Questions

6/19 11 8% 1, 3, 5

5 Old Testament People Part 1 (Moses, Melchizedek, and David)

5 Read: Davis; Wright 6/26 3.5 -- 1, 3, 5

5 Listen/View: Davis 6/26 .5 -- 1, 3, 5

5 Assignment: Student Review Questions; Exegetical Project; Forum 8; Forum 9;

6/26 12 9% 1, 3, 5

6 Old Testament People Part 2 (Adam, Joseph, and Joshua)

6 Read: Davis; Geisler 1; Geisler 2 7/3 5 -- 1, 3, 5

6 Listen/View: Davis 7/3 .5 -- 1, 3, 5

6 Assignment: Student Review Questions; Student Application Questions; Ministry Project; Forum 10

7/3 12 12% 1, 3, 5

7 The Old Testament Messianic Hope and Jesus the Christ

4

7 Read: Davis; Wright 7/10 1 -- 1, 4, 5

7 Listen/View: Davis 7/10 .5 -- 1, 4, 5

7 Assignment: Student Review Questions; Exegetical Project; Three Book Reviews; Forum 11; Forum 12

7/10 18 19% 1, 4, 5

8 The Messianic Hope and the Gentiles in the Old Testament

8 Read: Davis 7/17 .5 -- 1, 4

8 Listen/View: Davis 7/17 .5 -- 1, 4, 5

8 Assignment: Student Review Questions; 7/17 13.5 26% 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Overall Total estimated hours based upon 17 hours per week for 8 weeks

135 100%

VI. Course Activities and Times

Grades in this course will be determined by class participation during our forums and google hangout sessions (35%), a final project which will include three book reviews, an exegetical paper, a ministry project, a spiritual formation component, and a self-evaluation (50%), and finally, a course final (15%).

Class Participation 35%Final Project 50%Course Final 15%

Details on these three components are below.

A. Forum Posts

In this course forum posts will be the primary way our class interacts with one another. Learning takes place as students share with one another, learn to dialogue professionally, and together engage in critical thought.

Your instructor places great value on all members of this course becoming a learning community together. A large percentage of your grade (35% or 105 of the total points for the course) will come from your participation in respectful dialogue with your professor and other students via our class forums. We will have twelve opportunities to engage in conversation at a forum during the eight weeks of the course.

5

Forum Expectations

It is important that you do not wait to enter the discussion, as we will have two forums right away during the first week of class. Usually we will have two forum discussions a week, but there will only be one during weeks four and six, and none during the last week of the class.

We expect that students will spend around three hours working on each forum assignment. This means you might take an hour to post an initial message, another hour to read posts from 3+ students (presumes that a student doesn't read every post), and a final hour to post two reply messages.

In a week where we have two forum posts plan to get your initial posts up by Thursday. If you wait longer than that your post may not receive much interaction from other students who have already completed their forum assignment.

Forum Overview

Here is an overview of the twelve forum discussions in this course. All case studies and review questions can be found in your student workbook (Davis).

Week Forum Topic Points/300

1 Forum 1: Project Post: Introduction and background 101 Forum 2: Lesson 1: Segment 1: Student Review Questions From

Student Workbook10

2 Forum 3: Project Post: Core Book Study 102 Forum 4: Case Study "Living as Priests . . .Literally" 103 Forum 5: Project Post: Exegetical and Ministry Project

Descriptions 10

3 Forum 6: Spiritual Formation Post #1 (Genesis 3:15, 12:1-3) 54 Forum 7: Case Study “The Absolute Seriousness of Having Fun in

the Lord”10

5 Forum 8: Case Study: “Types of Christ: Intriguing but not very Practical”

10

5 Forum 9: Spiritual Formation Post #2 (Luke 24:44-48) 56 Forum 10: Case Study “Only the Ones Mentioned in the Bible

Please!”10

7 Forum 11: Case Study “Prophecies and 'Double Fulfillment'” 107 Forum 12: Spiritual Formation Post #3 (Deut 18:15-19) 5

Three Types of Forum Posts

6

In this course you will make three types of forum posts.

