Course Syllabus

 

Welcome to B202 New Testament Survey II!

If you are unfamiliar with Canvas, please take a moment after reviewing the syllabus to read through the Canvas Orientation.

NEW!

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Overview	Course Work	Resources & Policies
Meet Your Professor	Module Schedule	Research Resources
Course Description & Objectives	Assignments	TMC Online Policies
Textbooks	Discussions	TMC Policies
Grading	Exams	Help & Support

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Meet Your Professor

 

Dr. Tom Halstead (facilitator & lecturer)

Dr. Tom Halstead served as an Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church for ten years prior to coming to The Master’s College. He has led a number of missions teams while at the college, including the Soviet Union, India, New Zealand, Albania, and Japan. He also studied at the Institute for Holy Land Studies in Israel. He has been the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching/Teacher of the Year Award three times, and has been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for a number of years. Dr. Halstead is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. His teaching style emphasizes dialogue and discussion. His classes are oriented toward practical application, personal relevance, and content mastery. Also, Dr. Halstead is an adjunct professor for the Center for Professional Studies at TMC. He is married to Shahrazad and has three married children: Holly, Christopher, and Heather, and seven grandchildren.

 

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Course Description & Objectives

Course Description

An introduction to the books of the New Testament, with special emphasis on the life, teachings, and redemptive work of Christ; the founding and growth of the church; and the teachings of the epistles and Revelation. On the basis of the biblical text, parallel readings, projects, and lectures, the events and messages of the New Testament will be portrayed against their historical and cultural setting. New Testament I surveys the Gospels and Acts, while New Testament II is devoted to the Epistles and Revelation.

 

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to: 

1. display a greater understanding and depth of the Epistles and Revelation, their background, argument, and flow.
2. display a greater understanding and depth of some of the major doctrines of the Christian Church.
3. demonstrate the ability to think and live biblically.
4. express a greater desire to live a life of consistent, selfless, Christian service.
5. express a greater love for God, His Word, and others.

 

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Textbooks

There are no required texts for New Testament Survey II, since the only reading assignment is the New Testament, Romans through Revelation. You are welcome to choose whichever translation you are most comfortable with, though NASB and ESV are preferred by the college. Please avail yourself to other important course resources below:

 

Course Resources

• Note Files: Please download each section of notes to follow along with each module. These lecture notes also serve as your study guide for the exams. We recommend that you print and study the notes when reading the text for each week. This will prepare your mind for the information given in the lecture, help you to learn more about God's Word, and prepare you for the two exams in the course.
• PowerPoint Files: There are also PowerPoint files corresponding to every lecture in the modules. Please download each one of these and follow along with the lecture PowerPoint. These slides are for your reference. It is not necessary to print all of these slides, since they are supplementary to the video lectures.
• Reference Maps: This page contains several maps that will help you learn about the many locations where the gospel spread. There is one map in particular called "NewTestamentCities" that contains several cities you will be required to locate on a map for Exam #2. Please refer to this to help you prepare for Exam #2. You can also study for this portion of the exam by taking the "Practice Map Activity for the Exam #2," which will allow you to practice and simulate the same kind of map question that will occur on Exam #2 without receiving any grade.

 

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Grading

Grade Breakdown

Grade Item	Point Value	% of total grade
Exams: #1 and #2	200 points (100 points each)	40%
1 Outline assignment	200 points	40%
Reading/Class discussion	96 points (12 points / week)	19%
Participation	4 points	1%
Total	500 Points	100%

  

Grade Scale

A	94-100%
A-	90-93%
B+	87-89%
B	84-86%
B-	80-83%
C+	77-79%
C	74-76%
C-	70-73%
D+	67-69%
D	64-66%
D-	60-63%
F	59 or below

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Module Schedule

Module = Week (e.g. Module 1 = Week 1; Module 2 = Week 2, etc.)

MODULE 1: An Introduction to Paul and the Book of Romans
Overview	Syllabus Canvas Orientation Student Introduction
Reading	Romans 1-8
Lectures	Lectures 1-5
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams
MODULE 2: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification
Reading	Romans 9-16
Lectures	Lectures 6-10
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams
MODULE 3: Practical Issues for the Church (Part 1)
Reading	1 Corinthians
Lectures	Lectures 11-15
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams
MODULE 4: Practical Issues for the Church (Part 2)
Reading	2 Corinthians; Galatians
Lectures	Lectures 16-20
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams
MODULE 5: The Prison Letters
Reading	Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians
Lectures	Lectures 21-25
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams	Exam #1
MODULE 6: The Pastoral Letters
Reading	1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon
Lectures	Lectures 26-30
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments	Outline Assignment: Romans and 1 Corinthians
Exams
MODULE 7: The General Letters
Reading	Hebrews; James; 1 & 2 Peter
Lectures	Lectures 31-35
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams	Practice Map Activity
MODULE 8: The General Letters & Revelation
Reading	1-3 John; Jude; Revelation
Lectures	Lectures 36-39
Discussions	Reading Report and Discussion
Assignments
Exams	Exam #2
Café	Student Opinion Survey (Self-Service)

