“In the beginning…” That’s the first three words of the Holy
Scriptures. Where do we go from
there? Your answer to that question will
affect your entire outlook on life. The
Old Testament establishes the foundation for the study of the New
Testament. Jesus himself was fluent in
the Old Testament. He proclaimed that the Old Testament revealed every aspect
of His coming before hand, so He marveled that so few seemed to recognize who
he really was.
Over the last 150 years the Old Testament has taken a
pounding in the credibility department. Just tune in to the Discovery Channel,
National Geographic Channel, and History Channel and you will see specials
which question everything from the reality of the Exodus to the existence of
Sodom and Gomorrah. In almost everything I have seen the Old Testament is
regarded skeptically at best. It is often cast as having little, if any,
scientific or historical veracity.
As believers we
should expect this attack. If an enemy
can crack the foundation of a fortress the walls will soon crumble and
fall. As an evangelical Christian pastor
whose undergrad degree is in ancient history I have had to fight my share of
battles in this credibility war. Through it all I have maintained the position
that I will support the veracity of scripture on the belief that in the long
run the relevant data will support the fact that the Old Testament is truly the
Word of God. After nearly 30 years of defending this view I am finally
discovering that I have kindred spirits. From the folks at the Answers in
Genesis foundation to the work of Dr. Stephen Collins from Trinity Southwestern
University we will explore the trustworthiness of the Old Testament. I believe you will be astonished at the
evidence which supports a nearly literal view of the Old Testament Narrative.
In an effort to keep things as simple as possible we will
limit ourselves to three basic textbooks, one of which I’m sure you already
have.
The Holy Bible
I am a New American Standard guy. Ever since my college Greek professor, who
was a native Greek speaker from Cypress, told me that the NASB captured the
subtle nuances of the original language I have been hooked. Now, you may certainly use your favorite
flavor Bible, but I would strongly recommend having and NASB in your
library…especially if you want to do later work with Biblical language.
NIV Archeological Study
Bible
Published by Zondervan this Bible features relevant articles
on archeological discoveries right next to the text they support. I have decided to require the purchase of
this Bible for your Old Testament reading assignments. I want you to read the footnotes and featured
articles on each page. They fill in the
blanks as to the historical context and archeological support for what you are
reading. When you do this along with the
weekly assignments in Hoerth you will finish this class with a stunning respect
for the trustworthiness of the Old Testament Narrative. I wish this wonderful study tool was
available in the New American Standard instead of the NIV…but we will have to
make do. When you have gotten to know me
better you will understand the reason I say this.
You will be reading everything from Genesis through Psalms
and then assorted passages in the prophets.
Archeology and the Old
Testament – Alfred Hoerth
Dr. Hoerth is the director of archeology at Wheaton College in Illinois. The book is written in language
that is easily understandable to the neophyte archeology or Old Testament
student.
Evidence that Demands a
Verdict – Josh McDowell
This book began as the project of an agnostic college
student attempting to disprove Christianity…he ended up becoming one of the
most influential evangelical Christian teachers of the latter 20th
century. This is a book that every Christian should have in their personal
library. We will be using it as a simple introduction into the pitfalls of
Biblical Criticism.
Course rationale
As I stated above, I believe that we cannot preach the faith
with conviction if we don’t have faith in the reliability of the Bible. Now you may assume that you can have a more
lax attitude toward the reliability of the Old Testament just as long as you
respect the New Testament. I used to be
of that persuasion. However, I soon
learned that after you’ve undermined the first 11 chapters of Genesis your
resistance to the process of skepticism accelerates.
Along with the books and Bible reading I will be sending you
assignments using various websites which I have found informational and
helpful. These assignments will be
divided into 3 Units….approximately 1 month’s work for each.
Unit 1 - CREATION, THE FLOOD, THE PATRIARCHS, THE EXODUS,
AND THE KINGS
Unit 2 – PLAYING WITH THE PROPHETS
Unit 3 - EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT
Reading assignments from the basic textbooks will be
provided on a weekly basis as well as web site addresses to help you further
explore the history of the Old Testament.
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