Distance Learning Course Descriptions
Code | Course Description |
Learning How to Learn This course is the introductory course for the Distance Learning Programme for the Bible Institute. It is intended to help distance learners make the transition from traditional classroom instruction to the more self-directed, self-motivated distance learning approach to study. The course lays a foundation for how a person learns and then makes specific application, supplying self-tests and suggested skills to be mastered, in order for a student to be successful as a distance learner. | |
Old Testament | |
OT Survey I This course consists of an introduction to the background and origin of the Old Testament up through the Book of Esther. It is not possible in such a brief course to get into too much depth in any of the books to be covered. The purpose of this course is to give the student an overview of the history and times covered during the Old Testament period. Later OT courses will cover the Poetical books and the Prophetical Books. There are also book studies in Genesis, 1 & 2 Kings and Jeremiah. | |
OT Prophetical Books This course seeks to help the learner to understand the historical context and biblical-theological message of the Old Testament Minor Prophets in their Ancient Near Eastern context as well as its methods of interpretation. | |
OT Poetical Books This course undertakes to understand the historical context and biblical-theological message of the Old Testament poetical books in their ancient Near Eastern context. The purpose of this course is to equip you with the understanding of the redemptive-historical plan of God as it is evidenced through the study of these books. | |
I & II Kings The study of the Bible is NOT a study of man, it is the study of God. It is especially the study of God as He relates to His main creation – man. The books of 1 & 2 Kings are studies of God interacting with His people Israel and their leaders. Unlike any other book written by people in the ancient world, the Bible does not try to hide the truths of even its heroes. You will discover the good and the bad that went on in Israel and how God dealt with each. It is a study of the glorious time of the construction of the temple, and the time when God twice punished Israel by sending them into captivity. It is the study of how God blessed the nation during the reigns of good kings, and how God cursed the nation during the reigns of bad kings. When we see the failure of the monarchy in Israel it helps us to appreciate our glorious King Jesus Christ, and our place in His Kingdom. | |
| Genesis The book of Genesis is more than just the first book in the Bible; it is the foundation for all that comes after. It is a book of ‘firsts.’ In this study you will learn about science, history, people, etc., but most importantly, you will learn about God. The Bible was not given to us primarily to learn about ourselves or what God expects of us – it is first of all given that we might learn who God is and what He has done. Get to know Him again for the first time! |
Jeremiah This course is an overview of the book of Jeremiah. It picks out major themes and events from throughout the book and puts them together in an understandable form. It then seeks to show why the book of Jeremiah is relevant to modern audiences. This study, like Jeremiah himself, asks tough questions of God in an age when He sometimes does not seem to be near. | |
New Testament | |
Life of Christ This subject is at the very heart of our studies at the Bible Institute. A survey of the historical, social, and theological background prepares the way for a detailed study of the character and relations of the Gospels, a survey of Jesus’ earthly life, a presentation of Jesus’ Person as revealed in the Synoptic Gospels and John, and an examination of our Lord’s teaching. | |
2 Corinthians Second Corinthians is one of the four “great” epistles of Paul, together with Romans, First Corinthians, and Galatians. As a generalization, they all centre on the Cross and the consequences of a true understanding of the Cross, both theologically and practically. The course begins with a fairly detailed treatment of the tangled series of events surrounding Paul, the Corinthians, and certain false teachers troubling the Corinthian Church. The major part of the course consists of a verse-by-verse study of the book. We note both the actual content and its continuing relevance for the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. | |
John The aim of the Bible Institute is to prepare students to exegete and apply the message of the Gospel, by learning to do a comprehensive study of a book like this. This study covers the introduction, i.e., the background, authorship, relationship to the Synoptics, and the special characteristics of the book of John, followed by a study of the important themes contained in this Gospel, the nature and contents of Jesus’ discourses, and His teaching regarding the Holy Spirit. The entire book is a verse-by-verse study from both the English and Greek texts.As a result of taking this course you will gain a comprehensive overview of the contents of the Gospel of John including the basis for the teaching of the deity of Christ as taught in this book. This comprehensive review will enable the student to interpret key passages in the Gospel in light of their application to the living Christian life in today’s society. The concept of Christian maturity will be well illustrated and applied to contemporary issues. | |
