the essentials of the word of god...10 hours a week (3 hours bible study and 7 hours...

Version 2017-12-16 1

Name ____________________

The Essentials of the Word of God Assignment 13 – Introduction to theology; the Biblical canon

Objective: To be able to define and explain the steps in the theological method, systematic theology and its component parts. To be able to understand and explain the canon of Scripture.

I. Communing with God A. Prayer

This week I will pray for:

B. Meditation Every day or every night as you go to bed, choose one or more Bible passages to meditate on.

II. Reading Assignments: 5 hours a week (2 hours Bible Study and 3 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 1-2 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 1, 3 10 hours a week (3 hours Bible Study and 7 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 1-2 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 1, 3 c. Frame, Systematic Theology, 3-13. 20 hours a week 4 hours Bible Study and 16 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 1-2 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 1, 3 c. Frame, Doctrine of the Word of God, Chapters 3-7. d. Frame, Systematic Theology, Chapters 3-13. e. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, Chapters 1-20

III. Prepare for Discussion Write down questions you would have difficulty explaining to someone else. What new insights made sense to you?

Version 2017-12-16 2

A. Discussion Questions Choose from the questions provided according to your choice of hours of study, write out and turn in answers that we will discuss in class. 3 hour students, 1 question 5 hour students, 5 questions 10 hour students, 7 questions 20 hour students, 10 questions

1. Describe each of the following:

a) Hermeneutics

b) Exegesis

c) Apologetics

d) Evidences

e) Homiletics

2. What is the difference between biblical theology and systematic theology?

3. What is doctrine?

4. Why and how should Christians study systematic theology? What is likely to happen to a church that does not teach systematic theology?

Version 2017-12-16 3

5. Explain how canon is related to:

a) Covenant

b) God’s lordship

6. Is there an “architectural” aspect to the Bible? Explain your answer.

7. What books were in the Hebrew canon? List the major sections of the Jewish canon.

8. How does the New Testament refer to the Old Testament?

9. Explain what the Apocrypha is, how it got into the Roman Catholic Bible, and list the books it contains.

10. Why is it important to know which books are God’s words and which are not? Should we expect more books to be added to the Biblical Canon? Why or why not?

Version 2017-12-16 4

Time spent this week on Doctrine of the Word of God _______

B. Make it Your Own Choose one of the following writing assignments and complete it:

Explain the steps in the theological method, systematic theology and its component parts. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.) Explain what is the canon of Scripture and how it was formed. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.)

Version 2017-12-16 5

Time spent this week on the Bible Study Methods Assignment _______

IV. Bible Study Methods (20 minutes per day) A. Suggested Reading

Review Hendricks, Living by the Book, Chapters 1-4, 22.

B. Bible Study Assignment

Part 1: Read the book of Colossians, observing all the details you can about 1) the author, 2) the recipients of the letter, and 3) the relationship between the author and the recipients of the letter. (Attach additional sheets if necessary) Part 2: Read Acts 19 to learn of Paul’s time spent in Ephesus, during which the church at Colossae was likely founded. Read Colossians 1:5-7 for the one discussion of the founding of the church in Colossae. Then read Acts 28:16-31 to learn of Paul’s imprisonment in Rome when he most likely wrote the letter to the Colossians. Then reread Colossians and list the reasons Paul decided to write the letter.

Version 2017-12-16 6

C. Sharing This week I shared some of what I have learned with ________________.

D. Personal Application/Goal Setting What have you learned this week that you can apply to your life?

Version 2017-12-16 1

Name ____________________

The Essentials of the Word of God Assignment 14 – Revelation; the word of God; the doctrines of

authority, clarity, and necessity of the word of God Objective: To be able to explain how God reveals himself. To be able to explain what is meant by the word of God. To be able to explain the doctrines of the authority, clarity, and necessity of the word of God.




II. Reading Assignments: 5 hours a week (2 hours Bible Study and 3 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 3 (Revelation), 4, 5:1-21 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chaps 2, 4, 6, 7 (word , authority, clarity, necessity) 10 hours a week (3 hours Bible Study and 7 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 3 (Revelation), 4, 5:1-21 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chaps 2, 4, 6, 7 (word , authority, clarity, necessity) c. Frame, Doctrine of the Word of God, Chapters 3-7, Chapters 1-2, 8-11 20 hours a week 4 hours Bible Study and 16 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapters 3 (Revelation), 4, 5:1-21 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chaps 2, 4, 6, 7 (word , authority, clarity, necessity) c. Frame, Doctrine of the Word of God, Chapters 3-7, Chapters 1-2, 8-11


Version 2017-12-16 2

A. Discussion Questions Choose from the questions provided according to your choice of hours of study, write out and turn in answers that we will discuss in class. 3 hour students, 1 question 5 hour students, 5 questions 10 hour students, 7 questions 20 hour students, 10 questions

1. General revelation:

a) What is it?

b) What does God reveal through it?

c) What are its limitations?

