In the New Testament: Advanced Jesus Studies Certificate Program you’ll study the life and teaching of Jesus in detail. You will explore the miracles and parables of Jesus as well as the Sermon on the Mount. You’ll also learn about the context of Jesus’ life and ministry, understand the theological importance of his work, and see how he was perceived by early non-Christian sources.
NT255 The Identity of Jesus is included in this product but is not yet available. It will automatically be added to your library when they ship.
NT255 The Identity of Jesus is included in this product but is not yet available. It will automatically be added to your library when it ships.
How to Apply for a Mobile Ed Certificate of Completion
Completeall Mobile Ed courses in this certificate program. This involves viewing all videos and taking all quizzes.
Write a 750-word response on any topic covered for each course in the certificate program. Post your response to the appropriate Faithlife group in the comments section. Search course code here to find group.
Emailcertificate@faithlife.com once you have completed all videos and quizzes and have posted responses in the appropriate Faithlife group for each Mobile Ed course in the certificate program. Please include your full name, title of completed certificate program, and links for each Faithlife group post in your email.
Our certificate program team will review the application and email the Certificate of Completion once you have completed all requirements. Please allow 7–10 business days for review.
Product Details
Title: New Testament: Advanced Jesus Studies Certificate Program
Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources
Courses: 8
Video Hours: 45
Value if sold separately
||Partially included
Value if sold separately
Total value if sold separately:
NT251 The Sermon on the Mount
Instructor: Jonathan T. Pennington
Publication Date: 2015
Video hours: 5
Dr. Jonathan Pennington zeroes in on one of the most important texts studied throughout church history: the Sermon on the Mount. He gives a detailed exposition of the biblical text, covers historical interpretations, and provides direction for reading the sermon according to its structure.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Unit 1: Matthew and the History of Interpretation
Matthew: Highly Structured, Literary, and Intentional Work
Discovering the Genre of Matthew 5–7
Matthew: Narrative-Discourse Outline
Matthew: The Sermon and Other Major Discourses
History of Interpretation: Importance of the Sermon on the Mount
History of Interpretation: Evading the Sermon’s Ethical Implications
Interpretation: Monastic
Interpretation: Anabaptist
Finding Information on Anabaptists in Dictionaries
Interpretation: Two Kingdoms
Interpretation: Dispensational
Interpretation: Lutheran
Interpretation: Modern Liberal
Interpretation: Fulfillment-Complexity
Taxonomy of Interpretations: Conclusions
Unit 2: Sermon on the Mount: A Virtue-Ethics Reading
Why Is This Important?
Virtue Ethics in the Context of Ethical Theories
Unpacking Virtue Ethics
Virtue Ethics and the Sermon on the Mount: Comparisons
Virtue Ethics and the Sermon on the Mount: Contrasts
Virtue Ethics: Modeling Christian Discipleship
Unit 3: Sermon on the Mount: Exposition
Understanding the Structure of the Sermon on the Mount
Using the Pericope Tool to Examine the Literary Structure of Matthew
Guidelines for Reading the Sermon on the Mount
Adding Notes to Your Bibles
Literary Context of the Sermon
Introducing the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1–12)
Using Interlinear Bibles and the Bible Sense Lexicon
Beatitudes (Matt 5:1–6)
Comparing English Translations with the Text Comparison Tool
Beatitudes (Matt 5:7–12)
Salt and Light (Matt 5:13–16)
Fulfilling Old Testament Righteousness (Matt 5:17–20)
Using Parallel Resources
Unpacking Matthew 5:20, Part 1 (Matt 5:21–48)
Using the Bible Word Study Tool to Study the Greek Word for “Love”
Being Righteous by Being Teleios(Matt 5:48)
Unpacking Matthew 5:20, Part 2 (Matt 6:1–21)
The Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:7–15)
Double-Mindedness and Anxiety (Matt 6:19–34)
Judging Others (Matt 7:1–12)
Inside-Outside Issues (Matt 7:13–23)
Conclusion: Build on Solid Rock (Matt 7:24–27)
Summary and Conclusion
A “Cardiographic” Reading
Dr. Jonathan T. Pennington is the associate professor of New Testament interpretation at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also served as a visiting professor at Southeastern Seminary, as well as the Institute of Biblical Studies in Orlando, Florida and Melbourne, Australia.
