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West Coast Baptist College: Syllabus For BI 102 - New Testament Survey
West Coast Baptist College: Syllabus For BI 102 - New Testament Survey
West Coast Baptist College: Syllabus For BI 102 - New Testament Survey
I. Course Description
This class will give each student an overview of the New Testament. Special emphasis is placed on
authorship, date, and purpose of each book. The student will develop a broad outline for each book.
This course will also examine the background and content of each book. Briefly mentioned will be
the inter-testament period to place the ministry of Jesus Christ into a historical context. In other
words, we are dealing with “big picture” items.
Within this inter-testamental period we find the “400 Silent Years.” It is within this time period that
many of the extra books found in a Catholic Bible were written. Also found within this time would
be two notable historical characters: Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Each of these men, and
the empires they represent, cast a shadow over the New Testament that we should seek to
understand.
2. Read through the entire New Testament by the end of the semester. If you do not read, you do
not pass. A schedule may be provided upon request.
3. Be ready for a quiz each week. It is your responsibility to make up quizzes that are missed. Do
not assume that missed quizzes will not count against you. Quizzes not made up within the
allotted time will be marked as a “0.”
4. Write a brief teaching outline for each NT book. These should be no longer than ½ page typed.
These are due April 4 in class. For sake of illustration, assume you are to teach through each
book of the New Testament in only one setting per book. Obviously, you will not have a verse-
by-verse exposition. These outlines are “big picture” outlines.
5. A research paper of 750-1000 words due March 28 on one of the following topics:
a. History of the Maccabees and their relation to the context of the New Testament
b. Jesus’ teaching on finances and how it relates to our current recession
c. Roman Emperors of New Testament importance
d. Life of Herod the Great
e. Study of life of Timothy
f. Paul’s teaching on salvation
g. Jesus’ teaching on the church
h. James’ teaching on faith and works
i. Summary of the Parable teachings of Christ
j. An overview of Paul’s Missionary Journeys
k. The Role of Women in the New Testament Church
l. An overview of Ephaphroditus
m. A study of Onesimus
n. A study of a quitting finisher – John Mark
o. The First Martyr – Stephen
p. Trades and Occupations of New Testament Characters
q. A Survey of the 12 Apostles
r. A Geographical Study of Major New Testament Cities
s. The doctrine of Fasting
t. Paul’s Infirmity – dealing with God-given limitations
u. How to deal with Pagan religions
v. Spiritual gifts – Practical Application
w. Influence of Pharisees and Sadducees
x. Who were the Zealots?
y. Death by Crucifixion – an analysis
z. The Ministry of Barnabas
i. The following guidelines will help shape your paper:
1. It must emailed to me
2. It must be coherent
3. It must have a purpose other than fulfilling an assignment
4. It must discuss what you have learned in your research
5. It must be in a format that you can use for future ministry
6. It must include an outline and a bibliography
7. It must cite all sources
8. It must conform to the template found at http://lester.wcbc.edu
9. It must be Times or Times New Roman font and no larger than “12”
10. It must be the product of your own work.
V. Policies to consider:
1. Academic Dishonesty:
– Scholastic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or any other
action that is not an honest participation in the learning process. By enrolling in this course,
you have agreed to WCBC’s guidelines for handling academic dishonesty.
– God is not going to bless the ministry of someone who has been academically dishonest.
There is no shortcut today that is worth jeopardizing your influence in ministry in the future.
2. Classroom Civility:
– As part of this class, you are an integral part of a learning community. Please be aware of
your behavior and its effects on others. Talking, coming in late, leaving early, sleeping in
class, and being discourteous can all diminish classmates’ learning experiences. Realize that
everyone in this class might be in a position someday to recommend you professionally. Earn
and keep their respect.
3. I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoy teaching it. If you have problems, questions, or
just want to talk, I encourage you to contact me in person, on the phone, or via email. I WANT
TO TALK TO YOU! Please do not let small problems during a semester grow to a crisis at the
end. It is always easier to repair anticipated difficulties than to untangle a mess!
Contact Info:
Email mike.lester@lancasterbaptist.org
mike.lester@wcbc.edu
jmichaellester@gmail.com