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Maranatha Baptist Bible College Maranatha Baptist University Jonathan Rehfeldt Watertown, WI [email protected] Fall 2020 BIGK 315/GNT 519 Exegetical Method Syllabus Course Description A thorough study of how to accurately interpret the Greek New Testament. We will emphasize producing exegetical outlines that bring the text to bear on life (Prerequisite: Exegetical Grammar or its equivalent). Course Goals: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: • Understand the context and meaning of any given text in the Greek NT through exegesis; • Demonstrate competence in written, oral, and aesthetic communication; • Use discernment by applying biblical precepts to contemporary issues and lifestyle choices. Learning Objectives • Summarize and apply the basics of biblical Greek Grammar; • Interact with discussions on NT textual criticism; • Determine the meaning of any sentence or paragraph in the Greek NT; • Form originalist outlines that have meaningful, evangelistic applications; • Preach and teach from the Greek NT. Required Textbooks 1. The Greek New Testament: United Bible Societies, 5th ed. 2. Black, David Alan. New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. 3. Bock, Darrell and Fanning, Buist. Interpreting the New Testament Text: Introduction to the Art and Science of Exegesis. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2006. 4. Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996. Recommended Textbooks 1. Bauer, Walter, et. al. (BADG). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. 2. Black, David Alan. Using New Testament Greek in Ministry: A Practical Guide for Students and Pastors. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993. 3. ______________. Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek: A Survey of Basic Concepts and Applications. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995. 4. Young, Richard. Intermediate New Testament Greek: A Linguistic Approach. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994. Format of Class Our class will be grouped into chunks of weeks (i.e., “Week 1,” Week 2,” etc.). Each week will generally be composed of core assignments like watching the lecture videos, reading, translating, and answering translation questions. Exegetical worksheets that form the basis of the paper will be due throughout class. The class climaxes with the formation of an exegetical outline and opportunity to preach or teach. The breakdown for the grading is as follows: 1 Reading 10% Translation/Live Sessions 15% Exegetical Questions 10% Exegetical Worksheets 15% Exegetical Paper 15% Sermon Outline 15% Preaching 20% Course Assignments 1. Videos and Reading. Every second week you will need to watch a video related to translation and the exegetical worksheets. Reading assignments are due at the beginning of each week and must be reported in the Coursework section. These assignments are graded together. 2. Translation/Live Sessions. Translation assignments must be turned in on Wednesday morning before class. You should plan to translate about a verse a day and be prepared to comment on your translation by the middle of the week. I will evaluate translation skill during our live sessions. Attendance to these is crucial! Everyone is expected to do all within his power to be present. 3. Discussion Forums. I will assign one or two exegetical questions for each translation assignment. Answers should demonstrate a knowledge of possible options as well as arguments for the best option. Responses should be lean; at least 250 words, not more than 350. 4. Exegetical Worksheets. Once every second week you will submit a worksheet that covers the basic steps in the exegetical process. We will focus on Philippians 3:17-21. 5. Exegetical Paper. This will be based on the exegetical worksheets but must be more detailed, explaining all (or most) grammatical questions of Philippians 3:17-21 (not just a few). Your paper must resemble a commentary on the passage and explain every clause. You may follow the order of the passage or the order of your outline. Please cite at least 12 sources; four must be reputable journal articles. 6. Sermon Outline. We will discuss in class how to form “originalist outlines that have meaningful, evangelistic applications.” Your outline must reflect authorial intent and include at least five applications original to your study of and prayer over the text. 7. Preaching. Each student must preach or teach his outline in an acceptable local church format. Please let me know where this will be so I can collaborate with the church leadership so you can obtain a formal evaluation. After preaching you must write a one-page review of what went well, what went poorly, and what you learned from the experience. 8. Late Work. Late work is penalized 3% per day it is late; work submitted one week after the due date will not be accepted. Only under unusual, pressing circumstances should any work be late. Late discussion forum posts and finals will not be accepted. I reserve the right to adjust this rule depending on the situation. Please contact me with any questions. My Role as Facilitator Because I live in Uruguay, it is best to reach me by email at [email protected]. Unless an assessment is automatically graded, I normally grade each assignment by the beginning of the following week. I will read each discussion forum response and make occasional posts. Grading A 94.0-100 B+ 90-91.99 C+ 81-82.99 D 64-72.99 A- 92.0-93.9 B 85-89.99 C 75-80.99 F 0-63.99 B- 83-84.99 C- 73-74.99 2 Plagiarism Copying the work of others (web articles, other writers, other students, etc.) and claiming it as your own is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. For more information about MBU’s policy on cheating and plagiarism, please read this excerpt from the Student Life Handbook. Netiquette Netiquette refers to the standards of behavior for online communication. • All communication in discussion forums and through email should be respectful and professional. • If someone asks you a question in a discussion forum, take the time to respond. • If a coursemate or the instructor sends you an email, acknowledge that you received it by responding with a quick email. • The Seminary catalog states, “The Seminary has an expectation of collegiality in and out of the classroom. There must be an ability and willingness to talk about controversial issues in an attitude of mutual respect between students, professors and others. The classes should not degenerate into arguments, especially over issues that have been debated regularly among fundamental Baptists. You should not attempt to pit one teacher against another in your classes. We desire that there be an openness in class discussion and a transparency of both faculty and students. The class professor has the right to end a discussion which he believes has become nonproductive.” Technology • Firefox and Chrome seem to be the most stable browsers to use with our online courses. Please download and use either for all work in this course. • Always type and save your forum posts into a Word document before posting them in class. This allows you to save all your work in case of technology failure and for future reference. • Feel free to email me if you feel you are “stuck.” Academic Success Center. One source for academic help in any course is the Academic Success Center. If you require specific targeted academic help for any reason contact the Academic Success Center located in the Cedarholm Library. If you would like more information regarding targeted academic help, please contact the Academic Success Center director at [email protected]. ADA Policy. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the law requires that all students with disabilities be given a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Academic Success Program Director, in the Library, (ph. 920/206-2340) or email [email protected] . 3 Bibliography Books Aland, Kurt and Barbara Aland. The Text of the New Testament. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1989. ____________, et. al., eds. The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s edition (paperback). Stuttgart, Germany: United Bible Societies, 2009. Bauer, Walter, et. al. (BADG). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Black, David A. New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. ____________. Using New Testament Greek in Ministry: A Practical Guide for Students and Pastors. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993. Campbell, Constantine. Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008. Caragounis, Chrys. The Development of Greek and the New Testament: Morphology, Syntax, Phonology, and Textual Transmission. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. Carson, D.A. Exegetical Fallacies. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984. Comfort, Philip, and David Barrett, eds. The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. Decker, Rodney. Reading Koine Greek. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2014. _____________. Koine Greek Reader: Selections from the New Testament, Septuagint, and Early Christian Writers. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007. Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1983. ____________. Paul's Letter to the Philippians. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995. Grassmick, John D. Principles and Practice of Greek Exegesis. Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1974. Guthrie, George H. and J. Scott Duvall. Biblical Greek Exegesis. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1998. Harris, Murray J. Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. Harrisville, Roy A., and Walter Sundberg. The Bible in Modern Culture: Theology and Historical- Critical Method from Spinoza to Kasemann.
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