NT252 The Parables of Jesus
Instructor: Daniel M. Doriani
Publication Date: 2015
Video hours: 6
The parables of Jesus are colorful, startling, and often confusing. In this course, Dr. Dan Doriani explains this unique narrative type and walks you through proper interpretation of the parables, examining their images, themes, and applications for modern readers.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker
Unit 1: The Purpose of Parables
The Nature of Parables
Searching for Parables in the New Testament with Search Fields
A Modern-Day Parable
How Parables Work
The Development of Jesus’ Teaching
Using a Custom Guide to View Translations of Parabolē
Unit 2: Parables Describing the Kingdom of God
The Parable of the Sower: A Paradigm
The Parable of the Sower: Its Meaning
Opposition and Growth in the Kingdom of God
Using the Bible Sense Lexicon to Find Different Referents of a Word
The Value of the Kingdom of God
Understanding Jesus’ Parables in Matthew 13
Unit 3: Parables about Life in the Kingdom of God
Greatness in the Kingdom
Studying the Kingdom with the Bible Word Study Guide
Living in the Kingdom: Confrontation and Forgiveness
Living in the Kingdom: Mercy
Living in the Kingdom: Grace
The Unfairness of Grace
Jesus’ Gracious Call to the Kingdom
Unit 4: Parables of Confrontation
Symbolic Acts and Words
Taking Away the Kingdom of God
Unit 5: Parables of Instruction about the Future
The Destruction of the Temple
The Return of Jesus
Creating and Searching Custom Theological Collections
Unit 6: Parables of Discipleship
Loving Your Neighbor
Comparing Parable Accounts with Gospel Harmonies
Becoming a “Neighbor”
Jesus’ Role in the Parable of the Good Samaritan
A Parable about Prayer
Being Confident in Prayer
Using Sympathetic Highlighting to Identify and Search Greek Forms
Prayer and the Unjust Judge
A Parable about Money
Storing Up Riches on Earth
Being Rich toward God
A Parable about Two Monks
Lessons from the Parable about Two Monks
The Parable of the Unjust Steward
A Proper Perspective on Money
Using the Power Lookup Tool to Find Lexical Entries on “Mammon”
Parables about Friendship and Association
Invitation to the Kingdom of God
Membership in the Kingdom of God
The Cost of Discipleship
Rejoicing When the Lost Are Found
The Parable of the Lost Sons
Using the Cited By Tool to Look Up Background Information
The Welcoming Father and the Older Son
Finding Ourselves in the Parable of the Lost Sons
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Unit 7: Parables of Repentance
The Power of Parables
The Theme of Repentance in Luke’s Gospel
Finding Different Greek Words Used for “Repent”
Repent While There Is Time
A Change of Heart
Conclusion
Living Jesus’ Stories
Dr. Daniel M. Doriani (STM, PhD) is vice president of strategic academic projects and professor of theology at Covenant Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible and commentaries on Matthew and 1 Peter in the Reformed Expository Commentaries series.
NT253 Miracles of Jesus
Instructor: Daniel M. Doriani
Publication Date: 2015
Video hours: 8
In this course, Dr. Dan Doriani not only details the miracles performed by Jesus, but also focuses on their place in his ministry. Dr. Doriani draws connections between the miracles themselves and the person and work of Christ, explaining clearly who Christ is and what he came to share.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
The Place of Miracles in Jesus’ Ministry
Creating a Custom Guide for Researching Biblical Concepts
Unit 1: Miracles in Matthew
The Structure of Miracles in Matthew
Finding References to Jesus’ Miracles
Healing the Leper
Healing the Centurion’s Servant
Locating References to Specific Kinds of Miracles
Total Healing
Unit 2: Background for Studying the Miracles
Objections to Miracles
Comparing Parallel Miracle Accounts with Gospel Harmonies
Reconsidering Contradictions
Defining “Miracle”
Discovering the Greek and Hebrew Terms for “Miracle“
Miracles as Signs
Finding the “I Am” Statements that Surround Jesus’ Miracles
Miracles in Other Religions
Miracles Today
Unit 3: Understanding Miracles
Challenges to Understanding Miracles
Application of Principles (Luke 5:17–26)
Responses to the Miracle (Luke 5:17–26)
Criticism of Jesus’ Miracles
Differing Accounts of Feeding the 5,000
Walking on the Water
Walking on the Water: A Christocentric Interpretation
An Old Testament Miracle: A Theocentric Interpretation
