Purpose of the Course
The purpose of this course is to help equip leaders at First Baptist to understand and love God’s word better. This course will enable students to create better lessons, studies, or sermons. Students will better understand how to observe, interpret, and apply the biblical text.
About the Lecturer
Dr. Kyle Essary grew up in the United States, although he has also lived in Yemen, China, and for most of the past decade- Malaysia. He is
married to Jamie, and God has blessed them with four children- Andrew (16), Abby (13), Anna (11), A.J. (9). He serves as a lecturer in
biblical studies in Southeast Asia. He has served with a number of churches and church plants in both the US and Malaysia. He holds a
PhD in biblical studies with a particular focus on Hebrew narratives and biblical theology. Kyle loves food – nasi lemak, shwarma, chicken-fried steak, but most of all, ayam buah
keluak!
Course Format
Each study session will involve three activities—reading a text, watching a video, and answering some questions.
#1 Read the Materials
Each session, materials should be read before watching the weekly video. These will come from Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays. This is a well-respected and easily found textbook. Be sure to acquire the textbook and not the workbook.
- Either the 3rd or 4th edition of the textbook is fine for this class. There is also a Chinese version that is also suitable for those who read Chinese.
- The textbook is commonly used and can be found at stores like Canaanland.
- The book is also available in various digital formats:
These materials will deal with the topic addressed in the upcoming session’s video. Thus, you need to read prior to watching the video for the session.
#2 Watch the Video
Every session, Dr. Kyle will prepare a video between 1-2 hours long. The video will focus on additional topics outside the reading, go more in-depth on some topics from the reading, or give Dr. Kyle’s perspective on the topic for the session. The videos will include discussion, as well as opportunities to think more deeply about the topic and apply it.
#3 Take the Quiz
Each session will have a brief quiz related to the session’s topic. The questions will be (1) multiple-choice, (2) matching, or (3) drop-down choice. The quizzes will be available online when the weekly video session becomes available.
#4 (Optional) Request Certificate Printing
- Eligible if you score at least 70% on all quizzes.
- Request via email: fbc.wordcomesalive@gmail.com
- Printing fee: RM 30 (Free for leaders, co-leaders, and facilitators at First Baptist Church).
- Payment instruction (Reference: Biblical Interpretation Course)
- Email the payment receipt to fbc.wordcomesalive@gmail.com
Schedule of the Course
| Lesson | Topic | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purpose of Biblical Interpretation & Translations | N/A |
| 2 | Scripture and Sentences | GGW ch. 3 |
| 3 | Paragraphs and Discourses | GGW ch. 4 |
| 4 | Historical-Cultural Background | GGW ch. 6 |
| 5 | Literary Context & Word Studies | GGW ch. 8-9 |
| 6 | Where is meaning found? | GGW ch. 7 & 10 |
| 7 | Application | GGW ch. 13 |
| 8 | Interpreting Letters | GGW ch. 14 |
| 9 | Interpreting Gospels & Acts | GGW ch. 15 |
| 10 | Interpreting Revelation | GGW ch. 17 |
| 11 | Interpreting Narrative | GGW ch. 18 |
| 12 | Interpreting Law (Torah) | GGW ch. 19 |
| 13 | Interpreting Poetry | GGW ch. 20 |
| 14 | Interpreting Prophecy | GGW ch. 21 |
| 15 | Interpreting Wisdom | GGW ch. 22 |
| (Optional) Q&A Sessions |
How to use Google Classroom
- If using a browser from a laptop:
- You will see on the top bar: “Stream”, “Classwork”, and “Marks”.
- Go to “Classwork” to find the videos, quizzes, and reading assignments.
- If you are using the Google Classroom app from your phone:
- The tabs are on the bottom: “Stream”, and “Classwork”.
- Click “Classwork” to find the videos, quizzes, and reading assignments.
Contact
If you are interested in the course or have questions about it, please email fbc.wordcomesalive@gmail.com
