Discovering Scripture

DISCOVERING SCRIPTURE:
THE ORIGIN, RELIABILITY, AND RELEVANCE OF GOD’S WRITTEN WORD (EC 104)

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

During this six-week online course (completed in 8 weeks), you will be equipped to understand the origin,
reliability, and relevance of God’s written word, and respond to commonly asked questions regarding
Scripture.

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES

As a result of this class, you should:

1. Grow in your love for God as you encounter him through the Scriptures, and in your confidence
in the reliability and authority of Scripture as the written word of God.
2. Gain an appreciation for Scripture as a story rooted in history, along with a knowledge of the
writing process and transmission of the text of Scripture over time.
3. Develop an understanding of the process of compiling the 66 books of the biblical canon.
4. Integrate what you have learned into compelling responses to common critiques of Scripture.

III. TEXTBOOKS

(Suggested, but not required)

Blomberg, Craig L. Can We Still Believe the Bible?: An Evangelical Engagement With Contemporary
Questions. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2014.

IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

It is fair to expect 2–3 hours of work for each week’s worth of content. This time will vary if you choose to
read the suggested book Can We Still Believe the Bible? and complete other optional resources in addition to
the required coursework. This time will include the following activities:

A. Reading Assignments
Each week you should read the required reading. You are NOT required to read the optional
reading, but it is highly encouraged and will maximize your learning during each class session.
If you choose to read Can We Still Believe the Bible?, it is suggested that you read the selected
chapters prior to listening to the audio for each week. An additional recommended reading list
is found at the end of this syllabus.

B. Audio and PowerPoints

Each week you should listen to two parts of the audio recorded from previous live Discovering
Scripture classes. It is suggested that you print out the PowerPoint slides in order to take notes
as you listen along.

C. Discussion Questions
You should answer each discussion question and respond to at least one other student’s
answer by the following week of class.

D. Quizzes and Final Exam

The quizzes are for your benefit only, and the questions are taken from the PowerPoint slides
in addition to the required class readings. The final exam is comprehensive and is an
opportunity to see how much you learned during this class!
V. COURSE POLICIES

You are expected to complete the work for each week's lesson by the beginning of the next week’s class.
Each week’s class will open at 12:00 am on Thursday, and run until 11:59 pm the following Wednesday.

VI. COURSE SCHEDULE

DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS

1. Introduction Read: Syllabus
Watch: “What Is the Bible?”
Week 1 Week 1: Watch: “The Story of the Bible”
Understanding the Listen: Introduction & Genesis to the Prophets, The Prophets to the
Story of Scripture Gospels, and The Gospels to Revelation
Due: Quiz #1

2. Week 2: Old Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Introduction and
Testament Textual Ch. 5: “Aren’t Several Narrative Genres of the Bible Unhistorical?”
Week 2 Transmission Listen: Development of Writing, OT Textual Transmission
Due: Discussion Question #1

3. Week 3: New Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 1: “Aren’t the
Testament Textual Copies of the Bible Hopelessly Corrupt?”
Week 3 Transmission Listen: Part 1, Part 2
Due: Quiz #2
Optional Podcasts: “Evidence for the Reliability of the New
Testament”, and “Answering Critics of the New Testament” with
Dr. Daniel B. Wallace

4. Week 4: The Canon Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 2: “Wasn’t the
Selection of Books for the Canon Just Political?”
Week 4 Read: “On the Old Testament Apocrypha”
Listen: Old Testament Canon, New Testament Canon
Due: Discussion Question #2

5. Week 5: The Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 4: “Don’t
Doctrines of These Issues Rule Out Biblical Inerrancy?”
Week 5 Scripture Read: “A Bibliology Grounded in Christology”
Listen: Where Do We Begin?, The “I”s of Bibliology
Due: Quiz #3

6. Week 6: Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 3: “Can We
Translations and Trust Any of Our Translations of the Bible?”
Week 6 Common Listen: Part 1, Part 2
Questions Read: “Reliability Handout”
Due: Discussion Question #3
Week 8
ALL
Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 6: “Don’t All
WORK Conclusion the Miracles Make the Bible Mythical?”
DUE Due: Final Exam, Final Discussion Question
Due: Final Survey
Optional: Register for next Equipping Course
 RECOMMENDED READING

BEGINNER

Craig Blomberg, Can We Still Believe the Bible? An Evangelical Engagement with
Contemporary Questions

F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, Daniel B. Wallace, Reinventing Jesus: How

Contemporary Skeptics Miss the Real Jesus and Mislead Popular Culture

INTERMEDIATE

F. F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture

Philip W. Comfort, The Origin of the Bible

Norman Geisler and William Nix, From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible

ADVANCED

Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels

Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the New Testament: Countering the Challenges to
Evangelical Christian Beliefs

Ellis Brotzman and Eric Tully, Old Testament Textual Criticism: A Practical Introduction

K. A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament

Bruce Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance

Bruce Metzger, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration

Robert B. Stewart, The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart D. Ehrman & Daniel B. Wallace
in Dialogue

Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible

Daniel B. Wallace, Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament: Manuscript, Patristic, and
Apocryphal Evidence

Ernst Würthwein, The Text of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Biblia Hebraica