BI 102 New Testament Survey
Syllabus
J. Michael Lester
I.
Course Description
This class will give each student an overview of the New Testament. Special emphasis is placed on
authorship, date, and purpose of each book. The student will develop a broad outline for each book. This
course will also examine the background and content of each book. Briefly mentioned will be the intertestament period to place the ministry of Jesus Christ into a historical context. In other words, we are
dealing with “big picture” items.
Within this inter-testamental period we find the “400 Silent Years.” It is within this time period that many
of the extra books found in a Catholic Bible were written. Also found within this time would be two
notable historical characters: Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Each of these men, and the empires
they represent, cast a shadow over the New Testament that we should seek to understand.
II.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this semester, the student should be able to:
1. List the 27 books of the New Testament in order.
2. List the key word, verse, and author of each New Testament book.
3. Quote from memory 24 Bible verses coming from these New Testament books.
4. Discuss the differences in style and purposes of the four gospel records.
5. State chronologically and geographically the major events of the NT with at least 80% accuracy.
6. Trace the major cities in which Christ ministered.
7. Compare and contrast the different local churches who received epistles from Paul.
8. Develop teaching outlines giving a survey of the major contents of each book.
9. Relate the founding of the churches mentioned in the Epistles to the book of Acts.
10. List the major events that happen during the Intertestamental period.
11. Pass a final examination with at least 85% accuracy.
III. Course Requirements:
1. Be familiar with the textbook (New Testament Bible History, H. Richard Hester). Submit a 2-page
typed synopsis of the book due March 27. Preferable method of submission is email. Follow the
template at http://lester.wcbc.edu
2. Read through the entire New Testament by the end of the semester. There will be weekly reading
quizzes to insure progress. We will follow the calendar at the end of the syllabus.
a. Quizzes will follow this schedule:
i. February 6
Read Matthew 1-14
ii. February 13
Read through Mark 2
iii. February 20
Finished Mark
iv. February 27
Read through Luke 11
v. March 6
Finished Luke
vi. March 13
Read through John 13
vii. March 27
Finished Acts
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
April 3
Read through 1 Corinthians 4
April 10
Finished 2 Corinthians
April 17
Finished 1 Thessalonians
April 24
Finished Hebrews
May 3
Finished New Testament
NOTE: The combined weight of your reading for this class is 36%. It is
recommended that you do not fall behind.
3. Be ready for a quiz each week. It is your responsibility to make up quizzes that are missed. Do not
assume that missed quizzes will not count against you. Quizzes not made up within the allotted time
will be marked as a “0.”
4. Write a brief teaching outline for each NT book. These should be no longer than ½ page typed. These
are due April 5 in class. For sake of illustration, assume you are to teach through each book of the
New Testament in only one setting per book. Obviously, you will not have a verse-by-verse
exposition. These outlines are “big picture” outlines.
5. A research paper of 750-1000 words due March 29 on one of the following topics:
a. History of the Maccabees and their relation to the context of the New Testament
b. Jesus’ teaching on finances and how it relates to our current recession
c. Roman Emperors of New Testament importance
d. Life of Herod the Great
e. Study of life of Timothy
f. Paul’s teaching on salvation
g. Jesus’ teaching on the church
h. James’ teaching on faith and works
i. Summary of the Parable teachings of Christ
j. An overview of Paul’s Missionary Journeys
k. The Role of Women in the New Testament Church
l. An overview of Ephaphroditus
m. A study of Onesimus
n. A study of a quitting finisher – John Mark
o. The First Martyr – Stephen
p. Trades and Occupations of New Testament Characters
q. A Survey of the 12 Apostles
r. A Geographical Study of Major New Testament Cities
s. The doctrine of Fasting
t. Paul’s Infirmity – dealing with God-given limitations
u. How to deal with Pagan religions
v. Spiritual gifts – Practical Application
w. Influence of Pharisees and Sadducees
x. Who were the Zealots?
y. Death by Crucifixion – an analysis
z. The Ministry of Barnabas
i. The following guidelines will help shape your paper:
1. It must be emailed to me
2. It must be coherent
3. It must have a purpose other than fulfilling an assignment
4. It must discuss what you have learned in your research
5. It must be in a format that you can use for future ministry
6. It must include an outline and a bibliography
7. It must cite all sources, three of which should be from a theological journal.
8. It must conform to the template found at http://lester.wcbc.edu
9. It must be Times or Times New Roman font and no larger than “12”
10. It must be the product of your own work.
6. Learn the following Bible verses:
a. Matthew 4:4
b. Mark 10:45
c. Luke 24:49
d. John 14:6
e. Acts 13:1
f. Romans 6:6
g. 1 Corinthians 3:11
h. 2 Corinthians 4:7
i. Galatians 2:20
j. Ephesians 4:11-12
k. Philippians 3:10
l. Colossians 2:9
Memory Quizzes
1. February 20
2. March 27
3. April 17
IV.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
r.
s.
t.
u.
v.
w.
x.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
2 Thessalonians 2:13
1 Timothy 2:5
2 Timothy 2:15
Titus 3:5
Hebrews 11:1
James 1:5
1 Peter 1:2
2 Peter 3:16
1 John 2:15
Jude 3
Revelation 3:20
First 8 verses
Second 8 verses
Final 8 verses
Quick Reminders:
1.
Understand the methodology and processes involved with attendance. You should check your
portal weekly to make sure all attendance is recorded accurately. After one week, the record will
stand. If you miss over 15%, you will be dropped from the roster.
2.
Someone has said “laziness is the scourge of the ministry.” We do not need people struggling to
be “on time.” Let us each learn the work of the ministry while we are in this place.
3.
If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment to see me, email is the best
method of reaching me: mike.lester@wcbc.edu
4.
