DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the basic outline of Jesus' life, the key public events and their significance in their first-century Jewish setting, and the content of his teaching.

It is not too much to claim that few courses are as foundational to ministry as is the study of the life of Jesus. The questions of Jesus' mission, message, and identity are foundational to understanding the Gospels, the ministry of the Church, and Jesus himself. Successful completion of the course should equip the student to preach and teach from the Gospels with greater sensitivity and skill, to understand Jesus more fully, and to interpret the quest for Jesus to the church today.

Lecture and discussion of the Gospels and reading. The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

Aland, Kurt, ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English, 7th ed. United Bible Societies, 1984.

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

Sanders, E. P. The Historical Figure of Jesus. Allen Lane (Penguin Press), 1993.

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

Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah. InterVarsity, 1996.

Witherington, Ben. The Jesus Quest. InterVarsity, 1995.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress, 1996.

1. Assigned reading, coordinated with class lectures and discussion.

2. Written assignments interacting with the text of the Gospels and the assigned readings.

3. A final short-answer, essay-type examination.

NS500.

Meets M. Div. core requirement in New Testament Theology (NTT).

Yes.