Our focus at Redeemer is on peeling away layers of culture and folk wisdom that surrounds Jesus and discovering the Real Jesus, AKA the historical, biblical Jesus.
Want to know more about Jesus? Then I invite you to attend our Real Jqesus class, which begins this Thursday, Sept. 18.
You may contact me (johnpiippo@msn.com) or call the church office (734-242-5277) to sign up.
It's taught by Jim Collins. Here is the syllabus.
RMS - Discovering the Real Jesus
Class syllabus
Contact
information
Jim
Collins
Eleven
Thursdays, 18 September through 4 December (no class 27 November)
7-9
PM
Course Description
We
live in a culture that often misrepresents the real, historical Jesus. The
purpose of this course is to raise the level of the students’ Jesus-literacy
and experience of Christ. In this course students will:
·
Study about Jesus from the biblical texts, as understood within the
historical context in which they were written.
·
Study some of the current real Jesus literature as an aid to
understanding the biblical accounts of Jesus.
·
Learn how to distinguish the real Jesus from the fictional.
·
Encounter and experience Christ as an ongoing, living reality.
This
will be accomplished through classroom readings, class discussion, and homework
assignments.
Goals/Objectives
·
Using scripture and book excerpts:
o Define who Jesus said he was
o Define who Jesus was by the
things he did
o Debunk our presuppositions
o
Define our life actions based on the Jesus of the gospels
“Final Exam”
1. 1 John 3:1-3
Class outline
1. Introduction
a. Class format
b. Your expectations
c. Who are we looking for?
d. Video: Louie Giglio Indescribable
e. Christianity: “The state of
the art”
2. The gospels: Can we believe
what we read?
a. Truth or public relations?
3. Class reading of the sermon
on the mount
a. Analyze who Jesus was based
on his statements
b. Briefly discuss our state
and future actions
4. Class reading of the gospel
of John
a. Who did Jesus say he was?
b. Who did others say he was?
5. The trinity
a. The fellowship of God and
our invitation
6. The Messiah – the Jewish
hope
a. Jesus – guess who’s coming
to dinner
7. The Incarnation and birth
a. Excerpt: Jesus Through
Middle Eastern Eyes
8. Jesus making disciples
a. Disciples versus deciders
9. Jesus’ roles (e.g., healer,
teacher)
a. Messiah and King
b. Homework: NT Wright excerpt:
How God Became King
10.
The Kingdom of God
a. Jesus’ message of the
Kingdom of God
i.
Find the message in the gospels
b. Basic eschatology
Relevant Books
·
N.T. Wright, How God Became King
·
Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew
·
Richard Bauckham, Jesus: A Very Short Introduction
·
Michael J. McClymond, Familiar Stranger
·
Ben Witherington, The Christology of Jesus
·
Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes
