Theology & Church History Department Department

TCH501‒ Introduction to Eschatology

Required for MDiv. Elective for DMin― 3 credits. *FREE COURSE for students or guests. No Prerequisite.

Sword & Spirit Seminary is excited to announce that Dr. Irvin Baxter of End Time Ministries graciously allowed us to offer his 14-lesson Understanding the End Time series to you free of charge (a $159 value).

Understanding End Time Curriculum— 14 HOUR-LENGTH VIDEO LESSONS:

• United States Discovered in the Bible • New World Order is World Government • Islam in Bible Prophecy– The Four Horsemen
• WWIII– Entrance Ramp for the Antichrist • Israel’s God-Given Destiny • Israel– God’s Prophetic Time Clock • Holy Roman Empire Reborn
• The Antichrist and the False Prophet • 666– Mark of the Beast • The Coming One-World Religion– Part 1
• The Coming One-World Religion– Part 2 • The 7 Trumpets • The Second Coming • Kingdom of God.

This course includes all videos and course materials including quizzes and forum discussions. Course may be re-accessed or retaken as many times as desired. School Enrollment NOT Required. Non-SSS students may choose to bypass the quizzes.

TCH502‒ Introduction to Classic Christian Theology

Knowing the fundamentals of Christianity helps us understand who God is, what He’s done, how we can expect him to work in our lives, and what He expects of us. Theology is in fact essential for followers of Christ‒ in some cases serving as the only mechanism protecting them from forsaking their faith. We need to know Bible doctrine in order to recognize its many distinctives as compared to competing faiths, and in order to teach them to others.

And though the study of theology may seem overwhelming or boring, a simplified approach makes is not only doable, but enjoyable. This concise introduction to essential doctrines helps students learn to treasure the unchanging pillars of the Christian faith.

This course breaks down the task into minimal doctrinal topics in a way that is concise, easy to understand and rooted in historic reformed teaching. As students learn more about the foundational teachings of the faith, they will grow in the knowledge of God and will worship him as your Creator, Redeemer, and sovereign Lord.

TCH503‒ Overview of Church History

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 3 credits. No Prerequisite.

Knowledge of the key events and people in our Christian history really shouldn’t be optional, because the stories of the faithfulness of God’s people and the faithfulness of God are uniquely inspiring and provide unequaled perspective for our lives and the times we live in.

The challenge, however, is finding a resource which proves engaging by making the stories come alive, yet condensed into one manageable course. Problem solved via Timothy Paul Jones.

There’s no doubt you will benefit from as well as enjoy the book and the accompanying videos. A must-take course that’s not required.

TCH504‒ Jerusalem: The Contested City

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 2 credits. Prerequisite TCH501― Understanding the End Time.

Did you know that Jerusalem was so esteemed as the headquarters of Jewish worship that in the time of Jesus, the fiancée of a Jerusalem citizen had to pay their weight in gold to qualify for marriage? The city of Jerusalem is not only greatly esteemed, but greatly contested. We require this course because we should understand what’s behind the city and nation that God demands we bless (Gen 12:3; Num 4:29).

The State of Israel and its very right to exist is a lynchpin issue not only in the Middle-East, but is a critical issue to the world at large. Whether it is the blatant and stated desire of ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran to wipe Israel from the face of the earth, or the more subtle but equally insidious aim to delegitimize Israel’s existence through efforts at UNESCO, the goal is the same-to get rid of Israel.

This topic is vital to understand in our times. Allow a Jewish Christian attorney who argues before the Supreme Court to plea his case for the state and capitol of Israel to you… and in the process, experience critical thinking at its best.

Textbook: Jerusalem: A Biblical and Historical Case for the Jewish Capital, Jay Sekulow , 2018, 338 pages, Hardback, Amazon Prime $15.86.

TCH505‒ God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Free Will

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 3 credits. Prerequisite: TCH502‒ Introduction to Classic Christian Theology

The topic of divine election is one of historical controversy and utmost importance to the church today. Young Christians in particular are in constant debate over the extent to which Calvinism or Armenianism is valid, wondering what is true and how it might affect their lives.