1. Project Posts. Three of your posts will be “project posts.” These posts will ask you to share with the class what you are doing for specific projects.

2. Spiritual Formation Posts. Three of your posts will be spiritual formation posts. In this course you will be asked to memorize three Scripture passages. The Spiritual Formation posts will provide a place for you to reflect on your experience of memorization and meditation on the three passages. All together you will have opportunity to interact with your scripture memory passages in three places for credit in this course.

You will receive credit for each of your three forum posts.

You will receive credit for them when you complete chapter five of the final project.

You will receive points for writing them out from memory on your course final during week eight.

Because personal growth in the practices of memorization and meditation upon Scripture are an important objective of this course 15% of your total grade (45 points) is associated with your completion of the spiritual formation components of this course (forum posts, final project, and course final).

Week Due Scripture Memory and Meditation Passage

Week 3 Genesis 3:15 and 12:1-3

Week 5 Luke 24:44-48

Week 7 Deut 18:15-19

3. Case Study Posts. Six of your posts will ask you to apply what you have been learning, both from lectures and your reading, to specific situations that might take place in your local church, ministry, or community. You will need to reflect on how what you are learning might relate to these specific case studies.

Forum Grading

Forum grading will attend carefully to the following items:

7

Length. Forum posts should be 200-400 words although these are not strict limits.

Critical thinking. Students must demonstrate comprehension of the material and achievement of the related learning objectives related to that forum. Be sure to read the learning objectives. Students should demonstrate critical thinking and use outside material researched beyond the assigned readings.

Charitable Listening and Responses. The goal of course forums is to have scholarly dialog among peers combining both the strengths of in-person class discussion and providing concise, professional quality writing (similar to a well thought-out academic or scholarly blog) and responding in a way that adds value to others writings. Even if you disagree with someone, you are expected to express your disagreement with kindness and specific points of disagreement.

Citations. Students are not required to use APA format for references in forum posts, but instead students are encouraged to hyperlink relevant information when possible.

Grading rubric: forums use the same high level grading rubric as the final project:

Content Knowledge (25%) Critical Thinking (25%).

Note: critical thinking is very different from criticism.

Communication (25%) Application (25%)

B. Final Project Template and Instructions

The final project represents fifty percent of your grade (150 points), and it provides an opportunity for you to create a significant portfolio of the work you will do for this class.

The project consists of six chapters which you will begin working on during the second week of class. The six chapters are briefly overviewed in the table below, with more detailed instructions following.

Chapter Title Overview

Chapter 1: Literature Review

Student writes three book reviews; one for each of the three textbooks.

8

Chapter 2: Review and Personal

Application Questions

Student answer review and application questions from the weekly lecture component of the course.

Chapter 3: Exegetical Project

Student writes a five page exegetical paper with at least five sources.

Chapter 4: Ministry Project

Student uses information learned in this course in their church, ministry, or local community and reflect on how the

experience went.

Chapter 5: Spiritual Formation Summary

Student reports on how assignments related to meditation, memorization, and study have impacted them during the

course.

Chapter 6: Course Review and Reflection

Student takes time for self-evaluation, reflection and suggestions in relation to this course.

You will begin working on your final project during the first week of class, and continue to add to it every week of the course. There is a final project template which you can use that should be downloaded now. Take a minute to download it and look over it so you have an idea of what the project will look like.

9

Chapter 1. Reading Report and Book Reviews (1-2 double spaced pages per book)

In Chapter 1 you will introduce yourself with a special emphasis on your relationship to the Old Testament.

Review the introductory forum post you wrote (Forum Post #1) and update any information that has changed since you wrote it eight weeks ago. If any of your classmates gave you helpful feedback, incorporate their insights into your revised introduction. Place your revised introduction as the first component of chapter one.

In this chapter, you will give a report on the % of reading you completed for each book and you will write a book review on each of your three core textbooks (Do not write one for your student workbook).