Life of the New Testament Church After studying, and I hope being thrilled by, your study of the life of Christ, we come to the ongoing story. The Life of the New Testament Church centres on its start and development. Our primary sources are the Book of Acts and five other NT books chosen because they tell us the most about the infant church as it grew, encountered problems, and faced new theological issues. Foremost in our studies is the realization that God is at work: God the Father, the resurrected and ascended Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. | |
New Testament Writings NTI III has two main components. One is the careful reading of the seventeen books listed, in the NIV & NASB, and the other is a study of the questions surrounding the origins and purpose of each, as well as what they have to say to us today. | |
Romans Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians is the heart of the heart of God’s Word to man. In the very first verse it is described as “the Gospel of God.” It sets out mankind’s most serious predicament: sin. The letter shows the early Roman Christians, and us, God’s answer in Christ. Paul describes and illustrates the outcome of Jesus Christ’s atoning death. The Apostle majors on the work of the Holy Spirit. He writes about the challenge and dangers facing Christians, and the joys of the individual Christian and the Church. | |
Hebrews This course is a verse-by-verse survey of the letter to the Hebrews. It centres on the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is superior (“better”) in every way to every person and every aspect of the Old Covenant, with the goal that these Hebrew Christians would continue to put their trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ rather than turning away from Him by turning back to the Old Covenant. It emphasizes that the Christian life is not to be lived in a legalistic fashion, trying to earn God’s favour, but in the freedom that comes with trusting Christ to have won God’s favour for us. | |
Acts This course is intended to give the student a comprehensive overview of the book of Acts, showing its major sections and themes, and calling the student’s attention to the way that Christianity was lived out in the Church by the first century apostles. It presents a verse-by-verse walk through of the text, giving theological and historical explanations for the events that are recorded in the book of Acts. | |
Galatians This course is a verse-by-verse survey of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. It centres on the fact that salvation is not earned through keeping the works of the Law, but is a gift of God’s grace to those who put their trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes that the Christian life is not to be lived in a legalistic fashion, trying to earn God’s favour, but in the freedom that comes with trusting Christ to have won God’s favour for us. | |
1 & 2 Peter The Epistles of Peter offer a fascinating insight into the First Century Church and the testimony of one of its most notable leaders. The two Epistles are treated in turn, each section beginning with an introduction and then continuing with a verse-by-verse study of the book. Peter speaks as loudly to the Church today as he did when he wrote. You may think the issues have changed, but when you study Peter’s insights you will see that the sinfulness of man has changed very little. But you will also come to see how he rose from failure to being a great hope for us today. | |
Revelation A careful introduction deals with the original historical situation of writer and readers, the nature of the book, interpretations (10 of them!), symbolism and Revelation's abiding value. At many points the contact between the Old Testament and Revelation is noted and explored, and Scripture compared with Scripture. We seek biblical - not arbitrary - explanations of some of the puzzling aspects of Revelation. Most of the course focuses on a systematic treatment of the text itself. | |
Biblical Languages | |
Greek I According to John Dobson, the author of our textbook, Learn New Testament Greek: 'If you wish to study the New Testament, it helps greatly if you are able to read it in the original language. With this course it is possible to learn New Testament Greek quickly, even if you have never attempted to learn a language before….(B)y the end of the course you will be able to read (portions) of the New Testament without constant reference to a dictionary. You will also have a grasp of the structure of the Greek language and its grammar, an ability to use commentaries that refer to the Greek text, and a growing skill as a translator. 