Love, Marriage, and Divorce NTST 667 Topics in New Testament Theology NTST 945 Seminar in Biblical Theology Andrews University Spring 2011

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1 Love,, and Divorce NTST 667 Topics in New Testament Theology NTST 945 Seminar in Biblical Theology Andrews University Spring 2011 H avga,ph... pa,nta ste,gei( pa,nta pisteu,ei( pa,nta evlpi,zei( pa,nta u`pome,neiå ~H avga,ph ouvde,pote pi,ptei\ 1 Cor 13:4-8 Instructor Tom Shepherd, PhD. Office: N128 Seminary Hall. Phone: Home Phone: (before 9:00 p.m. please). trs@andrews.edu Credits 2-3 Semester hours. We meet Tu, W, Th 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. in room N335, beginning Tuesday, January 4 and going through Thursday, April 21. Course Objectives The Seminary has a portfolio program for the MDiv program that is focused on student outcomes in eight areas of competency. These competencies each have an aspect of knowing, being, and doing. The experience of this course in the New Testament Theology of Love,, and Divorce serves mainly competency 2 Perceptive Student of the Bible, but also contributes to competency 3 Developing Theologian, and competency 5 Discipling Pastor. In the chart below are listed the aspects of these competencies that this course emphasizes. Note well: You can use the bolded assignments listed in this chart as artifacts for your personal portfolio. ASPECT COMPETENCY CLASS CONTENT ASSIGNMENT Knowing 2a,c Understanding the the Bible s contents, history, doctrines, and theology lectures and outside study on theology of love, marriage roles and relationships, sexuality and reading commentaries on passages, preparation of class notebook Doing Doing Being 2f Use of Biblical languages, hermeneutics, exegesis 3g Engaging in biblical and theological reflection as the basis for ministry 5e Is able to inspire and mentor members in spiritual growth divorce Exegesis of passages presentation and discussion of theological themes Reflection on the application of the theological themes in real life settings commentary journals Student article critiques reading and discussion of articles and class topics 1

2 If you are a M.A. or PhD student, the focus of this class will be to: 1. Help you achieve a new way of looking at the NT theology of love, marriage, sex, and divorce through careful study of passages dealing with the topics. 2. Help you integrate your skills of translation and exegesis with knowledge of the theological themes to arrive at a fuller understanding of their message. 3. Sharpen skills of professional presentation and assessment of argumentation concerning the Biblical text and related documents. 4. Help you apply the NT theology of love, marriage, sex, and divorce to current situations today. Textbooks 1. Greek New Testament either UBS 4 th edition or Nestle-Aland 27 th edition. 2. Scholarly articles and commentary reading assigned in class it will be your responsibility to go to the library and make a copy of these articles for your use in this class. The cost of copying will be in lieu of purchasing other textbooks for this class. Core Values That Guide Your Teacher in This Class 1. The Scriptures are the Word of God and the source of spiritual life for us as individual Christians and for congregations. 2. You are an interesting person with worthwhile things to share in this class. 3. The New Testament has a rewarding, uplifting, protective and healing message about love, marriage, sex, and divorce. Our churches are hungry for this message. 4. Learning is more than the memorization of material, but content is the gasoline that powers the experience of education. The great content we study allows us to think new thoughts, question old ways, and grasp a vision for the future. What We Will Study 1. Love as a divine attribute and human experience 1 Corinthians roles and relationships Ephesians 5 3. Sexual relations inside and outside of marriage 1 Corinthians 6-7, Romans 1 4. Divorce and remarriage the Synoptic sayings of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 7 Methodology of Study 1. Presentations by the professor on the above passages followed by discussion a. Translation of the passage b. Exegetical explanation and discussion of the passage c. Application of the passage to the church today 2. Reading, discussion, and critique of scholarly articles Critical thinking a. Listing the author s methodology b. Summary of the author s thesis and argumentation c. Critique of the author s thesis, argumentation, and conclusions strengths, weaknesses 2