It is important that you treat these reviews as a professional product. They are not just for yourself, but for other potential readers as well. Decide if you would like to write your review for a general audience, for pastors and ministry leaders, or for theology and biblical studies professors.

If you are want to write for general readers, then write your review as something you would post on Amazon.com. Often these kinds of reviews vary in quality, and your review would be the kind that gets five stars because it is really helpful to other potential readers.

If you want to write for ministry professionals, pastors, or theological students, then think of the review as something you would post on a ministry blog or forum for pastors. Here a few examples, a church planting blog, Scott Mcnight’s blog, and Michael Bird’s blog.

If you want to write for ministry leaders and biblical studies professors you might think of writing the kind of review that is posted in academic journals that review books for pastors, biblical studies and theology professors (like Themelios, the Africanas Journal, the Journal of Urban Missions, or Journal of Biblical Literature). Take some time right now to look at some reviews by clicking on one of these journals and reading one or two reviews that interest you from the current volume of the journal (usually reviews are listed after the articles).

The intent of this assignment is to help solidify your learning, demonstrate understanding of materials and to provide practice in writing effective reviews. Your goal should be to write as helpful a review as possible given your audience, and if this is your first review, it may be simplest to think about a general reader who might come across your review on Amazon.com.

Your review should be between 500 and 750 words. It should cover All The Stuff Really Relevant. This is an acronym for ensuring that your review addresses five important components of a good review.

All The Stuff Really Relevant

10

Author. A few words about who the author is and why they wrote the book.

Thesis. Summarize the thesis of the book in one sentence.

Structure. Describe in broad scope how the book is laid out and what its major sections are.

Review. In a paragraph or less describe what you think the books strengths and weaknesses are. Explain who you think the book is most appropriate for (pastors, college students, church leaders, anyone, etc.)

Remember. One thing you will take away from the book after having read it.

Make sure that you write your review in a respectful tone. And make sure that you accurately identify the thesis and major structural arguments of the book.

The top of your review should always begin with the basic bibliographical information about the book. Use the following format.

Author. Title. Place of Publication. Publisher. Date of Publication. # of pages.

Here is an example of what your Review should look like:

11

Norman Geisler. To Understand the Bible Look for Jesus: The Bible Student’s Guide to the Bible’s Central Theme. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2002. [Orig. 1979]. 128 pages.

1) Author. Two or three sentences about the author and his or her qualifications for writing the book.

2) Thesis. A short paragraph about the big idea of the book. This should include one sentence explaining the thesis of the book, and a few explanatory sentences about why the author things this big idea is important.

3) Structure. A longer paragraph explaining how the book is organized and what is the content of the major sections of the book.

4) Review. This is a paragraph where you write what you think the book did well, and what it could have done better. It is important that you write with respect, and point to specific page numbers when you cite something you disagree with the author about or think he or she could have done better.

5) Remember. Finish off on a positive note. And in a final short paragraph list a couple of things you will remember from the book or things that that you think will be helpful for readers who take the time to work their way carefully through this book.

Chapter 2. Review and Personal Application Questions

In this course you will answer review and personal application courses after each content lecture from Rev. Dr. Don Davis. These questions will take the place of online quizzes and may be answered open book. All of the review and application questions can be found in your student workbook. Your answers to these questions will result in 10% of your final grade.

Each week you will answer between three to ten review and application questions. You should spend no more than an hour on each set of review questions (there will be eight sets of review questions), and no more than two hours on each set of application questions (there will be four sets of application questions).