'The principles and methods used in Learn New Testament Greek ensure that you will make rapid progress with your studies. New information is introduced in small bits, which makes it easy to take in. It is frequently repeated, which makes it easy to remember. You learn words and forms before grammatical descriptions, which is the natural sequence — a child learns “mouse” and “mice” before it learns that “mouse” is a noun and that “mice” is plural. But because you can work through the course quickly, you can also learn the main grammatical forms and terms quickly. 'In Learn New Testament Greek (the focus is not on memorizing) long lists of words, or grammatical forms. You will rather learn the principles and pointers which enable you to recognize the meaning and function of words…. This will equip you to tackle even unfamiliar passages of the NT with confidence.' The course includes regular tests to help the student gain mastery of the material. Nevertheless, as with any new language acquisition, hard work and discipline will be necessary with a certain amount of memorization work unavoidable. This is certainly the case if you want your knowledge and understanding of NT Greek to be a useful tool in your study of Scripture. It is important to always keep in mind that your study of Greek, as difficult as it may seem on occasion, is an investment for your better understanding of God’s Word, and the further enrichment of your ministry. It is a tool for ministry. Keep this goal in mind as you study and persevere with the demands of this course. What you sow, you will, in due course, reap! | |
| Greek 2 This study is an examination of the Greek text of the Gospel of Mark. By far the greater part of the course is translation of major portions of the book. Participants will be expected to prepare full study notes including parsing of all important words so that they may be ready to translate for tests and the final examination. |
Hebrew This course is designed to show that although biblical Hebrew appears to be a highly complicated foreign language written in strange symbols, it is in fact simpler and more beautifully written than many other familiar languages. It is therefore an introduction to the basics of the original language and thought of the God inspired Old Testament Scriptures, intended to remove any fear of the unfamiliar and wet the appetite for further study. The course is divided into two units. The first deals with understanding the alphabet and vowels and learning the basics of reading and writing Hebrew, and then rendering it in English characters. The second unit is focused on how most Hebrew nouns etc. grow out of verbal roots and also on how roots, prefixes, suffixes and syllables should be recognised. This is important because ONE Hebrew word (with prefixes and suffixes attached) could translate into the English equivalent of 5 or 6 words. In the second unit there is also a study of the nature of man as an introduction to Hebrew/Semitic thought and worldview. Both units include word studies, in depth Hebrew Bible studies and several exercises to practise and reinforce the lessons learned. Included in this course is a list of some 175 of the most common Hebrew words that occur in the Hebrew Bible. | |
Systematic Theology | |
Introduction to Christian Thought This course will introduce you, in a very basic way, to the nature, characteristics, and functioning of a Christian world view. It will also give an overview of how to ‘do’ theology. It covers the definition and necessity of theology, the branches of theology, and the authority and method of theology. A brief look at systematic theology, various theologies (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, Reformed, Arminian, Dispensational, etc.) and modern trends in theology comprise the later part of the study. | |
Scripture and Canon This foundational subject is part of the college’s range of doctrinal studies. Major topics covered here are: revelation in word and act, revelation and the Bible, competing authorities (i.e., the Bible, tradition, the church and human reason) and the development of the canon. Also studied are the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, and hermeneutical principles. The positions of all the lecturing staff is summed up by the description “biblical inerrancy.” | |
God, Man and Sin This course seeks to explicate in the context of modern discussion the historic Christian belief that the sole source of reliable knowledge of God our Maker and Saviour is Holy Scripture. We will explore the nature, character, and triunity of the God who reveals Himself in Scripture in order to bring us into fellowship with Himself. It comprises the “centrepiece” of our theological efforts, as it has the Triune God Himself, and therefore, the impartation of a profound knowledge of Him, as its focus. God, as maker and upholder (creation and providence), is set alongside a study of the human person; our nature, dependence, destiny, and fallenness. As with all doctrine courses, the topic is explored along biblical, historical, and systematic lines. | |
Person and Work of Christ This is the study of what the Bible teaches about Christ Jesus. It is divided into two sections, the person of Christ, dealing with His humanity and divinity, and the work of Christ, dealing with what was accomplished on Calvary. We will also be considering the progression of this doctrine from the Old to the New Testament. Careful consideration will be given to erroneous views that have grown out of these two aspects of doctrines. | |