3 Course Requirements NOTE WELL: In order to expedite rapid communication, all reading reports/critiques and exegesis paper submissions are to be made via the course dropbox on D2L. The Notebook, however, will be submitted in printed form in a binder. 1. Attendance at classroom lectures is expected, record is taken. More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a decrease in the final grade by one full letter, 3 tardies = 1 absence. Excused absences are for illness or family emergency. For an absence to be excused send an to the professor with an explanation (trs@andrews.edu). Missing more than 10% of the total class periods (5 class periods) is grounds for failure in the class. 2. Notebook Each student prepares an organized binder notebook of material from the course. The reason for this is to place in your hands a set of resource materials that you can draw on in the future. Your notebook is to contain the following three sections clearly divided and organized: a. Lecture Notes of the professor s lectures and student presentations. These notes should be organized clearly and contain the salient points of the presentations. They can be hand written, but should be readable. The lecture slides are available on D2L, but you MUST include more than the slides themselves. Include additional notes taken in class along with the slides, and include questions for discussion you would like to find answers for. b. Commentary Reading Report We are studying four topics in the this class love, marriage, sex, and divorce. We will exegete passages from 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Romans, Matthew, Mark, and Luke (see the listing in the class schedule below). For each of the passages that we exegete, you are to read 3 commentaries on the passage we are studying (see the list of commentaries in the bibliography for the best). See the Commentary Reading Report Form which is available on D2L and is attached to this syllabus. The concept is for you to do critical thinking about the passages we study in a way that matures your understanding of these important topics. Also see the rubric for grading the commentary journals c. Article Critiques copies of the reading reports of articles and your critique of an article which you present in class (see below). d. The notebook is due in binder form on Thursday, April 21 by 5:00 p.m. at Dr. Shepherd s office. 3. Critique of Articles On most Thursdays we will hear critiques of two scholarly articles on the topics covered in class. This provides another voice for us to dialogue with on the topics. Once during the semester, you will each be the presenter of the critique in class. On other weeks than the week you present, you will read the articles others have chosen and be prepared to ask questions. The report form for these weekly readings is on D2L. It is simple, asking what you read, and then asking you to generate 2 thoughtful questions for each article that you read. This will enable you to carry on a meaningful discussion with the presenters. Bring your completed form to class with you each Thursday. You turn in your form at the END of class. 3

4 The professor will critique one article on Thursday, January 6, utilizing a three-part methodology 1) listing the author s methodology, 2) summary of the author s thesis and argumentation, and 3) critique of the author s thesis, argumentation, and conclusions (strengths and weaknesses). The professor s critique of the article will be more extensive than what is expected of you, but his critique will give you a model to work from. In succeeding weeks two or three students will give critiques patterned after the professor s critique. On the week when you present, you read only the one article you are presenting. You have 10 minutes to present your critique and 10 minutes to answer questions. See the grading rubric on D2L. In order to avoid overlap, please suggest 5 articles you would be interested in presenting. These articles must be on the passages we will study, and must be on 5 separate passages (no more than one article per any passage). This list is due, Thursday, January 6, at our regular class time. The articles you find are to be scholarly in nature, dealing with the text of the passage we study. The articles should be in the range of pages in length. Places to search for such articles include ATLA, Religion 1, New Testament Abstracts, and all the New Testament journals. NOTE WELL: If you are taking the course for 2.0 credits, you will not do a public presentation of an article critique. You will still do the reading and other parts of this course requirement. The article presentation part of the grade will be excluded and your grade will be based on the other parts of the course requirements. 4. NT Theology Paper for MA and PhD students MA and PhD students, as the additional part of their requirement for this class, prepare a page exegetical paper on some aspect of a passage that deals with sexual ethics. The intent of this paper is to help you develop a mature expression of your understanding of the text you choose to study. See the Paper Preparation Document on D2L for more detail on how to write the paper and the rubric that will be used to critique it. You can consult with the professor about your paper for advice on topics and concerning content. The paper is due Thursday, April 7, at our regular class time. 5. Tests The midterm exam will be on Tuesday, March 1 at our regular class time. The final exam will be on Monday, April 25, 8:00-10:00 a.m. Both exams will be essay in format. In answering exam questions three components are expected for a top score: Mastery of the material presented in class, Grading for MDiv Students Clear reasoning in dealing with the issues Meaningful reasoning and information that goes beyond the material covered in class. See D2L for sample questions. Notebook 30% Midterm exam 25% Article presentation 20% Final exam 25% 4

5 Grading for MA and PhD Students Notebook 20% Midterm exam 25% Article presentation 10% Final exam 25% Theology paper 20% Grade Scale A C A C B C B D B F Late Work Late work is any assignment turned in after the class period at which it is due. In the case of an excused absence if the work is turned in the next class period it is not late. Late work loses credit at the rate of 10% per calendar day late excluding Sabbath (a day of grace). Disabilities Andrews University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act; therefore, if you have a documented disability and would like to request accommodations, please schedule an appointment with the instructor. Academic Honesty Honesty is a central component of ministry. Dishonesty destroys character and trust. Cheating on assignments or using work that is not your own will receive a 0 score for that assignment with a warning from the professor. A second offense will receive an immediate F for the course with a letter to the Dean of the Seminary detailing what has happened for inclusion in the student s file. 5

6 Love,, and Divorce Class Schedule NTST 667/945 Spring 2011 Student names for article critiques and the articles to read will be posted on D2L on Monday, 1/10/11 and will be also handed out in class on Tuesday, 1/11/11. Date Topic Key Passages Article Critique Schedule Week 1 Tue 1/4 Course introduction Wed 1/5 Love 1 Corinthians 13 Thur 1/6 Article critique Dr. Shepherd Week 2 Tue 1/11 Wed 1/12 Thur 1/13 Love Love Week 3 Tue 1/18 Ephesians 5:21-33 Wed 1/19 Thur 1/20 Week 4 Tue 1/25 Wed 1/26 Thur 1/27 Week 5 Tue 2/1 Wed 2/2 Thur 2/3 Week 6 Tue 2/8 Wed 2/9 Thur 2/10 Week 7 Tue 2/15 Sex and the Christian 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Wed 2/16 Sex and the Christian Thur 2/17 Week 8 Tue 2/22 Sex and the Christian 6

