WSOLC – Western Seminary Online Campus
Course Number: DBS 506YE, Part 2 – Spring 2014
Course Title: Learning to Interpret Scripture
Instructor: Todd L. Miles, Ph.D.
Credit Hours: 2
COURSE SCHEDULE
This course is offered in both an 8 and a 16 week schedule. You can see a “Course Schedule by Week” in this syllabus. After enrollment in the course you can see a course schedule with specific dates in the learning center for your assignments.
Course Description
In this course you will study the foundational principles and interpretive procedures of the grammatical-historical method of biblical interpretation. You will also apply these principles and procedures in actual Bible study, using the English Bible. 2 credit hours.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Course Goals: Understanding of the Word of God is fundamental to the life and ministry of both the individual Christian and the church. To achieve this understanding, you must know how to interpret and apply biblical texts accurately. To do this you must:
1. Know and be able to apply the fundamental principles of biblical hermeneutics;
Know and be able to apply basic methods of inductive/exegetical Bible study.
The purpose of this course is to provide the theoretical foundation and basic skills for accurate interpretation of the Bible.
Learning Objectives: After this course, you should be able to:
· List and explain the five steps in the process of special revelation in Scripture.
· Define and identify examples in Scripture of the different kinds of literary genre as provided in class.
· List and practice the steps in the process of biblical interpretation as presented in class.
· Identify levels of context (immediate, chapter, book, etc.) in a passage of Scripture.
· Implement a strategy for moving from identifying the meaning of a text to application and developing a teaching and preaching outline for a biblical passage.
· Demonstrate understanding of English Bible hermeneutics by systematically studying a passage of Scripture utilizing the critical areas of hermeneutics identified in class.
TEXTBOOKS
Required Reading:
Andreas Kostenberger and Richard Patterson, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation ISBN:
9780825430473 ($46.99)
Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan ISBN: 0830826963 ($24.00)
Important Note: Required and recommended course texts are subject to change at any time. You are encouraged to purchase these titles through the Amazon.com associate program; you may use the links provided above, or the search option found on the Western website under “Students/Online”: http://www.westernseminary.edu/students/online
Reading assignments are listed on the course schedule. To aid in discussion and understanding of the material, each reading assignment shall be completed prior to the class lesson listed. See the bibliography at the end of this syllabus for a list of additional recommended books.
Course Format
1. Course Audio/Video Materials.
Shortly after your course registration, you will receive instructions about how to download your course using the Integr@te program (not earlier than three weeks from your start date).
2. Learning Center.
You will also be given access to a web-based learning center which functions as your classroom for the course. There you will find:
· The course syllabus. Please Note: The syllabus in your learning center is the governing course syllabus. Syllabi downloaded from the seminary website, or received from any other source, are for informational purposes only.
· A week-by-week schedule to help you successfully complete the course on time with the least amount of stress. To discuss changing the assignment due dates within the schedule, please contact Jon Raibley:
· A progress report for each lesson, by which you will indicate whether you completed your lesson requirements. While still allowing great scheduling flexibility, progress reports help us help you should you begin to fall behind.
· Assignment summaries and links for uploading assignments.
· Links to discussion forums, your course instructor and other students, the distance learning support team, as well as links to other helpful communication and instructional resources.
3. Responsibilities.
Before the end of the first week of the session, you need to log onto the online learning center to complete and upload the course affirmation file. By federal law, we now need to ensure that students participate in courses for the full length of the course. So failure to complete the course affirmation on-time will result in a loss of course points and may impact your financial aid eligibility.
Students will receive on-time completion points for finishing their course work according to the schedule. This means students in the 8 week sessions are required to have all their course work into their course instructor by the end of week 7. Students in the 16 week sessions are required to have all their work into their course instructor by the end of week 15. If you have not been granted an extension, graded assignments turned in after 8:00 a.m. on Monday of the final week may be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day. No online completion points will be granted after that time.