The Holy Spirit This course is intended to give the student a thorough understanding of the doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit from a historical, Biblical and theological perspective. The whole course is designed so a student may have a thorough knowledge of and practical appreciation for the personal work of the Holy Spirit in his own life. | |
Doctrine of Grace God’s grace is a crucial component of our salvation. Without it the sinner in this world would be have no hope for of the next world. This course will deal with a theological history of the doctrine, look at the Scriptural teachings on grace, remind us of the riches and mystery of God’s grace toward us, and examine grace in the light of regeneration, reconciliation, justification and sanctification. It concludes with a consideration of perfectionism in light of God’s grace. | |
Doctrine of the Church This course is intended to equip the student with an understanding of the Bible’s teaching on the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is intended to be a survey of the Biblical doctrine of the church including its nature, functions, purposes, structure, leadership, ministry, discipline and sacraments (ordinances). You may not agree with every conclusion made in this text and this is fine. The purpose is for you to wrestle with what you believe the Scripture teachers and come up with your own conclusions based upon Scripture and Scripture ONLY. | |
Eschatology The centre of attention in this course is the biblical teaching in both Testaments concerning the present and future state of the redeemed and the unredeemed. After a quick survey of themes such as universal and individual human destiny, and non-Christian as well as Christian teaching, the subject has nine main facets. The topics of physical death, the intermediate state, the immortality of the soul, the Second Coming, the Millennium, the general resurrection, the Judgement and mankind's final state are considered in turn. Finally, the relevance of eschatology and millennial views is considered in traditional Roman Catholic, Reformation and present-day contexts. | |
Doctrine and Practice of Worship After studying the Biblical doctrine of the church including its nature, functions, purposes, structure, leadership, ministry, discipline and sacraments it is only natural to follow by studying that activity which every Christian will be able to enjoy for all eternity. However, if worship is so dear to the heart of God then we must ask some hard questions as to what constitute acceptable worship to Him? This course will deal with individual worship, but more with corporate worship in the context of local church services. | |
Apologetics This course is designed to equip students to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). It concerns itself thus not only with the intellectual or philosophical defences for the historic Christian Faith (as put forward in the past and in the present), but also with the enterprise of presenting Christian hope to a fallen (and increasingly anti-Christian Postmodern) world. | |
Hermeneutics This course is an introductory course to help you learn how to interpret and apply the Bible accurately in our modern context. It will provide you with a basic model incorporating the main principles of interpretation to enable you to “rightly divide” the Word of Truth. This course, with a few minor exceptions, is the work of Dr. Daniel Doriani of Covenant Theology Seminary in the USA. The course (in its seminar format) is used in this context with the permission of the author. It represents an inductive rather than an abstract analytical approach to hermeneutics. The emphasis is on demonstrating the principles of interpretation from the text of Scripture, and then enabling the student to learn these principles by requiring their implementation in a number of appropriate practical exercises at the conclusion of each part of the course. This approach has been used with great benefit to our students doing our campus programme. Accordingly, students are encouraged to do the exercises at the conclusion of each lesson. | |
Applied Theology | |
Homiletics The Faculty of the Bible Institute has a strong conviction that the great need of the Church is for a revival of true biblical preaching. This Homiletics (i.e., preaching) course begins by exploring the nature and the authority of preaching. This is followed by a description of the types of preaching, the methodology of preparation, the preparations for preaching, the choice of suitable texts, the construction of the sermon, the development of content, and the use of illustrations. | |
Power of Positive Planning This course assumes that sound and efficient planning is an indispensable function of effective Christian Leadership. The argument is that the Bible leaves us without doubt that the God we serve is a PLANNING GOD and that the standard of planning required is no less than what God demonstrated in Creation, when what He had achieved was described as “very good.”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29.11This course is a hands-on, how-to master the principles of various aspects of planning thus enabling you to be able “to do planning” with excellence. | |
