UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT
Bruce K. Waltke, Th.D., Ph.D.
Bruce K. Waltke Th.D., Ph.D., Reformed Theological Seminary
Dr. Bruce Waltke is a world-renowned Old Testament scholar. His teaching appointments at Dallas Theological Seminary, Regent College, and Westminster Theological Seminary won for him a reputation as a master teacher with a pastor’s heart. He has written prolifically and his publications include Intermediate Hebrew Grammar, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, Understanding the Will of God, and a commentary on Micah and Proverbs. He served as Old Testament editor for the New Geneva Study Bible and co-editor for the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. He was a member of the translation committee for the New International Version, and served a term as president of the Evangelical Theological Society. His education credentials are:
Houghton College, B.A.
Dallas Theological Seminary, ThM
Dallas Theological Seminary, Th.D
Harvard University, Ph.D.
Course Description:
The Old Testament is often viewed as antiquated, mysterious,
and even irrelevant. In this course, Dr. Waltke shows how Old Testament
theology is pivotal to the universal goal of redemptive history: the rule of
God and the establishment of God’s kingdom in all the earth. The course tracks
salvation history as it appears in nearly every book of the Old Testament, and
shows the vital relationship of the Old Testament to the New. Throughout the
course, Dr. Waltke applies the doctrines of kingdom and salvation to the Christian
life.
3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Course Lecture Content: 24 lectures @ 44 minutes each
Course Lecturer:
Course Texts:
The student is required to read collaterally from an expanded bibliography provided in the syllabus.
Course
Description
This course surveys the history of salvation in the Old Testament, especially as it relates to the universal of Old Testament theology which is the rule of God: the establishment of His Kingdom upon the earth.
Course
Objectives
Upon completing this course, you should be able to
1. Analyze the theological universal of the Old Testament as it relates to the theme of salvation history.
2. Discuss the books of the Old Testament in light of their contribution to salvation history.
3. Develop an awareness of the history surrounding the message of the Old Testament.
4. Correlate the salvation history of the Old Testament with the New Testament doctrines of kingdom and salvation.
5. Be familiar with the relevant resources on Old Testament theology.
6. Value the Old Testament as the key to understanding God’s plan for His people.
7. Apply the principles from the Law, Prophets, and Writings to life and ministry.
Course Texts
Because Dr. Waltke does not follow a particular textbook for the lectures, there is flexibility in the reading assignments. Therefore, there are no specific textbooks assigned for the course. You will read collaterally from texts found in the course bibliography. See the section entitled Course Requirements for details about the required reading.
Course Requirements
1. Lectures and Reading: You are required to listen to all 24 lectures. In addition to the lectures, you are expected to read 1,000 pages from books in the Course Bibliography. You will submit a reading report at the end of the course. You should report your reading by title, author, and pages read. Within this reading, at least one complete book must be read. This requirement is worth 20% of the overall grade.
2. Final Examination: You will take an exam at the end of the course. The exam will only cover the lectures. The exam is worth 30% of the overall grade.
Research Paper: You will write a ten to twelve page research paper on one of the following topics:
A. The work of the Spirit in the Old Testament
B. The application of the Mosaic Law to the life of the Christian
C. A synthesis of the various messages of Israel’s prophets
D. The covenants of the Old Testament and their application to the Church
B. An analysis of Israel comparing/contrasting pre- and post-exile periods
Your research for this paper should come from Scripture, the lectures, the readings in the bibliography, and any other sources which shed light on the chosen topic. This paper should not be a personal reflection on the topic; rather, you should report the research done in a given area, particularly noting similarities/differences within the research. A quality paper will compare and contrast different opinions in scholarship with a view toward finding common ground in the field of study chosen. This paper is worth 40% of the overall grade.
4. Reflection Paper: You will write a five-page reflection paper the con “salvation history”. In this reflection, you will define the concept, describe its application to ancient Israel, and then apply the concept to those in the Church. This paper is worth 10% of the overall grade.
Course Grading
1. Lectures
and Reading 20%
2. Final Examination 30%
3. Research Paper 40%
4. Reflection Paper 10%
Course
Bibliography
Arnold, Bill T., and Beyer, Bryan. Encountering the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Books, 1999).
Baker, David. The Face of Old Testament Studies (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999).
Bright, John. The Kingdom of God: The Biblical Concept and its Meaning
for the Church (Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1953).
Dillard, Raymond B. and Longmnan,Tremper, III. An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994).
Dumbrell, William J. Covenant and Creation (Nasville: Thomas Nelson, 1984).
_____ Tue Faith of Israel: Its Expression in the Books of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1988).
Hill, Andrew B. and Walton, John. A Survey of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zonervan Publishing House, 1991).
Longman, Tremper, III. Old Testament Commentay Survey (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1991).
Martens, B. A. God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology (North Richland Hills, Texas:
BIBAL Press, 1997).
Vos, Gerhadus. Biblical Theology: Old and New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, 1948).