Syllabus

I. Course Description

An exegesis of the book of Philippians with special emphasis on the application of the interpretive method learned in Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. You apply the methods learned in Introduction to Biblical Interpretation to this book that is important both theologically and practically.

II. Course Rationale

The course Introduction to Biblical Interpretation is designed to give you the basic principles and methods necessary for good exegesis. The Bible exegesis courses offered at PBC provide you with the opportunity to practice and develop your interpretation skills and understanding of God's Word. One of these Bible exegesis courses is Philippians.

III. Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

Explain the background of the book of Philippians.
Discuss the outline of the book of Philippians.
Use good exegetical methodology for studying a New Testament epistle.
Apply the teaching of Philippians to your personal life and ministry.

IV. Course Textbook

Thielman, Frank. The NIV Application Commentary. Philippians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

*Prairie Bible College expects students to use the NASB or NKJV for their Bible exegesis courses. If you do not have an NASB or NKJV translation, please consider purchasing one.

V. Course Requirements

Reading Interactions
You are expected to read the appropriate pages in the textbook as indicated in the Course Outline. You will also read the book of Philippians once each week (in one sitting) during the semester using various translations. As you complete the reading assignments, describe the important principles/concepts that you learned in a journal entry of approximately 75-150 words. Throughout the course, the instructor will also ask you to include various in-class exercises in your Reading Interactions and reflect upon your learning from them.

The purposes of the Reading Interactions are:
1) to keep you on track and accountable for reading in the textbook.
2) to help you become intimately familiar with the content of Philippians.
3) to assist you in see the relevance of Philippians to your daily life and ministry.

At three points selected "randomly" in the course, your Reading Interactions will be collected. The Reading Journal is worth 15% of your final grade. The Reading Interactions will assist you in accomplishing course objectives 2 and 4 described above.

Course Project
This Bible Exegesis course on Philippians is designed to take the principles used in Introduction to Biblical Interpretation and apply them towards a practical purpose. The Course Project is designed to ensure that when you have completed this course, you could take your study of Philippians and use it in a practical ministry setting. Thus, for the Course Project you will prepare a three session teaching unit that could be used for a youth retreat weekend, young adults retreat, church leadership retreat, etc. depending on your area of interest and opportunity. You will use one chapter of Philippians (2, 3, or 4) as your text. It is hoped that by the end of the course, after each student has completed their project, we will all be able to have a copy of each other’s notes and thus have the full book of Philippians available, with insights from various students’ perspectives.

In order to apply the Introduction to Biblical Interpretation skills, your Course Project will be completed in stages, relating to the various parts of the exegetical process.

Part 1 - Word Study
Complete a Word Study on a key term found in the specific passage of Philippians you are using for your exegetical paper and class presentation. The Word Study must be completed in accordance with the Word Study Handout and Sample Word Study as discussed in class. The Word Study is due by September 21 and is worth 10% of your final grade.

Part 2 - Sentence Phrasing Analysis
Complete a Sentence Phrasing Analysis on your section of Philippians. The Sentence Phrasing Analysis must be completed in accordance with the standards discussed in class. The Sentence Phrasing Analysis will be due by September 28 and is worth 15% of your final grade.

Part 3 - Teaching Outlines
Complete a Teaching Outline for each of your three sessions. Each teaching outline should include the following:

The Big Idea sentence
An Introduction that arouses the learner’s interest
The Main Points of the session – be sure it is clear how they relate to the Big Idea sentence
Indication of one word for which a Word Study would be especially beneficial
Illustration for each of the Main Points
Two possible applications for each of the Main Points
Conclusion

The Teaching Outline for each session should be one page in length (typed, neatly spaced). The Teaching Outlines are due by DATE and are worth 15% of your final grade.

Click here for a Sample Teaching Outline.

Part 4 - Exegetical Paper
Write an Exegetical Paper of 6-8 pages in length on one specific passage from your section. The Exegetical Paper will put into prose (essay form) the results of the various stages of the exegetical process in a synthesized commentary on the passage.