 

Reading Note and Discussion Forums

You will be reading Romans through Revelation in this course. The assignment will be broken up into 8 parts. The reading and your involvement in the discussion each week, contribute towards 19% of your course grade. You will be recording your reading and comments in the weekly discussion forums.

In the discussion forums, you will:

• discuss the one or two most important things you learned from your reading.
• comment on another student’s post.

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Assignments

Outline Assignment

There is one major outline due for this course covering Romans and 1 Corinthians.

You will outline by selections of passages, as per the segment chart below. For example your first outline segment would be Romans 1:1-17, then 1:18-32, etc. Due date is Module 6.

 

Format Guidelines

Below are the headings to include for each segment.

Title: name for the section

Explanation: What does the passage say?

Application: How does this apply to me?

 

Grading Guidelines

1. Thoroughness and depth of your comments.
2. Focus on one key thought in your application.
3. Adherence to the outline format.
4. English grammar and how it reads.

See below for the grading rubric.

 

Outline Assignment: Romans and 1 Corinthians

Due at the end of Module 6

Grading Rubric

'A' paper	'B' paper	'C' paper	'D' paper	'F' paper
Explanation of the passage is complete and shows strong depth of content.	Explanation of the passage is complete, but not to the same depth of content as an A paper.	Explanation of the passage may not always be complete in covering the passage, and not as strong in depth of content.	Explanation of the passage lacks depth and is incomplete in its coverage.	Explanation of the passage is plagiarized; or it is totally incomplete.
Application of the passage is relevant and shows strong depth of thought and insight.  The focus is on one key thought or topic.	Application of the passage is relevant but not as strong in depth of insight, and there may be multiple topics covered.	Application of the passage is weaker in depth, and there will be several thoughts covered.	Application of the passage lacks depth of insight, and contains multiple topics.	Application of the passage is plagiarized; or it is totally incomplete.
Very few, if any punctuation, spelling or grammar errors	A few punctuation, spelling or grammar errors	Several minor grammar, punctuation and spelling errors	Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are somewhat distracting	Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are highly distracting

 

 

Sample Outline Assignment

Following is an example for an outline for a selection of Scripture from the book of John. The length of your outline will vary depending upon the passage selection.

TITLE - (A title for the passage.) 
John 1:1-18 - The Incarnation of the Son of God

EXPLANATION - (What does the passage say?) 
This passage is unique and introduces the main theme of this Gospel: Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is God, He has always been and, therefore, was never created. John begins this passage with the statement "In the beginning," which equates with Genesis One where God created the Heavens and the Earth. God spoke the world into creation with His powerful word, and Jesus is that Word, the creator God. The terminology in that first verse also indicates an intimacy between the Father and the Son (and the Word was with God).

He made everything, including light and life. He is the life bringer and the light bearer. Only deity can bring life and only deity can shine in a darkened world, and the darkness is unable to overpower or put out the light.

There is now a radical shift in that the author begins his discussion concerning John the Baptist, the greatest man who ever lived, except Jesus Christ. He came to be the proclaimer of the light, to introduce the light to the world. He was clearly not the light, and John wanted to make that crystal clear. Jesus came physically into the world He had created, and yet the world was indifferent to Him. They didn't know Him in that they refused to have any relationship with Him. As a result, they rejected Him. Even His own people, the Jews, rejected Him. However, some people did receive Him and those people became His children.

Perhaps the most striking and comprehensive statement of His incarnation anywhere in the Bible is found in v.14: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word "dwelt" literally means to pitch a tent and is used in the Old Testament for the term tabernacle. So God of very Gods literally came to earth in human form and camped in the midst of His creation. And John beheld His glory. It was a glory that could be seen, tangibly viewed by people, not a vague term as is used today. The glory probably consisted in His transfiguration as well as His death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus Christ was the only Mediator between God and man, and therefore, the only One who could explain the Father to human beings.