This course is useful no matter where a student stands on the debate or whether they have an initial opinion at all. In examining a view acknowleding validity within both views, students are equipped to form their own perspectives based on Bible study and critical thinking skills.

The course also visits personal issues connected to the debate. For example, how do our beliefs about free will affect us when it comes to perceptions of love, personal responsibility, and purpose? And how does it affect our ability to worship God?

TCH506‒ Catholicism Under the Hood for Protestants

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 3 credits. Prerequisite: AE501‒ Comparative Religious Systems 1

The Roman Catholic faith is one of the world’s most widespread religious traditions, yet the unique aspects of Roman Catholicism elicit perennial questions from adherents and outsiders alike. Tough Catholicism was visited in the Comparative World Religions Courses, students may desire further study.

Questions tend to fall into three major categories: historical backgrounds, theological matters, and personal relationships. Using Catholic Church documents and the writings of Catholic scholars, this course distills the teachings of Catholicism around forty common questions about Catholic foundations, beliefs, and practices, including:

• Where do Roman Catholic and Protestant beliefs differ?
• What happens during a Roman Catholic Mass?
• How does Roman Catholicism understand the biblical teaching about Mary?
• Who are the saints and what is their role?
• How can my Roman Catholic loved ones and I talk about the gospel?

TCH507‒ The Women in Ministry Controversy

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 4 credits. Prerequisite: BIP501‒ Biblical Interpretation: Hermeneutics

Do the well-known New Testament passages regarding the roles of women (1 Cor 11:1-16, 1 Cor 14:34-35, 1 Tim 2:9-15, Eph 5:18-33) actually teach the comprehensive subordination of women in church?

This 4-credit course centers on detailed exegetical studies of these ‘problem texts’ provided by a New Testament scholar with outstanding credentials in biblical interpretation.

Utilizing sound and imperative biblical interpretation and hermeneutical principles (often ignored), this study digs deep into these vital issues and brings needed perspective and insight from Scripture.

The course is both relevant and important in today’s Christian culture; and once again, equips students opportunity to ask questions, dig deep, and apply critical thinking skills.

TCH508‒ Historic Premillennialism

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 3 credits. Prerequisite TCH501― Understanding the End Time.

Many evangelical leaders and congregants‒ having learned the basics of eschatology from popular sources‒ accept dispensational premillennialism, with its distinctive teachings about the timing of rapture of the church.

This course takes students deeper by examining the historical understanding of the end times and the return of Christ, that is, the view widely prevalent throughout 19 centuries of church history. The contributors to one of the books in this course (all respected scholars in their respective fields) suggest that classic premillennialism provides a coherent and viable approach to understanding eschatology.

Their studies, which examine eschatology from biblical, theological, historical, and missiological approaches, provide a broadly accessible argument for returning to the perspectives of historic premillennial eschatology. Another course equipping students to learn to think for themselves.

TCH509‒ Introduction to Systematic Theology: Scripture

Elective for MDiv or DMin― 1 credit. No Prerequisite.

The understanding of Systematic Theology is mandatory for ministers of the gospel. Our course, TCH502‒ Introduction to Classic Christian Theology, serves as a concise overview of classic Bible doctrine as accepted over the centuries.

For those who want to dig deeper, Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is the next step. Having sold over half a million copies, this is THE text widely used across denominational and non-denominational seminary students. With 1616 pages, the volume is much more extensive that the 304-page curriculum we employ for our required theological course (TCH502‒ Introduction to Classic Christian Theology).

This course simply INTRODUCES students to this resourse by focusing only on a small segment from Grudem’s book. The course will be addressing questions like: What is systematic theology? Why should Christians study it? How should we study it? What belongs in the Bible and what does not belong? What are the 4 characteristics of Scripture? What do we need to know about them? How do we know that the Bible is God’s Word? Are there any errors in the Bible? Good stuff.

Students who enjoy this course will want this book as an essential reference… and may even be interested in purchasing it’s companion: Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine: a Companion to Grudem’s Systematic Theology by Gregg R. Allsion (author of the textbook for our course: TCH506‒ Catholicism Under the Hood for Protestants.)