Week 19: Ask Me Anything

Question #1: What are the differences in beliefs between various seminaries?


Key Themes:

• Rise of fundamentalism and modernism

• Origin of the term "evangelical"  

Digging Deeper:

• Short video: Fundamentalist Movement (a homemade video that gives mostly accurate information)

• Book: Fundamentalism and American Culture, by George Marsden 

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Question #2: Were the Catholics the ones who decided the books of the Bible?

VIDEO COMING SOON!

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Question #3: What was the Azusa Street revival?

Week 18: How Do We Know We Have the Right Books in the Bible?

We're continuing to explore questions surrounding the origin and history of the Bible. This week we're surveying the development of the canon of the Christian Scripture. In other words, we're asking the question, "How do we know we have the right books in the Bible?"

Key Themes:

• Old Testament canon: 
• Ordering of the books
• Development of the Septuagint (LXX) vs. Masoretic
• Catholic/Orthodox Canon
• Protestant Canon

• New Testament canon:
• Disputed books
• Apocrypha

Digging Deeper:

• Handout: List of New Testament canon
• Book: The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance

Week 17: Has the Bible Been Corrupted? Part 2

We're continuing to explore questions surrounding the origin and history of the Bible. This week we're wrapping up our discussion of the question, "Has the Bible been corrupted?" In other words, is the Bible we have today the same as the one written 2000 years ago?

 Key Themes:

• Brief review of last week's lesson

• Excerpts of the debate between Bart Ehrman and Dan Wallace (2012)

• Introduction to textual criticism

• New Testament manuscripts

• Variants

Digging Deeper:

• Activity: Simulation in textual criticism

• Video: Full debate between Bart Ehrman and Dan Wallace at the University of Chapel Hill, SC (2012).

Week 16: Has the Bible been Corrupted?

We're continuing to explore questions surrounding the origin and history of the Bible. This week we're focusing on the question, "Has the Bible been corrupted?" In other words, is the Bible we have today the same as the one written 2000 years ago?

Key Themes:

• Assertions from non-believers about the corruption of the Bible

• How manuscripts were copied and preserved in the ancient world

• Case studies:
• John 7:53–8:11
• The Lord's Prayer
• 1 John 5:7–8
• Mark 16:9–20

Digging Deeper:

• Video clip: "Snake Salvation" (example of using Mark 16 as a foundation for theology)

Week 7: What About Alternate Views of the Trinity? (part 2)

We wrapped up our short series on the Trinity. We briefly reviewed key concepts and then tied up some loose ends from our conversation last week. We introduced concepts related to historical theology and how this functions in the codification of our beliefs.

Key Themes:

• Basic introduction to historical theology

• "An Ancient Faith Perspective on History & Theology," interview with Anastasia Young

   
Digging Deeper:

• Video: "Using Extra Dimensions to Explain the Trinity," interview with high school science teacher, Mark Ritter

Homework:

•  Imagine someone in your OIKOS asks you the following question. How do you respond? "Matt. 24:36 says that Jesus doesn't know the day of His return. If Jesus is God, how is it possible that He doesn't know this?"

• Use the following tools to build your answer:

• Use the information from the in-class teachings on the Trinity.

• Use information presented in the video on extra dimensions you watched above.

• Use the universal teachings of the church in history:
• Jesus is God and God is all-knowing
• "all things that belong to the Son also belongs to the Father" (in other words, they share all knowledge in common with one another)
• Jesus can't set aside His deity

Week 6: What About Alternate Views of the Trinity?

We are continuing to explore tough questions about our faith. Right now, we're focusing on the Trinity. We're fine-tuning our understanding of this foundational doctrine, but also meditating on how it directly applies to our lives.

Key Themes:

• Common heresies related to the Trinity:

• Tri-Theism

• Modalism 

• Arianism

• Trinity as the foundation of our worship: reflection on Ephesians 2:11–22

• Trinity as the foundation of our prayer life: reflection on Romans 8:9–11, 14–17

  
Digging Deeper:

• Video: "The Truth About the Council of Nicaea"

• Chapter: "How Can God be Three and One?" Without a Doubt, Kenneth Samples