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DISCOVERING SCRIPTURE:
THE ORIGIN, RELIABILITY, AND RELEVANCE OF GOD’S WRITTEN WORD (EC 104)
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
During this six-week online course you will be equipped to understand the origin, reliability, and
relevance of God’s written word, and respond to commonly asked questions regarding Scripture.
III. TEXTBOOKS
It is fair to expect 2–3 hours of work for each week of the class. 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.
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.
You are expected to complete the work for each week 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.
2. 8/8/19 Week 2: Old Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Introduction
Testament Textual and Ch. 5: “Aren’t Several Narrative Genres of the Bible
Transmission Unhistorical?”
Listen: Development of Writing, OT Textual Transmission
Due: Discussion Question #1
3. 8/15/19 Week 3: New Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 1: “Aren’t
Testament Textual the Copies of the Bible Hopelessly Corrupt?”
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. 8/22/19 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?”
Read: “On the Old Testament Apocrypha”
Listen: Old Testament Canon, New Testament Canon
Due: Discussion Question #2
5. 8/29/19 Week 5: The Doctrines Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 4: “Don’t
of Scripture These Issues Rule Out Biblical Inerrancy?”
Read: “A Bibliology Grounded in Christology”
Listen: Where Do We Begin?, The “I”s of Bibliology
Due: Quiz #3
6. 9/5/19 Week 6: Translations Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 3: “Can We
and Common Trust Any of Our Translations of the Bible?”
Questions Listen: Part 1, Part 2
Read: “Reliability Handout”
Due: Discussion Question #3
9/12/19 Conclusion Optional Reading: Can We Still Believe the Bible?, Ch. 6: “Don’t
All the Miracles Make the Bible Mythical?”
ALL WORK Due: Final Exam, Final Discussion Question
DUE
9/19/19
RECOMMENDED READING
BEGINNER
Craig Blomberg, Can We Still Believe the Bible? An Evangelical Engagement with
Contemporary Questions
INTERMEDIATE
Norman Geisler and William Nix, From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible
ADVANCED
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
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
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