Christian Management Leadership This course is designed to help you implement a style of leadership which will enable you to work “smarter” in the achievement of God’s appointed purpose for your ministry. “Smarter” does not imply human cleverness, but the implementation of a style of leadership that balances a “spiritual standing” with “technical competence” in achieving God’s will for your ministry. You will cover subjects from God’s place in leadership, what management leadership is and how it functions Biblically and in practice. We will also cover the place and use of time in leadership. | |
World Religions and Cults In this study you will be given a basic overview of the history and most important teachings and influences of the major non-Christian religions and Christian cults. The interaction of Christianity with these groups is also dealt with. The purpose of this course is to examine these groups in contemporary Africa, and to learn how to effectively defend the Christian faith against all others. | |
Leadership Training Leadership Training is a practical “how to” course motivated by the Biblical imperative for training and preparing people for “works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Eph. 4:12 a. It spells out the Christian leader’s: MANDATE – the call to train, MOTIVATION – God’s expansive intention for His Church and METHOD – every member involvement. b. It clarifies the: DEFINITION of Leadership Training, AIMS of Leadership Training, METHOD of identifying training needs and STEPS to be taken for effective Leadership Training. c. It proposes the advisability of setting up a Human Resources Development Workgroup. d. Its method follows a Four Step practice of: CONTENT INPUT, INPUT REVIEW, EXERCISE and COMMITMENT It is well known that the teacher of a course learns much more than do the students. This will be your chance to both learn what training leaders is all about while you do it. Therefore, it is the understanding of this course that you will find a group of people (at least two) that will agree to let you work them on the content of this course. You will especially see the relevance of this in Module Four. | |
Evangelism This is an introduction to the Biblical basis for evangelism with special emphasis on the theology, message, methods, and objectives of evangelism. Attention is given to the relationship between evangelism and the church, discipleship, social concern, and cross-cultural evangelism. Evangelism is taught along the lines set out in the New Testament. | |
Children and Youth Ministry This course develops a biblical basis for ministry to children and youth. The cognitive, social, and moral development of both children and youth is dealt with in some detail. The various settings for ministry (home and church) are examined. Practical aspects of communicating biblical truth to children are considered. Attention is given to the nature and needs of adolescents, and of the principles, methods, and materials for effective ministry in the local church and Christian youth organizations. Special emphasis is directed to the emotional development of teenagers and how this affects youth ministry. | |
Mission and History | |
Early Church History The two courses on the History of Christianity are designed as comprehensive overviews. Being introductory in nature, the course deals with the history of Christianity in broad strokes, stopping now and then to focus on some crucial periods, people and events in that history. The scope of the material includes not only ecclesiastical history (church organisation and practice), but also the history of theology and doctrine, spirituality, the impact of Christianity upon society and of society upon Christianity. Part I – The Early Church surveys the history of Christianity from the end of the New Testament era (c. 100 AD) through the Arian controversy of the 4th century. | |
| Medieval to Modern Church History This course is designed to help the student gain an overview of the life of the Church from its dark days during the Medieval period to modern times, a period covering roughly 1600 years. It touches only on the most important people, places and events from any one section of Church History because of the limits of space. |
| African and South African Church History The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the beginnings and progress of Christianity in Africa, and in more detail, Christianity in South Africa. Attention is given to the progress of Christian in Africa, issues involving denominations in Africa, the rise of the African Independent Churches (Ethiopian, Zionist and Messianic), and the problems arising out of the conflict of church and state in South Africa. |
| Biblical Basis of Missions This course will introduce the student to what the Bible teaches about the nature and foundation showing that God is a missionary God. This is the study of God’s purpose and activity as revealed through Israel’s responsibility to the nations in the Old Testament and the mandates entrusted to the Church in the New Testament. |
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