INFORMATION ABOUT THIS UNIT

Description

/ This is the first of two units (NT301/501 and NT302/502), which cover the basic content of the New Testament. The main purpose of this unit is to enable students to gain a better understanding of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament Gospels.

Teaching staff

/
Lecturer
/ Dr Alan Stanley
BAgr, DipAgrSci, ThM, PhD
Phone
/ Ph: (07) 3870 8355
Email
/

Additional information

/
Credit points
/ 4
Co/pre-requisites
/ N/A
No. of teaching weeks
/ 13

Assessment Summary

/

NT301

Item

/

Details/Due Date

/

Weighting

Essay / 2,000 words
Due: 23rd April / 40%
Exam / 2 hours
Due: 19th June / 60%

NT501

Item

/

Details/Due Date

/

Weighting

Essay / 2,000 words
Due: 23rd April / 40%
Exam / 2 hours
Due: 19th June / 50%
Book review / 1,000 words
Due: 4th June / 10%

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES and UNIT CONTENT

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit, NT301 students will be able to:

1)  Demonstrate the influence of the historical, socio-cultural, religious and political setting of first-century Palestine as the context of Jesus’ life and ministry

2)  Compare the distinctive features of the four Gospels and trace the interrelationships between them

3)  Discuss the identity and life of Jesus, with an emphasis on his designations and titles, as well as the passion and resurrection narratives

4)  Expound the message and ministry of Jesus as found in his emphasis on the kingdom of God, use of parables, ethical teaching and miracles

5)  Comment on the significance of Jesus and the Gospels for contemporary life and ministry.

On completion of this unit, NT501 students will be able to:

1)  Assess the impact of the historical, socio-cultural, religious and political setting of first-century Palestine on Jesus’ life and ministry

2)  Explain the nature and significance of the four Gospels in terms of their distinctiveness and interrelationship

3)  Analyse the identity and life of Jesus, with an emphasis on his designations and titles, as well as the passion and resurrection narratives

4)  Interpret the message and ministry of Jesus as found in his emphasis on the kingdom of God, use of parables, ethical teaching and miracles

5)  Appraise the significance of Jesus and the Gospels for contemporary life and ministry.

Unit Aims

The aim of the unit is to develop with particular reference to one or more of the Gospels a foundational understanding (NT501 critical understanding) of Jesus Christ based on a study of:

1)  The context of his life and ministry

2)  The distinctiveness and interrelatedness of the four Gospels

3)  His identity and life

4)  His message and ministry

5)  The contemporary significance for life and ministry.

Unit Content

The unit content focuses on Jesus’ life and ministry, with special reference to:

1.  The historical, religious and political setting of Palestine as part of the Roman Empire.

2.  The Markan outline and emphases.

3.  Distinctive features of the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.

4.  The Kingdom of God in the proclamation of Jesus.

5.  The parables and their interpretation.

6.  The ethics of Jesus, including the Sermon on the Mount.

7.  The miracles of Jesus and their significance.

8.  The titles of Jesus in the Gospels.

9.  The passion and resurrection narratives.

UNIT OUTLINE

Week

/

Date

/

Topic

/

Pre-reading

1 / Feb 13 / Unit Outline
The historical, religious and political setting of Palestine as part of the Roman Empire
2 / Feb 20 / The Pentateuch / Mark 1-8
Kostenberger, 58-99
Ladd, 170-211
3 / Feb 27 / The Markan outline and emphases / Mark 9-16
Ladd, 212-245
4 / Mar 6 / Distinctive features of the Gospel of Matthew / Matthew 1–7
5 / Mar 13 / Distinctive features of the Gospel of Luke / Matthew 8–16
Kostenberger, 101-177
6 / Mar 20 / Distinctive features of the Gospel of John / Matthew 17–22
Ladd, 249-344

Mission exposure week (21-29 March)

Apr 3 GOOD FRIDAY / NO CLASS

Easter, study week and holiday week (3-17 April)

