DESCRIPTION: This course covers the study of the four canonical Gospels and their witness to Jesus in historical context.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: This course lays the foundation for the study of the Gospels. Satisfactory completion of the course should increase the student's confidence in reading, studying, and teaching the Gospels.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a fundamental knowledge of the content and structure of these four books; (2) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and historical matters that may inform our understanding of them; (3) an understanding of the literary character of the Gospels and some of the implications for interpreting them; and (4) an understanding of how these four different Gospels bear witness to Jesus.

COURSE FORMAT: Lectures and discussion based on reading the New Testament and secondary sources. The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Achtemeier, Paul, Joel Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

Green, J. B., S. McKnight, and I. H. Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, English edition. OR Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Greek-English edition. United Bible Societies, 1993.

Bockmuehl, Markus. This Jesus: Martyr, Lord, Messiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Evans, C. A. and Stanley E. Porter, eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Selected articles.

Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1998.

• A midterm examination (20% of the grade)

• Four short written assignments on the Gospels (25%)

• A paper on a topic related to the study of the Gospels (25%)

• A final examination, covering lectures and reading (30%)