Week Type of Assignment

Text Assignment Page #s # of Questions

Hours

1 Forum Davis L1:S1 Student Review Questions 28-29 9 12 Assignment Davis L1:S2 Student Review Questions 38-39 7 12 Assignment Davis L1 Student Application Questions 42-43 9 23 Assignment Davis L2:S1 Student Review Questions 71-72 9 14 Assignment Davis L2:S2 Student Review Questions 91-92 9 14 Assignment Davis L2 Application Questions 95-96 10 25 Assignment Davis L3:S1 Student Review Questions 127-128 10 16 Assignment Davis L3:S2 Student Review Questions 143-146 10 16 Assignment Davis L3 Application Questions 149-150 8 27 Assignment Davis L4:S1 Student Review Questions 180-181 10 18 Assignment Davis L4:S2 Student Review Questions 195-196 7 18 Assignment Davis L4 Application Questions 198-200 11 2

The first set of review questions will be done as a forum assignment so you can see how other students are answering the questions, and get feedback on your work. The remainder of your review questions will be included as chapter two of your final project.

Answers to questions should be between three and five sentences. In rare cases you might go a little longer or shorter, but your goal is to normally provide about a paragraph answer to each of the questions. In addition to meeting the basic requirements of the assignment (length of answers, completion of all questions), your answers will be graded according to the standard grading rubric.

12

Content Knowledge (25%) Critical Thinking (25%).

Communication (25%) Application (25%)

Chapter 3. Exegetical Project

We recognize that the Scriptures are God’s potent instrument to equip the man or woman of God for every work of ministry he calls them to (2 Tim. 3.16-17). The exegetical project is the heart of your final project and you should plan to spend approximately twenty hours working on this chapter spread over four weeks during the course.

This chapter is worth 45 points or 15% of your final grade. The description of the project below is adapted from pages 10-11 in your student workbook. In order to complete the requirements for this chapter you must select a passage and do an inductive Bible study (i.e., an exegetical study) upon it.

The study will have to be five pages in length (double-spaced) and deal with one of the four aspects of the Old Testament witness to Jesus Christ which are highlighted in this course. The process you go through as you study this passage is similar to the process many pastors go through each week when they study the text they will be preaching on for the following Sunday. While these busy pastors repeat the study process every week, you have the opportunity to slow down and work on your passage over a longer period so that you can learn how to study the Scripture and communicate your findings with excellence.

Our desire and hope is that you will be deeply convinced of Scripture’s ability to change and practically affect your life and the lives of those to whom you minister. For your exegetical project you can choose any of the following passages:

13

You will need to have selected your exegetical passage by week three. It would be a good idea to look over these seven passages right now and see if any of them particularly grab you as a passage you would like to study in depth.

Purpose

The purpose of this exegetical project is to give you an opportunity to do a detailed study of an Old Testament passage which speaks of the promised Messiah and his ministry. All of the texts above highlight a specific dimension of the Messianic hope, and his particular work. The hope of the Messiah is the heart of the Old Testament message (cf. John 5.37-40; Luke 24.44-49), and doing a detailed study can help you better comprehend the significance of this major biblical theme.

Mastering the OT’s witness to the person of Christ is essential to every dimension of evangelism and pastoral care, and to helping others gain a full appreciation of the work of God. Your ability to make plain to others how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the OT meaning of Scripture and then relate that meaning to the real life concerns of people is the heart of biblical ministry. In this study you are seeking to make clear the meaning of the passage, and also show how the passage’s truth can impact your own personal walk of discipleship and your ministry in the Church and world.

Outline and Composition

14

Possible Exegetical Passages

1. Genesis 12:1-3 (You will also be memorizing this passage).

2. 2 Samuel 7:4-17

3. Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (You will also be memorizing this passage).

4. Psalm 110:1-3

5. Psalm 118:22-23

6. Isaiah 9:6-7

7. Isaiah 53:1-12

This is a Bible study project, and, in order to do exegesis, you must be committed to understand the meaning of the passage in its own setting. Once you know what it meant, you can then draw out principles that apply to all of us, and then relate those principles to life. A simple three step process can guide you in your personal study of the Bible passage:

1. What was God saying to the people in the text’s original situation?

2. What principle(s) does the text teach that is true for all people everywhere, including today?

3. What is the Holy Spirit asking me to do with this principle here, today, in my life and ministry?

Once you have answered these questions in your personal study, you are then ready to write out your insights for your paper assignment. During week two you will be provided with a study outline which you can use to prepare for writing your exegetical paper. If you do a good job answering the questions in the outline, you will be well equipped to write your actual exegetical paper.

