Bible Class Options
New Testament - 10th Grade Bible
It's no small feat to go through the New Testament in an 18 week semester--that's why I don't try. Instead, this class does some quick overview of and background to the New Testament and then picks representative examples to dig into. For example, we spend some time giving an overview of each of the gospels--more of a compare and contrast than anything else--then hone in on the book of Matthew. We go through Matthew theme by theme spending time in class to stop and pick up the verses and see if anything is hiding underneath (i.e. how the literary structures employed by Matthew would have spoken to his original audience). With the Epistles, we give an overview of Paul but then pick three representative works based on his early ministry, his church planting, and his later ministry: Galatians, 1st Corinthians, and 1st Timothy respectively. This gets us into all sorts of fun discussions: the gifts of the Spirit, the nature of Grace, the nature of God, women in office, etc. Depending on how chatty the class is on theological topics, we may or may not get into the various interpretations of Revelation.
Church History - 11th Grade Bible
This class surveys the entirety of Church history from the 1st century to the present in a semester. Ready? Go! We hit on the major themes and ideas from church history. The intention is for students to get a general idea of the development of theology and church structure over the centuries. Of course, we miss some people and don't get into every one of the debates the church has had along the way but it is a good start.