Devotional
Each student is required to lead the class in four short, “front-burner” devotionals on the days scheduled.

Book Report
In order to expose the students to other topics, books, and authors, each student will be required to select and read one book from the reading list below. Each student will then present a book report to the class and lead the class through the subsequent discussion (allotted time is 45 minutes for each student). The student must verify the book selected and the date requested (from the syllabus) with the class facilitator. The book report time will be scheduled during the 1 John segment of the class, so the class will not focus on 1 John for that day.

1. New Perspective

• Perspectives Old and New on Paul (Westerholm)
• Pierced for our Transgressions (Jeffrey et al.)

2. Contextualization

• Biblical Interpretation and the Church (Carson)
• Muslim Evangelism: Contemporary Approaches to Contextualization (Parshall)
• Contextualization: A Theology of Gospel and Culture (Nicholls)
• Contextualization in the New Testament (Flemming)
• The Word Among Us: Contextualizing Theology (Gilliland)
• Following Jesus in the Hindu Context (Richard)

3. Politics & Culture

• Resident Aliens (Hauerwas)
• The Hauerwas Reader (Hauerwas)
• Mere Discipleship (Camp)

4. The Emerging Church

• Radical Reformission (Driscoll)
• Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church (Carson)
• Generous Orthodoxy (McLaren)

5. Benevolence v. Gospel Preaching

• Ministries of Mercy (Keller)
• Irresistible Revolution (Claiborne)
• Churches That Make a Difference (Sider)
• Evangelism: Doing Justice and Preaching Grace (Conn)

6. Law & Gospel

• Five Views (et al.)
• The Law and the New Testament (Thielman)

7. Spiritual Gifts

• Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist (Storms)
• Four Views (et al.)

8. Missiology (or Biography)

• John G. Paton (Paton)
• Missionary Methods …(Allen)
• Missions in the Third Millennium (Guthrie)

9. Warning Passages

• The Race Set Before Us (Schreiner)

10. Biblical Counseling v. Psychology

• Blame It on the Brain (Welch)
• Totally Sufficient (Eyrich/Hindson)

Sermon Manuscripts
A list of sermons will be handed out to the students before the Christmas break. It will be up to the students to access the sermon manuscript (or mp3) online and read (or listen) to each of them before the end of the course. This will be an honor-system assignment.

Ministry Involvement
Each student must be actively involved in an ongoing area of ministry within the life of the church.

Make-up Days or Extra Saturdays
Students need to be flexible if days need to be added in order to cover all the material.

Seminars or Conferences
It may be possible for those involved in the course to attend a seminar or conference together ( e.g. Together for the Gospel in April 2008 )

Accountability
Each student is encouraged to seek out weekly accountability with a peer for prayer, study, encouragement, and confession of sin.

Mentoring
Each student is encouraged to seek out someone who will mentor them during this year.

Desired Outcome
Students by taking this course will …

1. be able to properly conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner in disagreements and debates
2. be able to read and digest literature with a more sophisticated premise and more difficult rhetoric
3. be able to handle issues of difficulty with meekness, humility, eagerness, and prayer
4. be exposed to a variety of different authors and issues that will stir up their desire to continue their investigation related to the author’s themselves or the themes addressed
5. have a working knowledge of the subjects investigated

Class Procedure
A master teacher will lead the class in a discussion of the assigned reading, while adding in comments of their own expertise and experience. Students will be able to fully participate by reading the assigned portions prior to the day’s class.

Class Structure
The class will be divided into five modules, taught by different master teachers. Therefore, there will be five texts the students will be required to keep up with in their reading assignments over the course of the year. Each master teacher will hand out a separate syllabus of their reading schedule. They may also hand out notes, questions, and extra supplemental readings throughout their module. (Note: Assigned books are subject to change. Check with the master teacher before purchasing.)

Pastoring & Preaching – Gabe Gatlin ( October – November 07 )

• The Supremacy of Christ in Preaching [John Piper]
• The Reformed Pastor [Richard Baxter]

Church History & Ecclesiology – Jeff Miller ( December 07 – January 08 )

• The Reformers & Their Step-children [Leonard Verduin]

The Church & Culture – Mike Vosburg ( February – March 08 )

• The Politics of Jesus [John Howard Yoder]

Interpersonal Communication – Rafe Semmes ( April – May 15, 2008 )

• War of Words [Paul David Tripp]

Biblical Counseling – Jeff Segner ( May 22 – June 2008 )

• How People Change [Lane & Tripp] OR
• Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands [Paul David Tripp]

Desired Outcome
Students by taking this course will be able to …

1. trace the argument of a text more effectively
2. gain more skill in biblical syntax and exegesis
3. comprehend Johannine theology more adequately

Class Procedure
Students will be taken through a brief introduction of outlining, diagramming, discourse analysis (arcing), and inductive bible study methods. Students will then participate and lead in the lecture and discussions of the text. Theological and practical significance of the text will be assessed and explored in turn.