As an aid or guide, please feel free to read the course texts and/or commentaries, and integrate insights from them into your work. Make sure that you give credit to whom credit is due if you borrow or build upon someone else’s insights.

You may use in-the-text references, footnotes, or endnotes. Any way you choose to cite your references will be acceptable, as long as you 1) use only one way consistently throughout your paper, and 2) indicate where you are using someone else’s ideas, and are giving them credit for it (See Documenting Your Work for more information). City Vision University usually requires students to use APA so if you are using a different citation system (e.g. Chicago system), be consistent.

Make certain of the following once your exegetical project is completed:

Project is well organized and clearly identifies the main idea of the passage.

Project is the appropriate length and is completed on time.

Project follows the outline given above, clearly laid out for the reader to follow.

Project shows how the passage relates to life and ministry today.

Below is a sample outline for your paper:

15

To sum up the guidelines for chapter three:

Do not let these instructions intimidate you! This is a Bible study project!

All you need to show in this paper is that you studied the passage, summarized its meaning, drew out a few key principles from it, and related them to your own life and ministry.

16

Chapter 3My Title for My Exegetical Paper

Scripture Reference

1. Step 1a: In an introductory paragraph, explain why you choose this passage and list what you believe is the main theme or idea of the text you selected (e.g. the thesis of the passage).

2. Step 1b: Summarize the meaning of the passage (you may do this in three or four paragraphs, or, if you prefer, by writing a short verse-by-verse commentary on the passage). Steps 1a and 1b should be approximately two to three pages.

3. Step 2: Outline one to three key principles or insights this text provides on the Old Testament’s witness to Christ as the Messiah. You can list your principle as the topic sentence of the paragraph, and then explain its significance. Place the principle in bold so it is easily identifiable. This step should be one page or less.

4. Step 3: Tell how one, some, or all of the principles may relate to one or more of the following:

i. Your personal spirituality and walk with Christ ii. Your life and ministry in your local church

iii. Situations or challenges in your community and general society

This step should take one to two pages to write, bringing your total for the exegetical project to five double spaced pages.

5. At the end of your final project include a Bibliography page where you cite five sources that you used for your exegetical project. Bibliographic information for sources you cite in other chapters can also be placed there. Use either APA or Chicago style to cite your references. Do not skip this step! It is very important to cite reliable sources—especially when you are studying the Bible.

You can do it! Tens of thousands of pastors, Sunday school teachers, and church leaders go through this very same process every week!

Chapter 4. The Ministry Project

Our expectation is that all students will apply their learning practically in their own lives and within their ministry responsibilities. The student will be responsible for developing a ministry project that combines principles learned in this course with a real life ministry opportunity.

Purpose

The Word of God is living and active, and penetrates to the very heart of our lives and innermost thoughts (Heb. 4.12). James the Apostle emphasizes the need to be doers of the Word of God, not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. We are exhorted to apply the Word, to obey it. Neglecting this discipline, he suggests, is analogous to a person viewing our natural face in a mirror and then forgetting who we are, and are meant to be. In every case, the doer of the Word of God will be blessed in what he or she does (James 1.22-25).

Our sincere desire is that you will apply your learning practically, correlating your learning with real experiences and needs in your personal life, and in your ministry in and through your church. Therefore, a key part of completing this course will be for you to design a ministry project to help you share some of the insights you have learned from this course with others.

Planning and Summary

There are many ways that you can fulfill this requirement of your study. You may choose to conduct a brief study of your insights with an individual, or a Sunday School class, youth or adult group or Bible study, or even at some ministry opportunity.

What you must do is discuss some of the insights you have learned from class with your audience. (Of course, you may choose to share insights from your Exegetical Project in this module with them.) Feel free to be flexible. Make it creative and open-ended.

By week three you will need to have identified when and where you will be doing your ministry project and share your plan with your classmates in forum five. Plan ahead and avoid the last-minute rush in selecting and carrying out your project.

