Interpreting and Studying the Bible Course

This is part of the core curriculum for International Online Bible College, but anyone may use this material free of charge. 

Scope of the Course: In this course, you will become familiar with the rules of interpreting the Bible and various methods of studying the Scriptures both for your own edification and for teaching others. While you may be quite familiar with reading the Bible, you are likely to glean some new techniques from this introductory course.

Grading: Your grade will be based on the notes you take for each of the videos below, the written research assignments, and your completion of the Use Your Gifts final project.

 

To complete the course...

1. Watch Where Did the Bible Come From?

 

Assignment (250 words minimum, 250 points): Choose a book of the Bible and discuss who wrote it. What is the evidence that person wrote the book?

 

2. Watch History of Bible Translation

and Choosing a Bible Translation

Assignment (250 words minimum, 250 points): Research your favorite translation of the Bible. Who commissioned it and why? How is it different from other translations?

 

3. Read How to Interpret the Bible

Assignment (300 words minimum, 300 points): Choose a short passage from the Bible and compare the text in at least 5 different translations. Point out the differences between the translations. Do the differences change the meaning of the text? How so? Which do you feel is the best translation?

Assignment (250 words minimum, 250 points): Choose a word in the Old Testament and conduct a word study using blueletterbible.org as described in the reading above. What different meanings can the word have? Give examples. What is the essence of the word?

Assignment (250 words minimum, 250 points): Choose a word in the New Testament and conduct a word study using blueletterbible.org as described in the reading above. What different meanings can the word have? Give examples. What is the essence of the word?

4. Watch the following videos. Assignment (200 points): Take notes of each.

What is the Bible?

The Story of the Bible

Literary Styles in the Bible

Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

Plot in Biblical Narrative

Character in Biblical Narrative

Setting in Biblical Narrative

Design Patterns in Biblical Narrative

The Art of Biblical Poetry

Metaphor in Biblical Poetry

The Book of Psalms

The Prophets

Biblical Law

The Books of Solomon

The Gospels

The Parables of Jesus

Historical Context of the New Testament Letters

Literary Context of the New Testament Letters

Apocalypse

 

5. Read How to Study the Bible

Assignment (250 words minimum, 250 points): Do a Bible study using the method described in the reading. Write out your thoughts as you proceed through the steps. 

 

6. Use Your Gifts (775 points) 

Choose one topic from this course (the Bible as a whole, a literary genre in the Bible, interpreting Scripture, study methods) for your final project. It may be writing a Bible study, recording yourself preaching a sermon, writing a worship song, creating a work of art, writing a research paper on a topic of interest, gathering a list of Bible verses on a certain theme, gathering a list of quotes on a theme, etc. – anything that shows you have engaged with and understood the subject.

Bible Helps may publish your written assignments and final project as an example to other students and for the edification of our readers. You will be credited as the writer/creator, etc.