Criswell College
4010 Gaston Avenue Dallas, TX 75246
NTS 601 L02.A New Testament introduction II
SPRING 2016 – Online - 3 Credit Hours
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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Professor’s Name: Thomas Willoughby
Professor’s Office Phone: 816-668-0346
E-mail Address:
Secretary:
Office Phone:
E-mail:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
An advanced study of the books of Romans through Revelation, emphasizing
problems of interpretation and the contribution of these books to biblical
theology and godly Christian living.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS
Students who complete this course will:
1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the literary make-up of the New Testament Scriptures as assessed by weekly quizzes, assignments and exams.
2. Expand his or her familiarity with the subject matter and background of the New Testament as attested by a mid-term and final exam.
3. Display an ability to accurately convey the truths of Scripture in a concise and logical fashion as demonstrated by a research paper.
TEXT BOOKS & REQUIRED READING
Required Reading:
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, Zondervan, 2009. ISBN # 978-0-310-24495-0 $49.99
Charlesworth, James H., ed. Jesus Research, New Methodologies and Perceptions: The Second Princeton-Prague Symposium on Jesus Research (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014). ISBN # 978-0-8028-6728-5 $70.00.
The Holy Bible (any standard version)
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE CREDIT
Grades for this course will be based upon the following percentages:
a. Chapter Quizzes 20%
b. Participation 20%
c. Research Paper 20%
d. Mid-Term Exam 20%
e. Final Exam 20%
Grade ScaleA / 96-100 / C / 77-79
A- / 93-95 / C- / 73-76
B+ / 90-92 / D+ / 70-72
B / 87-89 / D / 67-69
B- / 84-86 / D- / 64-66
C+ / 80-83 / F / 63 and below
COURSE ORGANIZATION
Textbook Plus:
This course will utilize two textbooks published by Zondervan. Zondervan has made a number of resources for these textbooks available for the student free of charge at their website: www.zondervan.com The student is expected to go to the site and enroll in the Textbook Plus program for free. From here, the student will be able to access the assigned videos, as well as many study materials for this course.
Online Discussion Posts:
Given the nature of this course, online discussion participation is absolutely vital. Each week the student will be expected to make an initial post (at least 100 words in length) in response to a Discussion Question by Wednesday night at 11:59 pm, unless otherwise instructed. Then, the student is expected to read the posts of the other students as well and make at least 2 responses to other students by Friday night unless otherwise instructed at 11:59 pm.
Reading Assignments:
Weekly reading assignments are absolutely fundamental to the success of this learning program. All reading is expected and will be assessed by the completion of a weekly quiz.
Chapter Quizzes:
Upon completion of the reading of each chapter assignment, the student will take a quiz over the assigned reading to insure a working comprehension of the material.
Exams:
There are two major examinations in this course. The first is a Mid-term that will comprise material covered in the reading and course material up until the point of the exam. The second is a Final that will be composed only of the material covered from the point of the Mid-term forward.
Paper:
Exegesis Paper
This exposition of a specific NT text will be over a passage of the student’s choice. (Make certain to select a full pericope and not a partial. If you need clarification, please contact your instructor.) A suggested list of passages are given below:
a. Ephesians 5:22-33
b. Philippians 1:3-11
c. Revelation 3:14-22
Be sure to do the following in your analysis (Note: the relevance of some of these steps will vary depending on the genre of your text):
a. Read through the passage many times.
b. Observe repetitions, emphases, themes, literary features, figurative language, poetic parallelism (in poetry), comparisons, contrasts, plot, dialogue, character development, etc.
c. Compare translations to identify interpretive ambiguities.
d. Identify the genre (and form, if applicable) and interpret according to the rules of that genre.
e. Consider the historical context of the text: geography, social and cultural elements, when it was written and by whom (if known).
f. Consider how the text fits within the larger literary context: How does the literary unit relate to the previous textual unit? How does it relate to the following unit? How does it contribute to the book as a whole and relate to the message of the whole book?
g. Identify the subsections within your text and trace the logical flow of your passage: look for the introduction, conclusion, development, and climax; note the logical relationships between individual verses and clauses.