17

After you have carried out your plan, write a one to two page summary or evaluation of your time of sharing. The summary should follow this outline:

1. The content of what you shared and why you chose it. 2. The place where you shared, and the audience with whom you shared 3. A brief summary of how your time went, how you felt, and how they responded 4. What you learned from the project and what you might do differently next time.

Grading

The Ministry Project is worth 20 points and represents 7% of your overall grade, so make certain to share your insights with confidence and make your summary clear.

Chapter 5. Spiritual Formation Final Reflection

The Spiritual Formation Final Reflection provides an opportunity for you to reflect on how the process of Scripture memorization and meditation has gone for you during the last eight weeks.

You should plan to spend about three hours on this portion of your final project. If possible, find a place where you can be alone as you reflect on this aspect of the course. An ideal setting would be a park or a garden, someplace where you can journal and think while surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation.

In this section of your final project you should reflect for one or two paragraphs on each of the following questions.

1) What new strategies did you employ during the last eight weeks to help you memorize and meditate on God’s word? Which strategies did you find more helpful, which less helpful?

2) Of the three passages that we spent time memorizing and meditating upon, which spoke to you most powerfully? Why was this passage particularly powerful for you at this time? Is there anything you are now doing differently as a result of spending significant time with this passage?

3) Imagine that you recently had the privilege of leading one of your friends to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Your friend is full of joy and enthusiasm for the new life he or she is experiencing in Christ. They ask you how they can begin to memorize God’s word so that they can keep thinking about Jesus’ words while doing daily workouts. What advice would you give on how to begin? What Scripture passages would you encourage them to memorize first?

18

4) Choose one of the following two quotations and reflect on how you might apply it in your own life. Describe how things might look differently at home, with friends, and with your church family if you were applying it in the way you describe.

a. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

b. “Personally, I would never undertake to pastor a church or guide a program of Christian education that did not involve a continuous program of memorization of the choicest passages of Scripture for people of all ages.” Dallas Willard, Spirit of the Disciplines, 150

Chapter 6. Self-Evaluation, Reflection and Contributions for Future Courses (1-2 pages)

This section is to provide room for self-evaluation, reflection and suggestions. Take at least one or two pages to answer the following questions. Please be frank, and use critical minds (but not hearts!) as you provide constructive feedback:

1. Reflect on what you learned during this course and whether it met what you anticipated based on the course’s desired learning outcomes (goals or objectives), as well as your personal goals for the course.

2. Our time is one of the most precious gifts we have been given. One day when we stand before Christ, one of the key questions he will ask us is how we used the time he has given us.

By enrolling in this class, you have chosen to invest significant time developing your mind and ministry for the work God is calling you to do in the church and world. Take some time to reflect on how you spent your time during the past eight weeks, and provide your best estimate on the hours spent in the following four categories.

Week Activity Hours Spent1 Working on this City Vision course

Working on school work for other coursesAttending or serving at Church

Non school or work-related “screen time” (watching TV, playing video games, watching

movies, internet surfing, etc.)2 Working on this City Vision course

Working on school work for other coursesAttending or serving at Church

Non school or work-related “screen time”

19

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

3 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

4 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

5 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

6 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

7 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

8 Working on this City Vision courseWorking on school work for other courses

Attending or serving at ChurchNon school or work-related “screen time”

(watching TV, playing video games, watching movies, internet surfing, etc.)

After completing the chart above, what are your thoughts about the workload for this course? Was it too much? Too little? Is there anything you would change about how you spent your time this past quarter if you had to do it over again?

20

3. Top Ten lists are a popular aspect of our culture. What would be some of the ideas from this course that you would put on a “Top Ten” List? List at least three ideas, principals, or concepts that you will take away from this course.

4. We view all our whole program as an “open source” project where we are looking for students to contribute to make it better for the next group of students. What resources, materials or people would you suggest that might be able to contribute to this course? Any other suggestions for improvement?

