SYLLABUS FOR "THE GOSPELS"
Course Description
The four gospels are key books of the Bible, since they narrate the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Each gospel has a unique perspective and a unique purpose. This course explains the background, the structure, the main contents, and the major themes of each gospel. It is based on the videos produced by Third Millennium Ministries.
Goals and Objectives
GOALS
In this course, we would like to accomplish the following:
1. We hope you become fascinated by the four gospels and enthusiastic about studying them more carefully.
2. We hope you will learn the key information about the background, the contents, and the major themes of each of the gospels.
3. We hope that you will apply to your own life the lessons learned as you study the four gospels, especially that you come to know Jesus better and love Him more.
OBJECTIVES
When you have done the following, it will show that the goals are met:
1. Use all the instructional elements and complete all the written assignments of the course, expressing your own thoughts and attitudes regarding the four gospels.
2. Obtain satisfactory grades on the tests, demonstrating that you can: a) identify key information about the background of each of the four gospels, including their author, the audience, the date of composition, and the purpose, b) identify the structure and key contents of each of the four gospels, and c) identify the major themes of each of the four gospels.
3. Answer the application questions in the study guides, in which you show how you have applied the teachings of the course to your own life, especially how the course has changed your attitude toward Jesus.
Resources
The course is based on materials distributed by Third Millennium Ministries. A wide variety of theology professors and pastors contribute to the lessons.
Credit
Birmingham Theological Seminary offers 2.5 hours of credit for this course, as part of the program leading to a Certificate in Christian Ministry.
Thematic Outline of the Course
1. Introduction to the Gospels
2. The Gospel of Matthew
3. The Gospel of Mark
4. The Gospel of Luke
5. The Gospel of John
Required Additional Reading: John Gresham Machen, The Literature and History of New Testament Times
Assignments
You should begin with the following for each lesson:
1. Read the "Preparation" document and complete any activity mentioned there in preparation for the lesson.
2. Read the instructions for the lesson.
3. Watch all the videos (or listen to the audio, or read the text version).
4. Complete the study guide for each section of the videos.While they are not required, and while they will not be graded, we recommend that you do the following for each lesson to prepare for the acummulative test and to get the maximum benefit from the lesson:
1. Take the quiz on each section of the videos.
2. If there are any, watch the videos of class discussion forums.
3. Browse through the glossary of the lesson.The accumulative test
Take the accumulative test on each lesson. This is required and will give you the grade for the lesson.
Required Additional Reading
After completing the lessons based on the video lectures, there is a final lesson based on required additional reading. The student should do the reading, complete the study guides, and take the corresponding test based on the reading.
Estimated Time for Study
While each student is different, we estimate that each lesson may take around 10 hours to do the required assignments, if the student is already familiar with how to use these courses.
Grades
You may see your grades at any time by clicking on the link. (It is in the left margin in the computer version, and at the bottom in other versions.)
1) Each accumulative test is worth 100 points and the test on the required reading is worth 100 points.
2) The quizzes on each section of the lessons are graded (10 points for each) so that you can evaluate your learning, but they will not be included in the official course grade. They are only for the purpose of practicing and learning.
3) The final grade for the course will be calculated by taking the appropriate percentages from each accumulative test and from the test on required reading, to make a total of 100%.
The evaluation scale has the following meaning:
90-100%: Excellent (A)
80-89%: Good (B)
75-79%: Average (C)
0-75%: Insufficient (F)
Include Other People
We highly recommend that you involve other people in your studies, in order to avoid isolating yourself. You may choose to form a study group with other students that are in the same program, or in a similar program of studies. You could share what you are learning, encourage one another, and pray for each other. It would also be a great idea to form a mentoring relationship with your pastor or with another person you respect, to make yourself accountable to him. You could meet once a week to share what you are learning and pray together.