Understanding the New Testament

Professor Biography
Course Scope
Lecture 1—The Paradox of the New Testament
	The Original List
	Individual Differences
	Textual Criticism
	Dating and Authorship
Lecture 2—The Jewish Origins of Christian Faith
	God’s Covenants
	Apocalyptic Eschatology
	Messiah Figures
	Jesus of Nazareth
Lecture 3—1 Thessalonians and Paul’s Ministry
	The Life of Paul
	Persecutions in Thessalonica
	Words of Encouragement
Lecture 4—The Salvation of Gentiles in Galatians
	Confusion in Galatia
	Gentiles and the Law
	Modern Thinking
Lecture 5—Romans on God, Faith, and Israel
	Connecting with Rome
	The Role of Faith
	The Salvation of Israel
	Acceptance and Gratitude
Lecture 6—Community Conflicts in 1–2 Corinthians
	Correspondence with Corinth
	Division and Conflict
	The Example of Christ
Lecture 7—Worship and Leaders in Paul’s Congregations
	Worship Services
	Expulsion and Baptism
	Leadership Roles
	Subordination and Silence
Lecture 8—Paul’s Theology on Slavery and Christ
	Imprisonment and Slavery
	The Divinity of Jesus
	The Preexistent Christ
Lecture 9—Adapting Paul’s Teachings to New Situations
	Evaluating Authenticity
	Anxiety in 2 Thessalonians
	Adaptation in Colossians
	Unity in Ephesians
Lecture 10—Jesus as the Suffering Son of Man in Mark
	The Milieu of Mark
	The Messianic Secret
	The Son of Man
Lecture 11—Jesus as the New Moses in Matthew
	The Synoptic Problem
	The Divinity of Jesus
	The New Moses
Lecture 12—The Church in the Gospel of Matthew
	Trained Scribes
	Saints and Sinners
	True Teachers
Lecture 13 —Luke and Acts on God’s History of Salvation
	An Orderly Account
	A Unified History
	Past, Present, and Future
Lecture 14—Luke’s Inclusive Message
	Rich and Poor
	Lost Sinners
	Luke and Women
	Cultural Differences
Lecture 15—The Apostles and Church in Luke and Acts
	Initial Confusion
	Eventual Understanding
	Ensuring Continuity
Lecture 16—Jesus as the Divine Word in John
	Signs and Symbols
	The Beloved Disciple
	The Divine Word
Lecture 17—Jesus and the Jews in the Gospel of John
	Johannine Christians
	Shaping the Gospel
	Interpretive Disputes
Lecture 18—The Community of John after the Gospel
	Schism and Docetism
	Denial of Hospitality
	Challenges to Leadership
Lecture 19—In Search of the Historical Jesus
	Changing Perspectives
	Evaluating Authenticity
	Reaching Consensus
Lecture 20—Interpreting Abraham in Hebrews and James
	Prior Appearances
	Model of Faith
	Faith and Works
Lecture 21—Churches in Crisis in 1–2 Peter and Jude
	Alienation and Authority
	Slander and Signs
	Testament and Tradition
Lecture 22—New Leaders in the Pastoral Epistles
	Formal Leadership
	Wives and Widows
	Theological Precision
Lecture 23—Revelation: Envisioning God’s Reality
	Facing Persecution
	Symbols and Images
	Portrayal of Rome
	The New Jerusalem
Lecture 24—The Quest for Unity in the New Testament
	The Rule of Truth
	Gospel Harmony
	Allegorical Interpretation
	Modern Approaches
Quiz
Bibliography