Works Cited and Bibliography

Include a Bibliography page where you cite five sources that you used for your exegetical project. Bibliographic information for sources you cite in other chapters can also be placed there. Use either APA or Chicago style to cite your references. Do not skip this step! It is very important to cite reliable sources—especially when you are studying the Bible.

Final Project Formatting

The final project uses the final project template which can be downloaded from week eight assignments. For specific guidance on formatting, see instructions below.

21

C. Course Final

The course final will consist of twenty multiple choice questions, two essay questions, and the scripture passages assigned for memorization during the course.

The multiple choice questions will primarily focus on the lecture content from the weekly assigned lectures. Students can prepare for the final by carefully studying the outlines in the student workbooks.

The essay questions will require you to integrate content from lectures as well as your assigned reading and research conducted throughout the course.

You will also be asked to type your Scripture memorization passages from memory at the end of your final.

Final Component PointsMultiple Choice 20

Essay 10Scripture Memorization 15

Total 45 points(15% of Total Grade)

VII. General Academic Policies

D. Written Work

Except for Class Forum posts, all written assignments should be double-spaced using 12-point font and 1-inch margins, and include a relevant heading (name, date, assignment title), and subheadings where appropriate, which can be viewed in a Navigation Pane.

Please correct spelling and grammatical errors before submitting all assignments. Spelling, grammar, and writing style will be taken into consideration in evaluating written work. Assignments should be submitted to the Course Dropbox within Moodle.

Every assignment should carry a filename that MUST include your name (Student Name) and the assignment number, e.g. Jan_Smith_Minor1.doc Written work must be reflective, balanced, analysis and be well-supported by references.

22

Deep familiarity with the biblical text, especially in the Exegetical Project is important. Work to cite your theological reading when appropriate. Great care must be taken to critically examine an issue from multiple points of view, and then to respond with content and tone that evidences both truth and love. Writing which fails to demonstrate charity will be penalized.

Students should use APA format for references and bibliography. It is recommended that students use a bibliography tool such as Endnote, Zotoro (free), Mendeley (free), etc. If you are unsure of what tool to use, your instructor uses Zotero and recommends it highly. Very informal or highly opinionated writing styles will be severely penalized. You may be a gifted preacher, but these assignments are not the place to exercise that gift.

E. Late Policy

Coursework is scheduled over a seven-day week to provide structure for students residing on six continents. The weekly schedule begins on Monday at 12:01AM US ET (USA Eastern Time), and ends on Sunday at 11:59PM US ET.

● Assignments submitted more than 1 week late (after the following Sunday) will lose 1 letter grade (i.e. "A" becomes a "B").

● Assignments submitted more than 2 weeks late will lose 2 letter grades (i.e. "A" becomes a "C").

● All assignments and quizzes must be submitted by the week after the term ends or they will receive a failing grade.

● Extensions: professors may grant an extension if the student has a prolonged sickness or major family crisis. The length of the extension is up to the professor’s discretion.

● Applications for an extension should be sent to the professor at least 2 or more days before the actual due date. Extensions after a course ends must be submitted via the online extension request form. If an extension is granted, no other courses may be taken until that course is completed.

Week Eight is the last class session with assignments posted. All course work must be completed by the student and submitted to the instructor by Friday of the tenth week of the course. No credit will be given for work submitted after this date.

F. Plagiarism

23

Plagiarism is using another person’s ideas as if they belonged to you without giving them proper credit. In academic work it is just as wrong to steal a person’s ideas as it is to steal a person’s property.

These ideas may come from the author of a book, an article you have read, or from a fellow student. The way to avoid plagiarism is to carefully use “notes” (textnotes, footnotes, endnotes, etc.) and a “Works Cited” section to help people who read your work know when an idea is one you thought of, and when you are borrowing an idea from another person.

If you have questions about what is or is not plagiarism, please ask your instructor. It is much better to be safe then to accidently be caught “stealing.”

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. For more academic policies, please visit: http://www.cityvision.edu/cms/cv/academic-policies

24