The Exegetical Paper must be completed in accordance with the following process:
1. Complete Parts 1, 2, & 3 above.
2. Come to a conclusion about the essential message of the passage and write it out. This single sentence becomes the foundation of your Exegetical Paper. Place this sentence at the beginning of your paper clearly identified with the heading "Big Idea Sentence."
3. Write a 4-6 page first draft of the Exegetical Paper based upon your own word study, sentence phrasing analysis, etc.
4. Submit your first draft to the instructor at least one week before your Exegetical Paper is due. This paper will be given a cursory reading to make sure you are on track and then returned to the student within 24 hours.
5. After you have completed your first draft, you must then begin consulting other resources. Do not consult other resources (commentaries, articles, websites, etc.) before this point in the study.
6. Use a minimum of 6-8 sources for your research, including a minimum of four exegetical commentaries specifically on the book of Philippians. Do not use one-volume New Testament commentaries.
7. Revise the first draft of your Exegetical Paper based upon your consultation of other resources. Include a bibliography with your Exegetical Paper listing all the resources consulted.
8. Submit the Exegetical Paper on the day it is to be discussed in class.

The Exegetical Paper will be evaluated according to the following scale:

Completion of first draft one week before due date (5 points)
Introduction – interesting? explains relevance/importance of this passage? (5 points)
Explanation of the passage – including context, mechanical layout, word studies, etc. (60 points)
Explanation of difficult passages - textual variants, words/phrases, theological issues, etc. (10 points)
Application – personal? specific? individual and community? (10 points)
Bibliography – quantity of resources? quality of resources? appropriate format? (10 points)

The Exegetical Paper is due on the day the passage is discussed in class and is worth 25% of the final grade.

Part 5 - Class Presentation
Present the teaching of your exegetical paper to the class in a creative presentation of approximately 15 minutes. This should not be a sermon or lecture. Your Class Presentation will be evaluated according to the following scale:

Creativity of Presentation (10 points)
Presentation Style – good eye contact, enthusiasm, clarity, etc. (10 points)
Clarity of the Big Idea (30 points)
Clarity of Teaching Outline (30 points)
Application – quality, relevance, concrete (20 points)

Your presentation will be graded by your instructor and four other students. The five grades will be averaged together to give a final grade for the Class Presentation. Your presentation is due on the day the passage is discussed in class and is worth 15% of the final grade.

Note: If a student is unable to presentation on the appropriate day, s/he loses 50% of the grade.

The Course Project assists you in accomplishing course objectives 1, 3, and 4.

VI. Course Grading

Reading Journal - 15%
Word Study - 15%
Sentence Phrasing Analysis - 15%
Teaching Outlines - 15%
Exegetical Paper - 25%
Class Presentation - 15%

VII. Course Outline

See link to Lectures

VIII. Late Policy

The due dates given for each assignment will be strictly adhered to. If you require an extension for a special reason, you must see the course instructor as soon as you anticipate a problem. The instructor will attempt to be as flexible as possible within the guidelines set forth in the Academic Guide so that you can successfully complete the course. Any assignments received late without prior consultation with the professor will be dealt with as outlined in the Academic Guide.

IX. Course Attendance

Regular attendance and participation are basic expectations of all college students. When you miss a class, you miss important learning and deny your classmates the opportunity to learn from your contribution. You are expected to attend class and arrive on time. Excessive absences will seriously jeopardize your ability to complete the class successfully. In accordance with the policy stated in the Academic Guide, students will be asked to sign the attendance chart each class. Students are permitted up to four (4) absences in a regular class that meets twice per week. Any subsequent unexcused absences result in the loss of 5% from your final grade for each absence.

X. Bibliography

See the printed syllabus and the online links.

Note: Prairie Bible College and your instructor reserve the right to change this syllabus in order to facilitate maximum learning for each and every student. Any changes after the beginning of the course will be discussed with and communicated to you. You will be responsible to check your PBI email account on a regular basis for information relevant to the course.