7 / Apr 24 / The Kingdom of God in the proclamation of Jesus
Essay Due (5pm, April 23) / Matthew 23–28
Kostenberger, 178-226
8 / May 1 / The parables and their interpretation / Luke 1–4
Ladd, 42-117
9 / May 8 / The ethics of Jesus, including the Sermon on the Mount / Luke 5–9
Kostenberger, 227-254
10 / May 15 / The ethics of Jesus, including the Sermon on the Mount / Luke 10–18
Ladd, 118-132
11 / May 22 / The miracles of Jesus and their significance / Luke 10–24
Kostenberger, 255-288
12 / May 29 / The titles of Jesus in the Gospels / John 1–12
13 / Jun 5 / The passion and resurrection narratives
Reading Response Due (5pm, June 4) / John 12–21
Kostenberger, 289-327
Ladd, 133-169
14 / Study week
15 / Exam week / Exam: Fri 19 June, 9.15am

UNIT OUTLINE for NT 301

This applies to students who are enrolled at Bachelor level.

Assessment 1

/

Item

/ Essay, 2000 words

Details/Due Date

/ Write an essay on one of the following:
a)  Discuss the role of Peter’s confession in Mark’s Gospel.
b)  Examine Jesus’ teaching on salvation in the Gospels; your examination must include a discussion on the relationship between faith and works/obedience.
c)  Discuss and explain the relationship between the eschatological discourses in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
d)  Show how John develops the theme of love in his Gospel. Your answer should include discussions on God’s love and love for one another, John’s definition of love, and the importance/ significance of love between believers.
Due: Fri, 23rd April, 5.00 pm

Weighting

/ 40%

Assessment 2

/

Item

/ Exam, 2 hours

Details/Due Date

/ The exam will cover the entire unit including readings from the textbooks. There will be eight essay questions, from which you will choose three and write your answers.
Due: Thurs, 19th June, 9.15 am

Weighting

/ 60%

assessment outline for NT501

This applies to students who are enrolled at Masters level.

Assessment 1

/

Item

/ Essay, 2000 words

Details/Due Date

/ Write an essay on one of the following:
a)  Discuss the role of Peter’s confession in Mark’s Gospel.
b)  Examine Jesus’ teaching on salvation in the Gospels; your examination must include a discussion on the relationship between faith and works/obedience.
c)  Discuss and explain the relationship between the eschatological discourses in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
d)  Show how John develops the theme of love in his Gospel. Your answer should include discussions on God’s love and love for one another, John’s definition of love, and the importance/significance of love between believers.
Due: Wed, 23rd April, 5.00 pm

Weighting

/ 40%

Assessment 2

/

Item

/ Reading Response, 1000 words

Details/Due Date

/ Write a review on one of the following:
Pennington, J. T. Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.
Strauss, M. L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.
Due: Fri, 4th June, 5.00 pm

Weighting

/ 10%

Assessment 3

/

Item

/ Exam, 2 hours

Details/Due Date

/ The exam will cover the entire unit including readings from the textbooks. There will be eight essay questions, from which you will choose three and write your answers.
Due: Thurs, 19th June, 9.15 am

Weighting

/ 40%

LECTURE ATTENDANCE

Please note the ACT policy (see also BST Student Handbook) on lecture attendance in the Undergraduate Handbook and the Graduate and Postgraduate Handbook. You are required to attend at least 80% of lectures. This means you can miss a maximum of two lectures. If you know that you will not be at a lecture, please phone or email the lecturer beforehand. If you miss more than two lectures, your enrolment for this unit may be ended.

HOW TO STUDY THIS UNIT

You should allocate approximately 7 hours outside of class each week to this unit.

LATE SUBMISSION OF WORK

Please note the ACT Late Penalties Policy (including extensions; see also BST Student Handbook). Failure to submit any individual assignment on time may result in either a late penalty or a zero mark for the assignment.

PASSING THIS UNIT

To pass this unit you must complete and submit each assessment item. You must also attain an overall percentage mark of 50% or more.

PLAGIARISM

Please note the ACT Academic Misconduct Policy (see also BST student handbook) on plagiarism. This is a serious issue and it is your responsibility both to understand what plagiarism includes and to avoid it completely. If you are found to have plagiarised, there will be serious consequences as specified in the BST student handbook.

Penalties for plagiarism are as follows (from ACT Academic Misconduct Policy).

First offence:

Students will be subject to academic counselling, with the maximum penalty being to fail the item with no marks awarded. Where deemed appropriate, the minimum penalty available will be that students may be granted an opportunity to resubmit the assessment with a maximum of 50% for the assessment.

