Revelation (Discussion II)

Please read Revelation 13-22, concentrating on the last four chapters. Take a passage and note whether the preterit, historical, futurist, or allegorical interpretation seems to work best in that case.

Alternative assignment: Cite a couple of verses from this section that show particularly well the beauties of this book or that show how difficult the book is to understand and interpret.

Revelation--Discussion I

Please read the first 12 chapters of Revelation for Thursday's class.  Concentrating on the first five chapters would work, but it's better if you you read all 12 chapters.

Do you find Revelation a difficult book? A beautiful book? Something of both? Cite a verse or two from the first 12 chapters that shows particularly well either the beautiful side or Revelation or the difficult side of the book.

I Peter

None of us likes the feeling that we have failed at something, but, sooner or later, all of us seem to fail--and sometimes we feel like we have failed the really big test: life itself.

Peter certainly could understand the feeling that one is a failure: it was a feeling he sometimes shared. In I Peter, however, he provides us with a recipe for true success in life.

Please read through all of I Peter. Cite below a verse or two that seem to you to be particularly good examples of Peter's advice for success in life. Explain why you chose these particular verses.

James

Please read my list of study questions on the Epistle of James (the first nine questions on the link here), and then James itself. Suggest an answer to one or two of the study questions and cite or two a verse from James in support of your answer.

Ephesians

Please read all of Ephesians. Choose one of the questions below and select a verse that particular helps in answering that question. Please explain your choice.

1. What seem to be the most import ethical challenges the Ephesian Christians are facing?

2. In what ways does Ephesians seem different than Romans and I Corinthians?

3. What specific standards does Paul set for servants, masters, children, wives, and husbands? Is he right is saying that the husband is the “head” of the wife? How do Paul’s ideas differ from those of contemporary society?

4. What is Paul’s advice to leaders on handling ethical problems?

Romans

Please read as much as you can of Paul's letter to the Romans. Focusing on Chapters 1-3 and 12-15 will work well.

From the chapters you read, pick out a verse or two that you think is a particularly important part of Paul's recipe for helping Jewish and gentile believers get along with one another. Cite also a verse you find particularly puzzling and explain why you find this verse hard to understand.

Alternatively, you might take a stab at explaining the verse another student found difficult/confusing or at answering one of the study questions.

Jude and II Peter (extra credit)

Please read *all* of Jude and II Peter (only four chapters total) and respond to one of the following prompts.  You can do *both* prompts for extra credit, but it's easier for me if you add separate comments for each prompt.

1.  Pick out one verse from Jude and one verse from II Peter that you find particularly interesting, important, or hard to understand, and comment below on what you find interesting, difficult, or important in those verses.

2. Both Jude and II Peter deal with division withing the church, division caused by two different forms of Gnosticism.  I'll be talking about Gnosticism in some detail later in the course.  For now, though, just note how Jude and Peter deal with doctrinal divisions withing the church.