Miracles in Historical Context
Miracles in Canonical Context: The Synoptics
Miracles in Canonical Context: John’s Gospel
Unit 4: Miracles in Mark
Healing the Deaf Man
Healing a Blind Man in Stages
Healing the Demon-Possessed Child
Healing the Hemorrhaging Woman
Locating Questions in the Miracle Narratives
Raising Jairus’ Daughter
Unit 5: Miracles in Luke
Miracles and Luke’s Themes
Luke’s Use of Miracles
Investigating Jesus’ Title of “Master”
The Great Catch of Fish
Healing the Gerasene Demoniac
Responses to Jesus
Unit 6: Miracles in John
The First Sign: The Wedding at Cana
Understanding the Background of John 2:1–10
The Sign: Healing the Invalid
The Sign: Healing the Man Born Blind
Exploring the Textual Variant in John 5:3–5
The Man Born Blind, Part 2
Understanding and Applying John 5 and 9
The Way of Suffering
The Last Sign: Raising Lazarus from the Dead
Raising Lazarus, Part 2
Unit 7: The Historicity of the Miracle Accounts
Reasons to Believe (1–2)
Reasons to Believe (3–7)
Unit 8: The Miracle of the Resurrection
The Necessity of the Crucifixion
The Necessity of the Resurrection
The Meaning of the Resurrection
The Resurrection in Matthew
The Resurrection in Matthew: The Great Commission
The Resurrection in Mark
The Resurrection in Luke: On the Emmaus Road
The Resurrection in Luke: Jesus in the Law and Prophets
The Resurrection in John: Eyewitness Accounts
The Resurrection in John: Seeing and Believing
The Resurrection in John: Blessed Believers
Unit 9: Do Miracles Happen Today?
Miracles Past and Present
Prayer and Healing in James 5
Reclaiming a Biblical Practice
Conclusion
Encouraging to Believe
NT390 Jesus as Rabbi: The Jewish Context of the Life of Jesus
Instructor: David Instone-Brewer
Publication Date: 2016
Video Hours: 8
Explore the words of Jesus through the context of His conversations with other Jews. From the role of ancient rabbis and rabbinic literature to portrayals of Jesus in the Talmud, Dr. Instone-Brewer reveals how Jesus’ teachings were influenced by His Jewish life. We see Jesus attending the Jewish festivals, interacting with the Jewish leaders and laypeople and teaching them about the Father that He came from, was representing, and was going back to.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Unit 1: The Rabbis
Diversity in Judaism
Evidence for Jewish Life
The Nature of Oral Texts
The Schools of Hillel and Shammai
Preserving and Editing the Tradition
Significance of the Rabbinic Traditions
Who Were the Rabbis?
Unification after 70 CE
Fragmented Judaism in the First Century
The Influence of the Rabbis in New Testament Times
Unit 2: Rabbinic Literature
What Is Rabbinic Literature?
The Collections
Navigating Halakic Material
The Rabbis of Rabbinic Literature
Dating the Rabbinic Materials
An Example: What Can Be Carried on the Sabbath
Key Scholars of the Tradition
Unit 3: Jesus in the Talmud
Printing and Censorship
The Printed Talmud
Censored Passages
Censored Arrest Warrant
Dating the Talmudic Tradition about Jesus
Analyzing Textual Clues
Digging into the Trial Traditions
Correcting the Historical Core
The Origin of the Tradition
Unit 4: Jesus’ Halakic Teaching
Comparing the Teaching of Jesus and the Rabbis
Disciples of Jesus the Rabbi
The Disciple Copies the Master
Traits of Nonacademic Disciples
Jesus’ Halakic Teaching on Clean and Unclean
Jesus’ Public and Private Teaching
Parallels between Jesus and Yohanan ben Zakkai
Jesus on Corban
Jesus in Translation
Jesus’ Halakah
Conclusion: Jesus and Halakah
Unit 5: Jesus’ Commandments
The Law and Layers of Tradition
The Fence around the Law
Jesus’ Two Commandments
The Yoke of the Kingdom
The Yoke of Commandments and the Early Church
Laws That Jesus Kept
“But I Tell You …”
Jesus and the Sabbath
Laws That Jesus Rejected
Fulfilling the Law
Unit 6: Jesus’ Haggadic Teaching
First-Century Sermons
Jesus’ Sermon at Nazareth
Identifying the Links in Jesus’ Sermon
Parables
Rabbinic Parable about Legalism
A Parable Jesus Heard
Moral or Spiritual Sayings
Sayings in Mishnah Avot
Unit 7: Jesus’ Jewish Prayers
The Value of Studying Prayers
Prayer in Judaism
The Oldest Amidah
The Text of the Amidah
The Amidah in Temple Worship
New Testament Allusions to the Amidah
The “Blessing” for the Heretics
The Shorter Abstract of the Amidah
The Lord’s Prayer
God as Father
Daily Bread
Demanding Forgiveness
Tempting and Testing
Forever and Ever
Unit 8: Sin and Salvation
Is Sin Important?
