Ministry > Our Daily Bread Christian University
The Epistle of James
Written to offer encouragement to those facing trials, James’ rich message has long stimulated in-depth study. Students begin with an overview of epistles in general before examining the historical background to the epistle of James. Lease then takes them on a line-by-line exegesis of the text’s teaching, culminating with the privilege of intercession for others and showing why we should rejoice in our trials knowing that God is molding us for His greater purpose.
Post-Exilic Prophets
Even when His people fail, God remains faithful. This course explores God’s relationship with Israel after the exile as recorded in the historical and biblical contexts of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The course begins with a study of the historical and cultural backgrounds of each book and then moves to a detailed exposition of the messages, events, and contents of the postexilic books. Rigsby examines how these messages of God’s faithfulness apply to His people today.
The Epistle to the Hebrews
To what extent does the new covenant replace the old? How should Jews regard their crucified Messiah? Learners discover answers to these and other important questions by studying the background, context, and content of the epistle to the Hebrews. The course focuses on the key interpretive issues and theological contributions found in this rich Christocentric book. The goal of the course is to strengthen students’ confidence in the superiority of Jesus and the new covenant, and to equip them to encourage each other daily as the text exhorts.
The Prophecies of Daniel
Throughout the Old Testament, prophecy remained an important vehicle used by God to communicate with His people. Set during the Babylonian captivity, Daniel records one of the most difficult times in Israel’s history—her deportation and exile from the Promised Land. Yet during even the darkest times, God’s faithfulness was apparent. Dedicated to obeying God’s Law, Daniel became an advisor to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and a messenger of God. In this course, Strauss guides students through the historical and cultural backgrounds of the book while exploring possible interpretations of Daniel’s prophecies.
The Epistle to the Romans
Students explore the rich truths of justification and other significant topics by completing an exegetical and theological study of Paul’s epistle to the Romans in the Greek text. The course treats select historical, grammatical, structural, and lexical data that illumine the meaning of this important New Testament epistle. Students will be encouraged to put textual theory into living practice. The course assumes students’ ability to make grammatical and text-critical evaluations and to engage in Greek exegesis and Greek word studies.
The Prophecy of Habakkuk
How does one place absolute trust in God in the midst of uncertainty? The book of Habakkuk details the doubts and questions raised by Habakkuk, a man of God searching for answers. Set during a time of Israelite rebellion, Habakkuk was perplexed by the events that surrounded him. In this course, Longenecker takes students through God’s responses as listeners learn about the seriousness of sin and God’s sovereignty in history. The book of Habakkuk shows that believers can place ultimate faith in God even when they don’t fully understand the circumstances of their lives.
The Gospel of Luke
At the heart of Luke’s gospel are questions about God’s plan, His Messiah, and the emerging new community of Gentile Christians. Bock highlights these and other significant theological themes found in the gospel of Luke. Learners complete a textual examination of the gospel of Luke and its message by working through the book of Luke a chapter at a time. Bock shows how Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection actually reflect divine events “fulfilled among us” (Luke 1:1). The course enables students to prepare this narrative material for teaching in ministry contexts.
Doctrine of Man and Sin
As ambassadors for Christ and the Gospel, we must understand the true nature of man and the magnitude of his sin. This course presents a critical and historical overview of positions regarding the nature of mankind: both as the image of God and as corrupted by sin. The course presents a distinct Reformed anthropology coupled with a fair treatment of differing views and objections. Important and controversial questions regarding the origin of evil, the nature of man, and the effects of sin on humanity are all considered, allowing students to draw informed conclusions on these and other key issues.
The Letter to the Hebrews
From the earliest days of the church, believers have wrestled with the relationship between the old and new covenants. Humanity’s inability to fulfill the Law clearly showed the need for forgiveness, and God’s elaborate sacrificial system demonstrated sin’s consequences. Yet how were Jewish believers to view Jesus? What were the implications of the Messiah being the Great High Priest? In this course, students wrestle with these and other theological questions as they probe Christ’s death and resurrection. Buswell helps learners understand the book’s message while challenging today’s “great cloud of witnesses” to have complete faith in a sovereign and loving…
The Radical Reformation
Where the Protestants wanted reform, the Radicals wanted separation. This course examines those groups of the Reformation era that sought a complete break from the Catholic Church. Following a topical and historical progression, learners study the beginning of the movement, its development, and its various manifestations. Students gain insight into the tension between the Radicals and the Reformers that led to the rise of divisions within the church. The goal of the course is to understand more fully the shifts that have formed within the history of the church, enabling them to minister more effectively to contemporary church audiences.
The Parables of Jesus
Most readers empathize with the disciples’ request that Jesus explain His parables. This course surveys various methods of interpreting Jesus’ parables and offers an eclectic model that draws upon the best insights of each. Blomberg’s semi-allegorical model is then applied to each of the major narrative parables in the Gospels. Blomberg examines differences among parallel accounts and suggests plausible reasons for the variations. Students are encouraged to apply the conclusions about the theology and significance of Jesus’ parables to their lives and ministries.
Christian Ethics: A Biblical Theology of Morality
In a self-centered culture, how do we demonstrate a God-centered ethic? This course presents a biblical model for ethics in a postmodern world, examining the ethical theories of obligation and value from a philosophical perspective. The lectures survey various ethical systems, identify unstated assumptions in ethical theories, and evaluate those theories for legitimacy, relevancy, and cogency. The goal of the course is to provide learners with a Christian framework of values and ethics, leading them to make God-honoring decisions in a truth-relative world.
Introduction to World Christian Missions
God has one unified, global purpose for all He does. This course introduces the exciting biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic dimensions of His plan. It addresses key issues: the basis of and necessity for world missions, and the status of and plan for world missions. Students are introduced to the basics they need to pursue missionary training or to help lead their local church in its global ministry.
The Theology of Jonathan Edwards
He has been called one the most brilliant men ever born on American soil. In this course, learners will examine the theological insights of Jonathan Edwards. Taking a topical approach, the course covers Edwards’ teachings on all the major points of systematic theology, giving particular emphasis to his unique theological contributions. Topics such as the place of reason, the decrees of God, the nature of justification, and the extent of sanctification are presented and analyzed with the goal that students apply new insights to their own lives and ministry.
A History of the Charismatic Movements
Charismatic theology is more than just a theology of spiritual gifts; worship, bibliology, sanctification, and ecclesiology are also central. Learners will complete a historical and theological study of the origins and developments of Classical Pentecostalism, Charismatic Renewalism, and Restoration Movements, with emphasis given to theological backgrounds and trends. Lectures also analyze other related movements, including the Jesus Only Movement, the Vineyard Movement, and the Toronto Revival Movement. Throughout the course, the pros and cons of the various charismatic movements are presented.