7 Wed 2/23 Thur 2/24 Week 9 Tue 3/1 Wed 3/2 Thur 3/3 Sex and the Christian Midterm Exam Sex and the Christian Week 10 Tue 3/8 Sex and the Christian 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 Wed 3/9 Sex and the Christian Thur 3/10 Week 11 Tue 3/15 Wed 3/16 Thur 3/17 SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS Week 12 Tue 3/22 Sex and the Christian Romans 1:18-32 Wed 3/23 Sex and the Christian Thur 3/24 Week 13 Tue 4/5 Divorce Matthew 5:27-32 Wed 4/6 Divorce Thur 4/7 Week 14 Tue 4/12 Divorce Matt 19:1-12, Mark 10:1-12, Luke 16:18 Wed 4/13 Divorce Thur 4/14 Divorce Week 15 Tue 4/19 Divorce Wed 4/20 Divorce 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 Thur 4/21 Divorce Week 16 Tue 4/26 Final Exam 8:00-10:00 a.m. 7

8 1. Maturing Christian Knowing a Accepts the central role and the transforming power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in his/her spiritual life b Knows how to use the biblical spiritual disciplines, especially prayer and the study of Scripture Being c Values his/her call to ministry and personal spiritual gifts d Is committed to reflecting the character of Christ and exemplifying personal integrity and professional ethics Doing e Cultivates the harmonious development of the mental, physical, spiritual and social dimensions of life f Practices the biblical virtues of grace, acceptance, and forgiveness, especially within his/her marriage and family g Interacts positively with people of other cultures and religions 2. Perceptive Student of the Bible Knowing a Demonstrates advanced understanding of Bible contents b Understands the social and historical backgrounds of the Bible and the influence of culture on biblical interpretation c Demonstrates advanced understanding of Bible history, doctrines, and theology Being d Values regular Bible study and deep reflection upon it e Values the principle of Sola Scriptura and the need for the Holy Spirit in interpreting Scripture Doing f Practices sound methods of exegesis using original languages, guided by appropriate hermeneutics 3. Developing Theologian Knowing a Demonstrates advanced understanding of Christian history, theology, philosophy, ethics and mission b Demonstrates advanced understanding of Adventist history, theology, doctrines, lifestyle, and practices c Understands the role and influence of Ellen G. White and her writings on Seventh-day Adventist theology, mission, and ministry Being d Embraces an Adventist theology, identity, and mission informed by the Great Controversy theme e Is conversant with major world religions and can communicate biblical truth cross-culturally Doing f Values scholarship, professional growth, and lifelong learning g Engages in biblical and theological reflection as the basis for ministry 4. Inspiring Biblical Preacher and Worship Leader Knowing a Knows how to design public worship that is biblically and theologically sound and contextually relevant b Knows how to use different styles of preaching to engage diverse hearers Being c Places high value on preaching Scriptural truth including the distinctive beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists d Values congruence between the message preached and x x x x 8

9 his/her life Doing e Preaches with clarity and persuasiveness f Is able to design and lead theologically-based, culturally and cross culturally sensitive corporate worship of the Creator God 5. Discipling Pastor Knowing a Knows how the principles of pastoral care influence all aspects of ministry b Recognizes the dynamics and complexity of human nature Being c Respects the individual s uniqueness and God-given ability to address life s issues d Values the power of faith and intercessory prayer e Is able to inspire and mentor members in spiritual growth Doing f Demonstrates ability to build community and nurture positive relationships g Disciples individuals through passionate Bible teaching 6. Persuasive Evangelist and Apologist Knowing a Is familiar with contemporary missiological evangelistic and theological issues and trends b Has a practical knowledge of how to lead people, including those from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds to Christ Being c Has a passion for lost people and calls individuals to a decision for Christ and the church in the context of the three angels messages d Is sensitive to all cultures and faiths in presenting the gospel Doing e Defends the faith with a Christocentric emphasis 7. Transforming Leader Knowing a Embraces the biblical and theological principles of servant leadership b Understands leadership and organizational theory as they apply to the church and its administration Being c Appreciates the importance of leadership and church polity in facilitating Seventh-day Adventist mission d Values Christian education and other forms of youth ministry Doing e Has the ability to minister to and to empower people for ministry in diverse and multi-cultural settings f Is able to organize, equip, and mobilize congregations effectively for mission and ministry 8. Prophetic Change Agent Knowing a Understands the Scriptural and theological basis for the church s moral engagement in the world b Values a sense of justice and advocates for equity, fairness, and religious liberty for all Being c Is an agent of the reconciling ministry of Christ and a peacemaker d Is able to analyze, interpret, and critique contemporary social cultural, and political issues in the light of biblical truth Doing e Identifies social needs and responds in ways that incarnate x 9

10 the Gospel in the world 10