If you would like additional resources, visit http://lester.wcbc.edu
a. You will find a copy of the PowerPoint lesson dealing with the 400 silent years.
b. This can be extremely helpful if history is “not your thing.”
c. Additional handouts are posted periodically. Make a habit to check this site for help.
d. Also, feel free to browse around at some of the other classes for information to help answer
questions you may get from time to time from co-workers.
V.
Policies to consider:
1. Academic Dishonesty:
– Scholastic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or any other
action that is not an honest participation in the learning process. By enrolling in this course, you
have agreed to WCBC’s guidelines for handling academic dishonesty.
–
God is not going to bless the ministry of someone who has been academically dishonest. There is
no shortcut today that is worth jeopardizing your influence in ministry in the future.
2. Classroom Civility:
– As part of this class, you are an integral part of a learning community. Please be aware of your
behavior and its effects on others. Talking, coming in late, leaving early, sleeping in class, and
being discourteous can all diminish classmates’ learning experiences. Realize that everyone in this
class might be in a position someday to recommend you professionally. Earn and keep their
respect.
3. I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoy teaching it. If you have problems, questions, or just
want to talk, I encourage you to contact me in person, on the phone, or via email. I WANT TO TALK
TO YOU! Please do not let small problems during a semester grow to a crisis at the end. It is always
easier to repair anticipated difficulties than to untangle a mess!
VI.
Dates to Remember:
1.
2.
3.
4.
March 27
March 29
April 5
May 3
Contact Info:
Email
2-page synopsis due
Research Paper
Teaching Outlines
NT Reading finished
mike.lester@wcbc.edu
jmichaellester@gmail.com
Office Phone
Cell Phone
661.946.4663 x163 (or 146)
661.466.3429
Office Hours
Monday-Friday 2:00-5:00
Reading Schedule SPRING 2013
February 01, 2013
Matt 1–4
February 02, 2013
Matt 5–6
February 03, 2013
Matt 7–8
February 04, 2013
Matt 9–10
February 05, 2013
Matt 11:1–13:23
February 06, 2013
Matt 13:24–14:36
February 07, 2013
Matt 15–17
February 08, 2013
Matt 18–20
February 09, 2013
Matt 21–22
February 10, 2013
Matt 23–24
February 11, 2013
Matt 25:1–26:35
February 12, 2013
Matt 26:36–28:20
February 13, 2013
Mark 1–2
February 14, 2013
Mark 3–4
February 15, 2013
Mark 5–6
February 16, 2013
Mark 7:1–8:21
February 17, 2013
Mark 8:22–10:16
February 18, 2013
Mark 10:17–12:44
February 19, 2013
Mark 13:1–14:42
February 20, 2013
Mark 14:43–16:20
February 21, 2013
Luke 1
February 22, 2013
Luke 2–3
February 23, 2013
Luke 4–5
February 24, 2013
Luke 6:1–7:17
February 25, 2013
Luke 7:18–8:56
February 26, 2013
Luke 9–10
February 27, 2013
Luke 11
February 28, 2013
Luke 12–13
March 01, 2013
Luke 14–15
March 02, 2013
Luke 16–17
March 03, 2013
Luke 18–19
March 04, 2013
Luke 20–21
March 05, 2013
Luke 22
March 06, 2013
Luke 23–24
March 07, 2013
John 1–2
March 08, 2013
John 3–4
March 09, 2013
John 5–6
March 10, 2013
John 7:1–8:20
March 11, 2013
John 8:21–9:41
March 12, 2013
John 10–11
March 13, 2013
John 12–13
March 14, 2013
John 14–16
March 15, 2013
John 17–19
March 16, 2013
John 20–21
March 17, 2013
Acts 1–3
March 18, 2013
Acts 4–6
March 19, 2013
Acts 7
March 20, 2013
Acts 8–9
March 21, 2013
Acts 10–11
March 22, 2013
Acts 12–14
March 23, 2013
Acts 15–16
March 24, 2013
Acts 17–19
March 25, 2013
Acts 20:1–21:36
March 26, 2013
Acts 21:37–24:27
March 27, 2013
Acts 25–28
March 28, 2013
Rom 1–2
March 29, 2013
Rom 3–4
March 30, 2013
Rom 5–7
March 31, 2013
Rom 8–9
April 01, 2013
Rom 10–13
April 02, 2013
Rom 14–16
April 03, 2013
1 Cor 1–4
April 04, 2013
1 Cor 5–8
April 05, 2013
1 Cor 9–11
April 06, 2013
1 Cor 12–14
April 07, 2013
1 Cor 15–16
April 08, 2013
2 Cor 1–4
April 09, 2013
2 Cor 5–8
April 10, 2013
2 Cor 9–13
April 11, 2013
Gal 1–3
April 12, 2013
Gal 4–6
April 13, 2013
Eph 1–4
April 14, 2013
Eph 5–6
April 15, 2013
Phil 1–4
April 16, 2013
Col 1–4
April 17, 2013
1 Thess 1–5
April 18, 2013
2 Thess 1–3
April 19, 2013
1 Tim 1–6
April 20, 2013
2 Tim 1–4, Titus 1–3
April 21, 2013
Philem, Heb 1–4
April 22, 2013
Heb 5–8
April 23, 2013
Heb 9–10
April 24, 2013
Heb 11–13
April 25, 2013
James 1–5
April 26, 2013
1 Pet 1–5
April 27, 2013
2 Pet 1–3
April 28, 2013
1 John 1–5
April 29, 2013
2 John, 3 John, Jude
April 30, 2013
Rev 1–6
May 01, 2013
Rev 7–12
May 02, 2013
Rev 13–17
May 03, 2013
Rev 18–22