2. Special revelation:

a) What is it?

b) How does it differ from general revelation?

c) What forms does it take?

3. In what way is or is not the Bible necessary?

4. How does God speak to His creatures?

Version 2017-12-16 3

5. How does God reveal Himself:

a) in what He does in nature and history?

b) through His might acts?

6. Does a Christian have direct revelation from God? Defend your answer.

7. Should modern day revelation from God be considered as authoritative as Scripture? Defend your answer.

8. What are the means by which God’s Word comes to believers?

9. How is God’s Word:

a) powerful?

b) meaningful?

c) present in the lives of believers?

d) an expression of Himself?

10. How does God control things?

Version 2017-12-16 4


B. Make it Your Own

Choose one of the following writing assignments to complete: Explain how God reveals himself. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.) Explain what is meant by the word of God. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.)

Version 2017-12-16 5



Review Hendricks, Living by the Book, Chapters 5-6, 8-11, 18, and 31.

B. Bible Study Assignment Part 1: Write down as many observations as you can on Colossians 1:1-14. Part 2: Study Colossians 1:15-23 and write down the ten best questions you can about these verses.



Version 2017-12-16 1

Name ____________________

The Essentials of the Word of God Assignment 15 – Inerrancy and sufficiency of the word of God

Objective: To be able to explain the doctrines of the inerrancy of Scripture and the sufficiency of Scripture.




II. Reading Assignments: 5 hours a week (2 hours Bible Study and 3 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapter 5:21-36; Chapter 6 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 5, 8 10 hours a week (3 hours Bible Study and 7 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapter 5:21-36; Chapter 6 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 5, 8 c. Frame, Doctrine of the Word of God, Chapters 23-37 20 hours a week 4 hours Bible Study and 16 hours reading/studying) a. Rusten, Essentials of Doctrine, Chapter 5:21-36; Chapter 6 b. Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapters 5, 8 c. Frame, Doctrine of the Word of God, Chapters 23-46


Version 2017-12-16 2

A. Discussion Questions Choose from the questions provided according to your choice of hours of study, write out and turn in answers that we will discuss in class. 5 hour students, 5 questions 10 hour students, 7 questions 20 hour students, 10 questions

1. Does the Bible follow the contemporary literary standards of its day? Do those standards differ from those of today, and if so, how?

2. Is saying the Bible is authoritative the same as saying it is inerrant? How?

3. Does the Bible teach that it is inerrant? If so, how?

4. Does the concept of “error” depend upon the context in which it is used?

5. Does the inerrancy of the Bible mean that the Bible makes good on its claims? Defend your answer.

6. If the Bible is inerrant, how are we to deal with difficulties in the Bible?

Version 2017-12-16 3

7. Defend your answers for each of the following. Does the Bible claim:

a) Descriptive precision?

b) Numeric precision?

c) Scientific precision?

8. Is the Bible sufficient for us to know what God wants us to think or do? Explain your reasoning.

9. If the Bible is sufficient, how much emphasis should a Christian place on reading the Bible versus reading books about the Bible?

10. If the Bible is sufficient, what is its role in enabling us to determine God’s will for our lives?

Version 2017-12-16 4


B. Make it Your Own

Choose one of the following writing assignments and complete it:

Explain what is meant by the inerrancy of the Bible. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.) Explain what is meant by the sufficiency of the Bible. Prepare a manuscript or outline as though you were to teach a one-session class or lead a discussion group on this week’s topic. Do an amount of work that would be comparable to what you could accomplish in 30–45 minutes of focused effort. (Attach additional sheets if necessary.)

Version 2017-12-16 5



Read Hendricks, Living by the Book, Chapters 32-34

B. Bible Study Assignment Look up the other usages of the word “mystery” (Col 1:26, 27; 2:2) in the New Testament and make observations on how the word is used in other contexts. How does this word study help you understand Colossians?



the essentials of the word of god...10 hours a week (3 hours bible study and 7 hours...

Documents