Special Interest   

This course is an intensive study of the four biographical accounts of Jesus found in the New Testament - Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Not just the content, but the authorship, purpose and comparison of each of the accounts will be studied. The goal of the course is to get an accurate grasp of the reality of Jesus - life and what that means to humanity. A primary premise of the course is that the four accounts (commonly called the Gospels) are reliable records of witnesses, and evidence of that reliability will also be studied. This course is divided into three sections; one offered each quarter as follows: Gospels I - Introduction, background, setting, record through the 1st visit to Nazareth (beginning of Galilee ministry). Gospels II - Disorderly accounts, Nazareth to Nazareth. Gospels III - Why Jesus came, Comparison of the 4 accounts, Final year. The textbook for the first two quarters is "A Harmony of the Four Gospels" but Orville E. Daniel, available on Amazon for a little over $20, or used copies from the instructor for $10. Other required materials are a Bible (any version) and a means of taking notes.

Restoring our understanding of the gospel of the kingdom of God, declared and demonstrated in the New Testament by Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples, and its impact upon our world today.

Most NT studies focus on theological views. This study focuses on the reality of the people who wrote and those who received the books and what motivated that writing. Therefore there is a greater emphasis on geography and history and details in the text that help understand the authors and recipients. The books are studied in historical order rather than in the standard Biblical order. The goal of the course is to understand the content and context of the New Testament books and the context and motive of the authors in writing them. A primary premise of the course is that the books of the New Testament are reliable records, which is evidenced internally and externally, both in history and archaeology. This course is divided into three sections, one offered each quarter as follows: NT Survey I – covers the first (in order written) ten books of the New Testament – before any escalation of Jewish Roman conflict. NT Survey II – covers the next seventeen (in order written) books of the New Testament – after the Jewish Roman conflict escalated. NT Survey III – An in depth look at the book of Acts and the corresponding events and books of the New Testament The textbook for the first two quarters is “The Story of the New Testament”. The textbook for the third quarter is Actsplus. Each of these books will be supplied by the instructor for a cost of $5 each. Other required materials are a Bible (any version) and a means of taking notes. If you want, bring your lunch!