Sundays, 11:15 AM, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Magnolia Room

Overview

Jesus Christ is the hub of all human history and the personification of divine revelation on whom the Christian faith is based. This course, essentially a harmonization of the Four Gospels’ account of the life and teachings of Jesus, also incorporates the historical context in which he lived – both mainstream Greco/Roman (Hellenistic) culture as well as Jewish culture in the first century A.D.

Among the topics covered in this course are…

• Why study history? The value of understanding the past.
• An overview of Greco/Roman history and culture.
• An overview of Jewish history and culture.
• Israel under Roman rule.
• The Four Gospels as historical sources.
• History and the birth of Jesus.
• The ministry and teachings of Jesus.
• The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
• Jesus in history.
• The meaning of Jesus’ life.

Texts

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Note on the Instructor

Dr. Jefrey Breshears is a historian, a former university professor, and the founder and president of The Areopagus, a Christian study center and education ministry in the Atlanta area that sponsors seminars and forums in Christian history, apologetics, Christian spirituality, and contemporary cultural issues.

Class Files

Ch 1(A) — Greco/Roman History and Culture (Outline)

Ch 1(B) — Jewish Culture (Outline)