h. What does this text teach about God? What does it teach about humanity?
i. How does the text fit into the larger plotline of the NT and how does it relate to the themes of the NT? Note how this text relates to similar texts elsewhere in the Bible (see cross-references).
j. Summarize the primary message of the text in one sentence and explain why you see it as the main point.
k. Derive a modern-day application from the primary message of the text. Modern implications may be ethical or practical or they may pertain to attitudes, beliefs, values, or worldview.
l. Synthesize your results into a coherent presentation of the text: although you may organize your paper around these steps, you are encouraged to think through a more natural or helpful way to present your text (e.g., section-by-section as you describe your text).
Session / Content / Assignments / Due DatesSession 1
3/21/16 / Intro to Pauline Literature/Galatians / Read Galatians
Watch ALL Videos on Chapters13&14 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 384-396
Read Burge: 249-277
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #1 / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 2
3/28/16 / 1&2 Thessalonians/
1Corinthians / Read 1&2 Thes/1 Cor
Watch ALL Videos on Chapters 15&16 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 396-404, 412-423
Read Burge: 279-291, 293-309
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #2 / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 3
4/4/16 / 2 Corinthians/
Romans / Read 2 Cor/Romans
Watch ALL Videos on Chapters 17&18 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 424-446
Read Burge: 311-336
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #3 / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 4
4/11/16 / Ephesians/Colossians / Read Eph/Col
Watch ALL Videos on Chapter 19 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 456-467
Read Burge: 337-348
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #4
Midterm Exam / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 5
4/18/16 / Philippians/Philemon / Read Philip/Philemon
Watch ALL Videos on Chapter 20 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 454-455, 467-475
Read Burge: 349-362
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #5 / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 6
4/25/16 / Pastorals/James / Read Pastorals/James
Watch ALL Videos on Chapter 21&22 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 482-494, 516-529
Read Burge: 363-373, 375-383
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #6 / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 7
5/2/16 / Hebrews/General Epistles / Read Heb/1&2 Pe/ 1,2,3 John
Watch ALL Videos on Chapters 23-25 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 500-511, 522-533, 535-541
Read Burge: 385-396, 397-409, 411-423
2 Follow-up Posts
Quiz #7
Research Paper Due / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Friday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Sunday 11:59 pm
Session 8
5/9/16 / Revelation / Read Revelation
Watch ALL Videos on Chapter 26&27 from Textbook Plus
Read Lecture & Make initial post
Read Gundry: 548-568
Read Burge: 525-558
2 Follow-up Posts
Final Exam / Wednesday 11:59 pm
Thursday 11:59 pm
Thursday 11:59 pm
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Plagiarism is a serious ethical and legal matter and instances of plagiarism will result in an “F” for an assignment and possibly an “F” for the course. Students are to read and abide by the section entitled “Integrity in Seminary Studies” in the Criswell Academic Catalog.
2. Class Attendance: Attendance is considered a necessary factor in the learning process. Absences, for any reason, should not exceed 25% of the total class time. Withdrawal from the course is required after a student is absent from more than 25% of the class sessions, except in cases of confining illness or serious circumstance.
3. Late work is highly discouraged and will not be accepted beyond the date due unless special circumstances warrant and arrangement is made with the instructor.
4. Questions regarding course content, a correct understanding of the course syllabus, or assignments should be addressed to the instructor.
Supplementary Reading List
Bock, Darrell L. and Fanning, Buist M., eds. Interpreting the New Testament Text: Introduction to the Art and Science of Exegesis. Illinois: Crossway Books, 2006. ISBN 1581344082, 480 pages. $32.00.
Carson, D. A., and D. J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. ISBN 0310238595, 784 pages. $39.99.
Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003. ISBN 0802822215, 648 pages. $38.00.
Osborne, Grant R. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1991. ISBN 0830828265, 624 pages. $30.00.
Shelton, Jo-Ann. As the Romans Did: A Sourcebook in Roman Social History, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 019508974X, 512 pages. $57.95.
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