4. Course Instructor.
You will be assigned a course instructor who will participate as appropriate in classroom activities; review, grade, and provide feedback on course assignments; and interact with you on any questions you have about the course. When you receive your course materials, you will also receive contact information for your course instructor. Please contact your course instructor within two weeks of your course start date and maintain regular contact throughout the course.
Assignments
The purpose of the homework assignments is to systematically lead you through the interpretive procedures discussed on the video. Written work will be submitted as stipulated in the syllabus.
Assignment Format:
Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments must meet the following criteria:
1. A cover page that includes your name and the assignment title
2. 1 ” margins on the left, right, top, and bottom
3. Double-spaced
4. 12 point font (Times New Roman or Arial)
1. Participation Requirements. For each lesson, complete the items as instructed in your learning center, and submit the progress report verifying that you’ve done so. These progress reports are our primary means of verifying your attendance, and each is worth up to one point toward your final grade. If the progress report is submitted by the due date on your course schedule, you’ll receive 100% of the report grade. If you submit the progress report late, but within two weeks of the due date, you will receive 80%. If you submit the progress report more than two weeks late, you will receive 50%. And, of course, if you fail to submit a progress report at all, you will receive 0%. Certain changes are allowed within the course schedule, to allow for flexibility. You may contact Jon Raibley for details: .
In addition, you are to complete three activities that will allow us to verify your participation at key points within the course, in compliance with federal regulations. Failure to complete these activities within the designated times may impact the amount or timing of federal financial aid you receive.
§ First week participation: Within the first week of the posted course dates, complete and upload the affirmation file.
§ On-time verification. By the date listed in the schedule, submit your final assignments and complete the verification assignment, to confirm that you finished the course work on time.
§ Course evaluation and reflection. Within the final week of the posted course dates, complete the course evaluation and reflection assignment; a link will be emailed to you at that time.
Points: 19 points possible (13 for progress reports, 1 for affirmation file, 5 for on-time verification
1. Interpretive Assignments. Various interpretive procedures will be applied through Bible study assignments. Details will be provided on the course Learning Center. Possible points and hours are summarized in the chart below.
Time: 33 hours estimated time
Points: 130 points possible
2. Examinations. One examination (a final) will be given. This will be based upon assigned reading and class presentations. Prior to the exam a study guide will be included in your course materials, to guide your preparation.
Time: 10 hours
Points: 100 points possible.
3. Interaction forums. Many lessons of the course include discussion questions which are to be posted on a discussion forum site at the course Learning Center. You will answer each of these questions. You can either post an original response to the question, respond to a message which someone else has posted, or do both. The total length of your message and/or responses should be at least 100 words per lesson.
Time: 5 hours estimated time
Points: 14 points possible (2 points each)
Grading Scale
99-100% / 95-98% / 93-94% / 91-92% / 88-90% / 86-87%
C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D-
84-85% / 81-83% / 79-80% / 77-78% / 74-76% / 70-73%
ASSIGNMENTS SUMMARY
1. Participation Requirements
(1 progress report point per lesson) / 13 / 20 + 22
Policy Affirmation, On Time Verification, Course Evaluation / 6
2. Mechanical Layout of Colossians 2:6-15 / 25 / 7
3. Historical/Cultural Analysis of “Gnosticism” / 25 / 7
4. Theo. Analysis of “atonement” in Col. 2:6-15 / 30 / 7
5. Application Project / 25 / 7
6. Teaching/Preaching Outline of Col 2:6-15 / 25 / 5
7. Final exam / 100 / 10
8. Interaction forum questions (2 points per forum) / 10 / 5
Total / 259 / 90 hours
Course Sequence:
Important: See the course schedule in the learning center for the due dates of your assignments.
