Greetings!

I’d like to welcome new and returning participants to the second part of the Introduction to the New Testament course! 

The purpose of this second part is to deepen your knowledge of the New Testament, particularly the Book of Acts, the Letters of Paul (we will focus on 1 Thessalonians), the Catholic Epistles (we will focus on the Letters of John), and the Book of Revelation.

In the five weeks we will be together we will focus on a different theme each week:

1. The Apocalypse 

2. The Acts of the Apostles

3. The Apostle Paul

4. The Letters of John 

5. Conclusion 

I’ve enclosed the Unit 6 packet for your review. My suggestion to prepare for this week’s discussion on the Apocalypse is to review my lecture notes (I’ve decided to provide my notes directly to you instead of audio lectures),familiarize yourself with the passages I reference (always keep a Bible handy and bring one on Thursday!), and take a look at the supplemental material. 

Also, if you have time, it would definitely be worth reading parts of the Book of Revelation and Mark 13. I’ve provided you with a study guide to help you focus your reading (try to use a Bible that has a commentary—it will help you answer some of the questions. You can also use this online Bible with a commentary). https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/0  If you have a limited time, please read the Book of Revelation chapters 1, 13,20-22, which will be the focus of our discussion on Thursday. 

Regards,

Jeff

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Greetings,

This week (3) we will be talking about the Apostle Paul.  I've enclosed the Unit7-B  packet for your review. My suggestion to prepare for this week’s discussion is to review my lecture notes, familiarize yourself with the passages I reference (always keep a Bible handy and bring one on Thursday!),and take a look at the supplemental material. 

Also, if you have time, it would definitely be worth reading Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. I’ve provided you with a study guide to help you focus your reading (try to use a Bible that has a commentary—it will help you answer some of the questions. You can also use this online Bible with a commentary). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%201&version=NRSVUE if you have a limited time, use the guide to quickly scan for the answers and that will prepare you for our class on Thursday. 

See you soon.

Jeff

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Greetings,

This week we will be talking about the Catholic Epistles, focusing on the Epistles to John.  I've enclosed a summary sheet for your review. My suggestion to prepare for this week’s discussion is to read the Letters of John.

See you soon.

Jeff

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Greetings!

In our last week together we will finish the First Letter of John and discuss,what some scholars believe, the oldest work in Christian Literature — TheDidache (which means teaching in greek).

I’ve enclose the Didache text for you to read. Also, as promised, here is theBibliography of all the books used in developing this course over the last 25years. The bibliography is organized by topic:

Jesus in the New Testament
Jesus in the Gospels
The World and Daily Life of Jesus
The Birth and Message of Jesus
The Sayings and Miracles of Jesus
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus and the Apocalypse
Jesus and the Apostles
Recommendations for Study Bibles and other Early Christian Writings

See you soon!

Jeff

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Evaluation Form

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We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to provide feedback on your experience with the course. Please complete the evaluation form here:

Evaluation - Introduction to the New Testament II

Thank you for your time and valuable input.

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