BIB 340 - Biblical Wisdom Books (4 credits)
Topic outline
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Biblical Wisdom Books (4 credits)
Understanding Life Through Old Testament Sages and PoetsInstructor: David FeddesContent Providers: Wayne Brouwer,John PiperWisdom is more precious than rubies. (Proverbs 8:11)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
Overview: This ministry training course examines the wisdom writings of Old Testament sages and poets: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations. The class shows the relevance of Old Testament wisdom for knowing God's wisdom in Christ and following Jesus today.
Course Outcomes:
- Read and become familiar with Old Testament wisdom books and selected Psalms.
- Understand the theological framework and main message of each wisdom book.
- Know various types of Psalms: lament, curse, praise, instruction, royal, thanks, and confidence.
- Recognize some literary techniques of Hebrew poetry.
- Understand that Jesus is the source and focus of all wisdom.
- Discern how Old Testament wisdom informs and guides Jesus’ followers today.
Assignments:
- Read the Old Testament chapters assigned for each unit, either online or in your own Bible.
- Read the online articles for each unit. For your convenience, content is often available in more than one format. Usually, the first link for an article is in a format that automatically adapts for easy viewing on cell phones, tablets, and computers. For some items, the same content is also offered in a PDF file if you prefer that format, or if you want to save the file on your personal device for future reference. (To read PDF files, your device must have Adobe Reader.)
- Listen to online video lectures. Slide contents or corresponding articles are also posted with many videos to aid your study or to save on your device for later use when you teach others.
- Use the discussion forum to ask questions and exchange ideas with others.
- Take the online quiz for each unit. You will have 75 minutes to answer 20 multiple-choice questions for each quiz. Once a quiz has started, you must finish it, and you can't retake it. So be ready ahead of time. Each quiz covers readings and video lectures for that unit. While taking the quiz, you may use your notes and refer to articles and other materials. Tip: First answer all the questions you know. Then try to look up answers to questions you don't know. When you have entered an answer for every question, submit the quiz for grading before the 75-minute limit.
*The course has a total of 240 points: 20 points for each of the twelve quizzes.
Grading Scale:
A 95-100% A- 90-94% B+ 87-89% B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79% C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% D 63-66% D- 60-62% F 0-59%
Your average for the course must be at least 60%. Otherwise, you will fail the class and will receive no credit.Deadline: You have 180 days to finish the course. Complete all assignments before the final deadline, or you will be automatically unenrolled, and all coursework will be removed. You will have to start over and take the class again to receive credit.
Course Forum: Each course forum is at the beginning of the course, right before the first-course content section, and has comments and questions from other students in the class. The forum is a great way to post a question or comment for other students who are currently enrolled in the course to see. Additionally, you can search the forum to see if anyone in the past has addressed or discussed the issue, question, or comment you were wanting to post about.
Accessibility: All videos have slides available with them.
Note: This course was formerly called "Biblical Wisdom."-
You can get slide contents for all 36 course videos by Dr. Wayne Brouwer in one PDF file. Just click this link to save the file on your device for further study.
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Unit 1: Introduction
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Unit 2: Job (continued)
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Unit 3: Job (continued)
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Unit 4: Psalms
Note: Links for Dr. Piper offer video, audio, and a printed transcript if you scroll down below the video. -
Unit 5: Psalms (continued)
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Unit 6: Psalms (continued)
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Unit 7: Proverbs
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Unit 8: Proverbs (continued)
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Unit 9: Ecclesiastes
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Unit 10: Ecclesiastes (continued)
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Unit 11: Song of Songs
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As you complete this tuition-free course, let's pray for and thank the Vision Partners! Their sacrificial giving supports these tuition-free courses so that those will little or no extra resources can access high-quality ministry training.
If you are interested in becoming a Vision Partner and helping CLI to fund more free classes like this one, Click Here!
Unit 12: Lamentations
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Meet CLI Student Zinna Abedu-Bentsi!
"My name is Zinna Abedu-Bentsi. I am married with four beautiful children and have a wonderful and supportive husband. We have been married for over 23 years and share a lot of ministry experiences. I presently work for a local church and also run a Christian non-profit that trains and equips young leaders. I gave my life to the Lord as a child in a neighborhood Bible club ran by the Child Evangelism Fellowship in Liberia, West Africa under the teaching and mentor-ship of Mr Edward Dennis.
My ministry training is very valuable to me. I will use it in ministering to the many young men and women that have not made a commitment to the Lord and who feel otherwise hopeless and seem to find no meaning to life. I will also use it to continue to serve my local church and community. Most importantly to start up a mission work in my home country, Liberia-ministering to God's people who do feel discourage of church.
The scholarship at CLI means so very much to me. It gives me the opportunity to learn as any student in a traditional institution would at no cost(monetary value) to me. I have sought for a place where I would get some formal Biblical training without having to take out a loan because I am already paying a lot for my daughter's education and CLI was discovered after second day of a week long fasting and prayer while surfing the internet."
Please pray for Zinna and her ministry!
If you are not already involved, do you want to participate in offering free ministry training everywhere?
How?
- Pray for more open doors, protection from attack, and the resources needed to expand this mission.
- Consider supporting and sharing with others this Christianity spreading opportunity.
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- Share this free training opportunity with new potential students. Help recruit a new generation of Christian leaders!
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The course has ended. Please make sure all quizzes have been completed. If your work is incomplete, it is considered a drop, and you will have to take the class again in order to receive credit.
Our staff will be using this time to review your work. Your grade should appear on your "My Home Page" in the "Course Overview" section. Please contact Helpdesk if you have any questions or did not receive your grade.