The Idea of Sin in the Gospels
John’s Baptism
Day of Atonement
The Unforgivable Sin
Being Brought to Repentance
Forgiving Others
Jesus’ Teaching on Hell
Three Groups at Judgment
Hell according to the Qumran Group
Jesus’ Distinctive Teaching on Hell
Jesus’ Two Ways
Unit 9: Jesus’ Miracles & Exorcisms
Healings and Miracles in the Ancient World
Miracles and Gullibility
Jewish Miracle Workers
Contrasts with Jesus’ Healings
Feeding Thousands
First-Century Jewish Etiquette
Tithing Bread
Exorcisms in Jewish Literature
Exorcisms of Jesus
Exorcisms by Others
Exorcisms after the New Testament
Unit 10: Jesus’ Festival Visits
Festivals in First-Century Judaism
Jesus’ First Festival
Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles
Water and Light at Tabernacles
Palm Sunday
Did Jesus Keep Passover?
The Timing of Passover in the Gospels
Evidence for Two Passovers
Jesus’ Passover Meal
Conclusion
Summary of the Course
Dr. David Instone-Brewer graduated from South Wales Baptist College with the highest marks in that college’s history and later earned his PhD from Cambridge University, where he studied early rabbinic exegesis. Dr. Instone-Brewer ministered at the Llanishen Baptist Church in Cardiff for five years and is now research fellow and technical officer for Tyndale House, which is, arguably, among the three best libraries in the world for biblical studies.
Specializing in rabbinic studies, Dr. Instone-Brewer has been a regular contributor to Christianity magazine and has written several books, including Traditions of the Rabbis from the Era of the New Testament.
The Jesus of the Gospels (NT254) focuses on the historical Jesus and the reliability of the four gospels. The course surveys different “quests” for the historical Jesus by critical scholarship and examines, apologetically, what we can demonstrate about the person of Jesus. It assesses the teaching of Jesus, his miracles, the intention of his ministry, and the historical evidence for his death and resurrection.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Unit 1: The Gospels and the Historical Jesus
What Can We Know about Jesus?
Sources for Knowing about Jesus
What Are the Gospels? Part 1
What Are the Gospels? Part 2
How the Gospels Came to Be
Unit 2: Quests for the Historical Jesus
Searching for the Real Jesus
The First Quest for the Historical Jesus
Rudolf Bultmann and the Period of No Quest: Part 1
Rudolf Bultmann and the Period of No Quest: Part 2
The Second Quest and the Jesus Seminar
The Contemporary Scene
Examining Method and Context
The Criteria of Authenticity
Contemporary Portraits: Part 1
Contemporary Portraits: Part 2
Unit 3: The Reliability of the Gospels
Presuppositions, Biases, and the Burden of Proof
Luke: A Reliable Historian
A Generally Reliable Gospel Tradition
Contradictions in the Gospels
The Historical Reliability of John
Unit 4: The Chronology of Jesus’ Ministry
A Portrait of Jesus from Afar
The Basic Structure of Jesus’ Ministry
A Chronology of Jesus’ Life
Unit 5: Jesus’ Birth and Childhood
Introduction to the Birth Narratives
The Genealogies
The Virginal Conception
Bethlehem and the Census
Popular Myths about Christmas
Jesus’ Family Life
Unit 6: The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
John the Baptist: The Herald of Messianic Salvation
The most important question a person can ask is, “Who is Jesus?” In this course, Dr. Michael Bird evaluates the testimony of each of the Gospel writers and the apostle Paul to discover who the New Testament authors believed Jesus to be. He also considers the testimony of Jesus himself to see how he understood his own identity. You will have the opportunity to look at Jesus through historical, religious, and personal lenses as you reflect on your own response to Jesus’s question, “Who do you say that I am?”