Required Texts
I. Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John (NICNT; Grand Rapides: Eerdmans, 1978).
Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John (WBC 51; Waco: Word, 1984).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Outline
Each student is required to outline the five chapters and turn in on the day they are due.

Diagramming & Discourse Analysis (Arcing)
Each student is required to diagram and arc the day’s assigned text. Both should be turned in each class period.

Reading
Each student is required to read in total one of the two required texts listed above. At the end of the course, each student will be asked to honestly acknowledge on the Final Exam whether or not they completed this assignment by answering with a simple “yes” or “no”.

Word Study
Periodically, students will be assigned a word to study from the text. The specifics of the assignment will be clearly given on the day it is assigned. Students must complete the word study and turn it in the week following the giving of the assignment. There will be no more than six of these assignments throughout the year.

Lead Lecture
Each student will be assigned three class sessions to lead the class in the discussion of the diagrams, arcs, and outlines (if they are due that day). Also, the student must prepare at least three theological, syntax, or application questions that arise from the day’s text and lead the class through the discussion of these questions. In preparation, the student lecturer must read both commentaries for his assigned text.

Final Exam
The exam will assess the students’ knowledge of the methodology taught throughout the course. The student will prove that he is capable of using these tools by applying them to certain portions of the letter of 1 John. Also, the student will be asked several essay questions relating to theological, syntax, or application issues in 1 John. The exam will also include several essay questions from the five modules (mentioned below). The student will be asked to answer with integrity, whether or not they completed the assigned readings as well as the assigned sermon manuscripts or mp3s (mentioned below).

Adams, Thomas
“Semper Idem—The Immutable Mercy of Jesus Christ”

Adler, Mortimer
“Determining an Author’s Message” (Ch. 9 from How to Read a Book)

Bahnsen, Greg
“The Great Debate” [debate w/ an atheist]

Baxter, Richard
“Directions for Hating Sin”

Carson, DA
“Use of the OT in the NT” (3 parts)
“The Intolerance of Tolerance” (2 parts)
“Sin and the Fall”
“Understanding Postmodernism from a Confessional Stance” (3 parts)

Charnock, Stephen
“God’s Regard for His Own Glory, in the Saving of Sinners”

Duncan, Ligon
“The Attraction of the New Perspective(s) on Paul”

Edwards, Jonathan
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
“Christian Knowledge”
“The Excellency of Christ”

Flavel, John
“Christ the Desire of All Nations”

Hafemann, Scott
“A Call to Pastoral Suffering: The Need for Recovering Paul’s Model of Ministry in 2 Corinthians”

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn
“He and He Alone”

Mahaney, C.J.
“The Pastor’s Priorities: Watch Your Life and Doctrine”
“Humility: True Greatness”
“The Main Thing” (part 1) (part 2)
“The Idol Factory” (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)
“Overcoming the Fear of Man”
“Our Pastoral Duties”
“Cravings and Conflict”
“The Cross-Centered Life”

Mueller, George
“Real faith”

Murray, Iain
“The Preacher and Zeal”

Pinckney, Coty
“How to Save Yourself and Others”

Piper, John
“Doing Missions when Dying is Gain”
“Holy Ambition”
“Boasting only in the Cross”
Choose a Pastor’s Conference from Desiring God and listen to the series

Powlison, David
“Affirmations and Denials, A Proposed Definition”
“Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair”

Ryle, J.C.
“Are You Asleep?”

Spurgeon, Charles
“The Minister’s Self-watch”
“O How He Loves”
“Lovest Thou Me?”

Watson, Thomas
“A Godly Man is a Lover of God’s Word”

Welch, Ed
“What is Biblical Counseling, Anyway?”
“Who are We? Needs, Longings, and the Image of God in Man”

Westerholm, Stephen
“The Law in the Sermon on the Mount”
“Justification by Faith is the Answer: What is the Question”

9 Marks Ministry
(A website with useful audio regarding theology, ecclesiology, and other various topics. No assignment given regarding this site; just a useful resource.)

Welcome to the weblog for the Pastor Training Center of Springs of Grace Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. If you want more information, please contact the young Rafe Malone at ( 318 ) 635-9723.