Second offence:

Fail unit, with no remedial opportunity.

Third or major offence:

Exclusion from any award of the ACT, or exclusion from the award for up to two years, or other outcome appropriate to the case but with an impact less serious than exclusion.

In the case of severe plagiarism and/or cheating, a student may be subject to a separate disciplinary process approved by the ACT Academic Board. Colleges are required to immediately report to the ACT Director of Academic Services all offences of wilful academic misconduct, for recording on TAMS.

reading materials

* Books marked with an asterisk are on the Frozen Shelf in the library.

Prescribed text(s)

*Köstenberger, A. J., L. S. Kellum and C. L. Quarles.

The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament. Nashville: B&H, 2009.

*Ladd, G. E. A Theology of the New Testament. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994.

Other recommended texts

Bauckham, R. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

Beasley-Murray, G. R.

Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.

Blomberg, C. L. Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. 2nd ed. Nashville: B&H, 2009.

Bock, D. L. Jesus according to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003.

*Carson, D. A. and D. J. Moo.

An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.

Carter, W. Seven Events that Shaped the New Testament World. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013.

*deSilva, D. A. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation. Leicester: Apollos/Inter-Varsity, 2004.

Drane, J. Introducing the New Testament. Oxford: Lion, 1986, 1999.

Elwell, W. A. and Yarbrough, R. W.

Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.

Gundry, R. H. A Survey of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, 2003.

*Harding, M. and A. Nobbs, eds.

The Content and Setting of the Gospel Tradition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.

Longenecker, R. N., ed.

The Challenge of Jesus’ Parables. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Marshall, I. H. New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel. Downers Grove: IVP, 2004.

*Pennington, J. T. Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.

*Strauss, M. L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. London: SPCK, 1994.

Wright, N. T. How God Became King: Getting to the Heart of the Gospels. London: SPCK, 2012.

Graduate Outcomes

Attribute

/

Emphases of Unit

/

Comment

Strong / Moderate / Light

1) Passionate discipleship

/ √ / Each Gospel develops the theme of discipleship in a unique way. Through our study of the Gospels we will learn what it looks like to follow Christ in a variety of settings.

2) Sound knowledge of Bible

/ √ / Jesus brings the promises of the OT to fulfillment. So in this sense the Gospels very much are a culmination of the Scriptures up until this point. As we understand more of Jesus’ ministry and message we will understand more the message of the OT.

3) Humility and faithfulness

/ √ / Jesus is the quintessential example of humility and faithfulness. As we study him we will learn what real humility and faithfulness look like. Since we become like what we worship (2 Cor. 3:18), studying Jesus can only help us in embracing these qualities ourselves.

4) Communicating the Gospel

/ √ / The very reason Jesus came was to preach the good news. Gospel means “good news.” As we study Jesus’ message we will see that the gospel is far richer than something like the ‘4 spiritual laws.’ We will see just why this news is in fact ‘good.’

5) Commitment to mission

/ √ / The essential message of the Gospels is that God sent his only Son to the world to deliver them. To follow Jesus is therefore to also be sent into the world to deliver people. Studying the gospels will therefore help to foster within us a commitment to missions.

6) Commitment to team ministry

/ √ / The Gospels describes how Jesus takes 12 disciples and teaches them what it looks like to follow him. Much of what that involves includes working together as a team rather than competing.

7) Basic ministry skills

/ √ / As we study the Gospels and the life of Jesus we will learn such things as how we are to relate to God, how we relate to one another, and how we are to relate to the world.

8) Commitment to lifelong learning

/ √ / The Gospels are a wonderful portion of God’s word and the centerpiece in terms of the life and ministry of Jesus. Hence to study and ponder them is always rewarding especially in the sense that there is often more to the Gospels than we probably first thought. This fact in itself will hopefully spur us on toward further study.

Graduate Attributes

1) They will be passionate disciples of Jesus Christ. Graduates will maintain a vibrant relationship with God, be passionate about following Jesus and walk by the Spirit in every area of life. They will seek to love God above all else and others as themselves in attitudes, words and deeds. They will be imitators of Jesus, obey His Word, deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus wherever He may lead (Mark 8:34).