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Unit 1: The Historical Jesus
Jesus and the Kingdom
What Did Jesus Think of Himself?
Did Jesus Think He Was God?
Unit 2: The Gospels
Overview
The Gospel of Mark: An Apology for the Crucified Messiah
The Gospel of Matthew: The Davidic Messiah
The Gospel of Luke: The Prophetic Messiah
The Gospel of John: The Elusive Messiah
Unit 3: Apostle Paul
Paul’s Divine Christology (Part 1)
Paul’s Divine Christology (Part 2)
Concluding Remarks on Paul
From Nazareth to Nicaea
Conclusion
Who Is Jesus?
Michael F. Bird is lecturer in theology at Ridley College. He is the author of several books, including Evangelical Theology, The Gospel of the Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus, Romans (Story of God Bible Commentary Series), What Christians Ought to Believe, An Anomalous Jew: Paul among Jews, Greeks, and Romans.
NT313 Jesus and the Witness of the Outsiders
Instructor: Craig A. Evans
Publication Date: 2015
Video Hours: 1
In this course, Dr. Craig Evans explores various ancient sources that refer to Christ. He focuses on the evidence from extrabiblical sources, and looks at what they reveal about the life of Christ and how Jesus was perceived by early non-Christian witnesses. He examines references to Jesus in Roman, Jewish, and other writings, and looks at where Jesus’ name was invoked in both Christian and pagan charms and incantations.
Contents:
Introduction
Introducing the Speaker and the Course
Unit 1: The Witness of Roman Writers
Tacitus and Suetonius
Pliny the Younger
Celsus and Lucian
Using Clippings to Document Ancient Non-Christian Witnesses to Christ
Mara bar Serapion
Unit 2: The Witness of Jewish Writers
Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities
Using Timelines in Logos to Find Events in Jesus’ Life
Translations of Josephus and Rabbinic Literature
The Qur’an and Other Writings
Building and Searching a Collection of Ancient Non-Christian Witnesses to Christ
Unit 3: Invocations of the Name of Jesus
The Greek Magical Papyrus
Silver Phylactery from Beirut
Magic Bowls
Curse Tablets and Lamellae
The “Jesus Cup”
Conclusion
Relevance of These Witnesses
Dr. Craig A. Evans received his PhD in New Testament from Claremont Graduate University and his DHabil from the Karoli Gaspar Reformed University in Budapest. He is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas.
Evans taught at Trinity Western University in British Columbia for 21 years, where he directed the graduate program in biblical studies and founded the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute. He has recently served on the advisory board for the Gospel of Judas for National Geographic Society and has appeared frequently as an expert commentator on network television programs.
Evans has written and edited extensively on the historical Jesus and the Jewish background of the New Testament era. His published works include From Prophecy to Testament, Jesus and the Ossuaries, Jesus: The Final Days, and Dictionary of New Testament Background.
TH241 Christology: The Doctrine of Christ
Instructor: Gerry Breshears
Publication Date: 2016
Video Hours: 7
Gain a better understanding of Jesus Christ as you explore how God became man, how we can be like Jesus, and what a real difference He makes in our lives. Examine the historical reality that Jesus was fully incarnate through the Virgin Mary, lived a human life, died for our sins, rose for our justification and to bring us new life, and is exalted in the highest heaven above all powers that are opposed to the truth of God.
Contents:
Unit 1: Names of Jesus
Jesus
Emmanuel
Rabbi
Lord
Christ
Logos
I Am
Son of God
Son of David
Son of Man
Unit 2: Christology
Starting Points of Christology
Incarnational Christology
John 1:1
John 1:14
Philippians 2
Hebrews 1–2
Deity
Humanity of Christ
Incarnation
Matthew 3–4
Unit 3: Jesus
Theological Method
Not Good/Gooder
Virgin Birth
Revelatory Life
Sinless Life
Exemplary Life
Miraculous Life
Death
Descent to Hell
Resurrection
Exaltation
Excursus on Easter
Dr. Gerry Breshears has been a professor of theology at Western Seminary since 1980, and has taught and lectured in multiple colleges and seminaries around the world. Additionally, he is a preaching elder at Grace Community Church. He is co-author of Vintage Jesus, Death by Love, Vintage Church, and Doctrine: What Every Christian Should Believe.