Basic Bible Study - Course Introduction
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Basic Bible Study course.
This course presents general principles, methodical guidelines and skills training for study and interpretation of the Bible. The student will learn and use sound principles of interpretation to determine and apply the author's intended meaning from any Biblical passage, using a flexible, yet integrated process in a way that is appropriate to the nature of the passage being studied.
I have taught this material at the college level for years. And I'm now making this material available for schools, churches, small groups, and individuals who would like to know God's Word better. I'm fortunate to be able to offer this material without charge, but please don't assume that it is low quality because it is free. This course has been proven in many educational settings, and I have worked hard to make this material beneficial at many levels. Feel free to use this material in any way that honors Christ and advances His kingdom.
What you'll Accomplish
Who should take this course?
This course is aimed to be useful for a broad spectrum of students. You may have noticed that this course has the word "Basic" in the title (see you are getting better at reading already). However, this does not mean that this course is beneficial only for beginners. Rather, this course covers foundational concepts that are necessary in order to learn to read and understand the Bible well. This course is an introductory level survey of Bible study, and therefore, does not assume much prior knowledge. Therefore, it is aimed for people with little or no previous formal training in Bible study. However, this course can also be beneficial to those with significant previous exposure.
This material was originally taught at the college level, but it is accessible to almost any level, because it is a beginner level course.
And this course has been designed to be used by either an individual, or by a group. Therefore, it is appropriate for churches, colleges, schools, small groups, or any group or individual who wishes to understand how to study the Bible better.
Course Objectives (Cognitive):
Upon successful completion of this course, each student should be able to:
- Understand and apply principles of communication in order to accurately read and understand Biblical passages.
- Understand the importance of historical and literary context for meaning and apply skills and tools to rightly account for context in reading
- Determine and apply the author's intended meaning from any Biblical passage using a flexible, yet integrated process in a way that is appropriate to the nature of the passage being studied.
- Have a general understanding of the ways the Bible communicates, including the variety of different genres, and apply tools and skills to conform their manner of reading to the writer's manner of communication.
Course Outcomes (Skills):
Upon successful completion of this course, each student should be able to:
- Apply sound principles of interpretation to verses, paragraphs and longer units in the various genres of Scripture.
- Apply specific tools to the study of discourse, narrative and poetic material.
- Demonstrate the proper use of specific Biblical resources to understand the historical cultural contexts of a passage.
- Demonstrate a growing skill in rightly interpreting the Bible in conformity with its nature and intended meaning.
Course Goals (Mindset):
Upon successful completion of this course, each student should have opportunity to:
- Demonstrate a commitment to finding the Biblical author's intended meaning and to avoid importing meanings foreign to the Biblical author's intention.
- Demonstrate a commitment to obedience and application of Biblical teaching.
- Demonstrate a commitment to read the Bible in context and to reject twisting Scripture from its original intended meaning in context.
- Demonstrate a commitment to grow in Bible study skill by continuing to practice these skills in regular study.
- Demonstrate a growing love for the Bible and a growing relationship to the God of the Bible.
How This Course Works
Course Resources
The following resources are made available to the student as part of this course:
Video Lectures
This course is in process of development. I will make each video lecture available as they are ready. The video lectures form the heart of this course and will give you an idea of what the completed course will accomplish.
In the future, I will come back and post all the documentation and other resources for each module, as well as descriptions and instructions for all of the resources and activities on this introduction page. But for now, feel free to explore each module and see what resources are currently available, and check back to see when new ones are posted.
Each module contains a number of lectures on video. These videos cover a portion of the course material. And they also include reviews at the end to summarize the teaching of each section. It is recommended that the student not just passively watch the videos, but actively interact with the course material. Blank lecture notes are included in each module for your benefit. These can all be watched from the course website or, if you prefer, there are links to the each video in the Rumble or YouTube interface.
Example Module Content
In the following sections, you will find the layout of a typical course module. Also in these sections, you will find (in the appropriate section) all of the introductory material and explanations for all the assignments as described above.
Module Introduction
In this section, you will find a brief introduction to each individual module. This section includes the objectives for each module.
Module Documents
In this section, you will find documents for each course module. These will include instructions for all activities, background material, and any supplementary material for the module. Below, you will find links to documents which cover the course as a whole.
Module Videos
In this section, you will find the video lectures on all the course material. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Each thumbnail will open a standard embedded web video when clicked. These can be expanded to full screen, or there is are links if you prefer to watch them in the YouTube interface or listen to (or download) an mp3 of just the audio.
Module Review Quiz
This section is a link to a separate page which contains a sample quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for this introduction. By clicking the link, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit
button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the Thumbnail picture to begin the quiz.
Module Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions
This section contains questions for further though and discussion. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. Click the Thumbnail to view the questions.
Getting Started
At any time, you can click the menu at the top to jump to any module in this course. Or you can click the button below to begin Module 1. I hope you enjoy, and I pray that you grow in understanding of the Old Testament and devotion to its author.