The Orlando Institute
Equipping Leaders to Disciple the Nations
BL 100 Bible Survey
Dr. Norman Geisler & Dr. Bob Singleton
Syllabus
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Objectives: By the completion of this class, the student should be able to:
Trace the broad chronological, political and geographical development of the Bible, giving the
important turning points in history and explaining how each book fits in.
Describe the various types of literature found in the Bible.
Discover and be able to use a method for approaching each book of the Bible which will
facilitate understanding and encourage personal application of the message of the book to the
life of the reader.
Discuss how the Old Testament is related to the New Testament.
Develop greater understanding of the New Testament character and doctrine
Have a deeper appreciation for the New Testament as a book of faith
Gain more trust in God and readiness to live for Him
Read about the events and people who bring the goals of God and mankind to reality and
describe in some detail the main movements which have occurred in New Testament history.
Focus on the key individuals and situations which made critical differences in the development
of peoples and fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Learn the theology and ethics of living before God.
II. Session
Session Title
Reading Assignment
1. Introduction
2. The Blessing and the Promise
Gen. 1-3
3. The Provision for the Promise
Gen. 12,15; Job 1-3.
(Genesis 12-50, Job)
4. The People of the Promise
Ex. 3,6,20; Lev. 16; Num. 24. (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers).
5. The Place of the Promise
Deut. 1,4,6; Joshua 6:7. (Deuteronomy, Joshua)
6. The Progress of the Promise
Judges 17-21. (Judges, Ruth)
7. The King of Promise
I Sam. 8,10; II Sam. 7. (I & II Samuel, I Kings, the Royal Psalms)
8. Life in the Promise (Psalms, Proverbs
Ps- 32,51,8, 80-87, 121,103. (Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon)
9. The Prophets and the Promise
I Kings 13,22; II Kings 17. (I Kings 12-25, 11 Kings)
10. The Day of the Promise
Joel 1,3; Obad. 1.
(Joel, Obadiah)
11. The Servant of the Promise
Is. 7,11,52:12-53:12; Hos. 11; Mic. 6. (Isaiah, Hosea, Micah)
12. The Renewal of the Promise
Jer. 7:31; Hab- 1-2:4. (Jeremiah, Daniel, Haggai, Zachariah)
13. Theology of the Old Testament
14. Waiting for the Promise
Intertestamental Period
15. Roman and Greek Culture
16. The Promised One: Our Teacher
John, Luke
17. Beginning to Live in the Promise
Acts
18. The Chruch and the Promise
Early Pauline Letters – 48-59AD
19.Reaching the World with the Promise
Later Pauline Letters – 60-65AD
20. The Old and the New
Hebrews
21 Broading the Promise
General Epistles
22. The Future of the Promised People
Revelation
23. Theology of the New Testament
24. Biblical Theology
III. Textbooks
Geisler, N. A. (2007). Popular Survey of the Old Testament. Baker.
Carson, D. A. (2007). New Testament Commentary Survey. Baker.
III. Assignments
1. Pick one book of the OT and write an introduction to that book for a lay leader (small group, etc.).
Due week 12.
2. Keep a journal of theological or social issues which you see in the text. Due week 18.
3. Write a paper on one application of NT Ethics to life in Western Culture. Due week 22.
4. Choose a chapter and memorize it. Due week 10.
IV. Grades
1. Intro. paper
2. Issues Journal
3. Ethics paper
4. Memory
5. Final Exam
Total
20
20
20
20
20
100
V. Recommended Reading.
Older classical works:
Archer, Gleason L. Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Moody, 1964.
Baker, D. & Arnold, B. (1999). The Face of Old Testament Studies. Baker.
Balla,P. & Alexander, P. (1998). Challenges to New Testament Theology. Hendrickson.
Dorsey, D. (1999). The Literary Sturcture of the Old Testament. Baker.
Harrison, R. K. Old Testament Times. Eerdmans, 1970.
Harrison, R. K. Introduction o the Old Testament. Eerdmans, 1969.
Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation. Baker, 1972.
Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching. Baker, 1973.
Kaiser, W. C. (1998). A History of Israel. Broadman.
Lasor, W. et. al. (1996). Old Testament Survey. Eeerdmans.
Merrill, Eugene. A History of the Old Testament. Baker, 1994.
Metzger, Bruce. (1997). The Canon of the New Testament. Oxford.
Niswonger, Richard. (1992). New Testament History. Zondervan.
Payne, J. Barton. New Perspectives on Old Testament. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1970.
Pheiffer, C. Old Testament History.
Schultz, Samuel. The Old Testament Speaks. Harper, 1960.
Tenney, Merrill. (1985). New Testament Survey. Eerdmans.
Wright, N. T. (1992). The New Testament and the People of God. Augsburg/Fortress.
Wright, N. T. (1992). The New Testament and the People of God. Augsburg/Fortress.
Recent Works:
Boyles, C. (2001). Interpreting the Old Testament. Baker.
Campbell, P. & Smith, B. (2000). Old Testament: God’s Unfolding Promise. Crossway.
Carson, D. A. (2007). New Testament Commentary Survey. Baker.
Carson, Moo, & Morris. (2005). An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd edition. Zondervan.
Coggins, R. (2001). Introducing the Old Testament. Oxford.
Dillard, R. B. & Longman, T. (2006). An Introduction to the Old Testament. Zondervan.
Elwell, W. & Yarbrough, R. (2005). Encountering the New Testament. Baker.
Evans, C. & Porter, S. (2000). Dictionary of New Testament Background. IVP.
France, R. T. (2000). Jesus and the Old Testament. Regent College.
Freed, Edwin. (2000). New Testament: A Critical Introduction. Cengage Learning.
Geisler, N. A. (2007). Popular Survey of the Old Testament. Baker.
Green, Joel. (2010). Hearing the New Testament. Eerdmans.
Hamilton, V. (2001). Handbook on the Historical Books. Baker.
Harrison, R. K. (2001). Old Testament Times. Hendrickson.
Hill, A. & Walton, J. (2000). Survey of the Old Testament. Zondervan.
Kaiser, W. C. (2000). Mission in the Old Testament. Baker.
Longenecker, Richard. (2005). Contours of Christology in the New Testament . Eerdmans.
Merril, Eugene. (2008). Kingdom of Priests. Baker.
Metzger, Bruce. (2003). New Testament: It Background, Growth, and Content. Abingdon.
Moberly, R. (2000). The Bible, Theology and Faith. Cambridge.
Moyer, A. & Stott, J. (2001). The Story of the Old Testament.
Peterson, E. (2001). The Message. Nav Press.
Schultz, S. & Smith, G. (2001). Exploring the Old Testament. Crossway.
Vangemeren, W. (2001). New Intl. Dict. of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Zondervan.
Walton, J. et. al. (2000). Old Testament. IV Press.
Wright, N. T. (2005). Paul in Fresh Perspective. Fortress.
Youngblood, R. (2001). The Heart of the Old Testament. Baker.