8-Week / 16-Week / Lessons / Assignments & Notes1 / 1 / 13. Implications of Genre / Read: Kostenberger and Patterson Chapter 5 & 8
Do forum posting for lesson #13
2 / 14. Biblical Narrative
2 / 3 / 15. Law / Read: Kostenberger and Patterson Chapter 7 & 6
Do forum posting for lesson #15
4 / 16. Prophecy
17. Typology / Do forum posting for lesson #16
Submit: “Mechanical Layout”
3 / 5 / 18. Genre: Poetry / Read: Kostenberger and Patterson Chapter 9 & 14
6 / 19. Figures of Speech / Do forum posting for lesson #19
4 / 7 / 20. Parables
21. Proverbs and the Wisdom Literature / Read: Kostenberger and Patterson Chapter 10 & 12
Do forum posting for lesson #20
8 / Submit: “Historical and Cultural Analysis”
5 / 9 / 22. Epistles / Read: Kostenberger and Patterson Chapter 11
Read: Goldsworthy Chapter 26-27
10 / 23. Apocalyptic / Submit: “Theological Analysis”
Do forum posting for lesson #23
6 / 11 / 24. Perspicuity / Submit: “Application Project”
12 / 25. The Role of the Holy Spirit / Do forum posting for lesson #25
7 / 13 / Submit “Teaching/Preaching Outline”
14 / Complete Final Exam
On-time Verification (16 week course, ok to submit in week 15).
8 / 15
16 / Course Evaluation and Reflection. If you have not been granted an extension, graded assignments turned in after 8:00 a.m. on Monday of the final week may be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day.
DBS 506YE Course Assignments
1. Doing a Mechanical Layout. Using the NASB text, do a mechanical layout of Colossians 2:6-15. You may hand print (as opposed to hand write) the layout if you wish. Use the guidelines below to help you create your layout.
1. Use an unruled sheet of paper, turned so that the long edge is horizontal. This gives more room for lateral recording.
2. Work from left to right and top to bottom.
A. Main ideas begin at the left margin.
B. Subordinate ideas are placed under those terms they modify. This creates a "stair-step" effect toward the lower and right sections of the layout.
C. The initial idea is placed at the top, with the following ideas moving toward the bottom of the layout.
D. Coordinate ideas or clauses should begin in the same vertical column under and parallel to the previous phrases they co-ordinate.
3. "Correct" form allows some flexibility in the manner in which thoughts are divided, but any particular horizontal line of the diagram should not include too many words or ideas.
4. Lists should be placed in vertical columns with modifiers placed so that the list format is not destroyed.
2. Historical/Cultural Analysis of “Gnosticism”. A part of the historic problem addressed in Colossians was a probable mix of Judaistic belief with an incipient Gnosticism. (This is not a universally-accepted claim. For purposes of this assignment, however, you are asked to accept it as a given.) Colossians 2:8-10 seem to hint at underlying Gnostic ideas. To get at this interpretive issue and to more thoroughly understand the particulars of the beliefs Paul was addressing, you are to do the following:
1. Read background material on Gnosticism from at least three sources. Be careful not to read back later Gnostic beliefs (i.e. second century). Rather, focus on what appears to be the state of the belief system in Paul’s day. Suggested resources from which to choose include The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ISBE, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology edited by Walter Elwell, books on New Testament introduction, and introductory articles in critical commentaries on Colossians. Note that some of these works were suggested when you did your historical background study.
2. Write a summary of your findings, in no more than 4 pages, double-spaced. Be sure to credit your sources with reference notes. These may be footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetic notes. Also, please include a bibliography of works you used.
3. Relate your findings to the substance of Colossians 2:8-10. In other words, explain the allusions made in view of a more complete understanding of Gnostic ideas. Demonstrate how your understanding of incipient Gnosticism helps you understand Paul’s meaning in these verses.
3. Theological Analysis of “atonement” in Col 2:6-15. The purpose of this assignment is to develop a synoptic view of the Scriptural teaching on the doctrine of the atonement, expressed in Col. 2:6-15. This subject is richly developed in Scripture, and it would be overwhelming to ask you to do an exhaustive study of the doctrine. You should, however, develop familiarity with the procedures outlined in the lecture.