APPLICATION - (How does this apply to me?) 
It says in v.14 that the Word, ie., Jesus Christ, became flesh and dwelt among us, and that we beheld His glory. John is saying that he actually saw the glory of Jesus. I think about what it means to give God glory and it seems very vague to me. And yet, they actually saw it. What did they see? His miracles? His perfect obedience to His Father? His words? His death? I guess to glorify God to me means that I am to be obedient to my Father in thought, in word, and in deed (not in working miracles). This then is something concrete, not vague. It is important for me to be obedient in every area of my life because I am giving God glory by doing so. Even the small areas, such as what I listen to or what I see or what I say. All of this is giving God glory today. May God be truly glorified in my life this day as I seek to obey Him.

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Discussions

Discussion forums are an important part of online learning. Though you may feel apprehensive about participating (this is completely normal), you will soon find it to be an engaging and interesting part of the course! You'll find that not only does your knowledge and understanding of the course content deepen, but you will develop and grow in your faith at the same time.

Regular participation is required, and counts towards your participation points/grade. Please indicate one or two things you learned from your reading with a post over 250 words in length by Saturday of the given week. Respond with at least a 100 word post to at least one other student by Saturday of the given week to receive full credit.

 

Guidelines for posting to Discussions

• Use a subject line that relates to your post; this will help create interest and focus for the discussion.

• Write clearly and with expression. Communicating online requires careful and concise writing, but also allows your personality to come through! Though humor is effective and at times relevant in discussion, be sure to avoid sarcasm, which does not translate well in the online environment. REMEMBER: other students cannot see your expression when you post, so they do not always have a context for it and may misunderstand your meaning.

• Be supportive, considerate and constructive when replying to your classmates. Do not use jargon, slang or inappropriate language. No “U” for you; keep your “LOL” to yourself!

• If you disagree with a classmate please respond in a respectful and tactful manner. Any posts deemed inappropriate by the professor will be removed from the discussion board.

• Keep your post focused on the topic, relating any class readings and materials from the current module in your post (as applicable).

• Proofread and review your response before hitting the submit button! You have one hour to edit your response before it is posted, then, it cannot be modified or removed except by the instructor.

• Participate regularly. Improve your learning by being an active and engaged student. Successful students follow and participate in the assigned discussion throughout the module, logging on consistently each week while reading and participating in forums as assigned in the module.

For more information, read this article on Netiquette.

 

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Exams

 

Exam #1	Exam #2
Open Note and Bible 1 hour and 30 minute time limit 100 points 82 questions 1 attempt allowed Material from modules 1-4 (Romans - 2 Corinthians) Due by the last day of module 5	Open Note and Bible 1 hour and 30  minute time limit 100 points 60 questions 1 attempt allowed Material from modules 4-8 (Galatians - Revelation) Check with your professor for the date it is due

 

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Research Resources

Turabian Formatting

Click on the following to see information on the subject:

• Formatting footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography: Citation Guide

• Inserting page numbers into your paper:

  • For Microsoft Word 1997-2003: Turabian_and_Word_97-2003.pdf

  • For Microsoft Word 2007-present: Turabian_and_Word_2007.pdf

 

Writing Resources

• University of Purdue's writing lab, OWL: For help with writing of papers, assignments and academic papers please visit this comprehensive site.

• Book Review Explanation: For further information about writing a book review from OWL, Purdue's Online Writing Lab.

 

Powell Library at The Master's College

• Search the library’s Online Catalog to find materials supporting all areas of study offered at The Master’s College.

• More information about Powell Library’s hours and online learning services can be found at the TMC Library page.

• The library provides many tools for locating resources and information you may need for your course work. Here is a listing of our LibGuides.

• We have found two tutorials to be particularly helpful:

  • Boolean Logic Applied to Online Searching: Boolean.ppt

  • Citation Searching: Citation_Searching.ppt

• If you want to check out a book through TMC Powell Library that is not currently available in the system, please see the Interlibrary Loan page for more information.

• Library to Student Lending Service (L2S): Online Program Students who need books or articles but cannot get them through a local library may request the item through the Robert L. Powell Library under the following conditions:
  1. The student resides within the contiguous United States. All others please contact Janet Tillman (Miss T.) directly, jtillman@masters.edu.
  2. If and only if, the needed book(s) or article(s) cannot be obtained through the student’s own local library.
  3. If and only if, the Powell Library has the book(s) or article(s) within its own collection.
  4. The Powell Library will pay to send L2S books to the student (delivery address only; no PO Boxes)
  5. The student will pay to send the L2S books back to the Powell Library (use USPS Media Mail)
  6. Loan period is six weeks.  This includes estimated time for delivery there and back again.
  7. Articles will be emailed and may be kept by the student.

• You may also contact our research librarian, Janet Tillman if you have any questions about research and/or resources for coursework and assignments at jtillman@masters.edu.

For more information, see Student Handbook § 6.02

 

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TMC Online Policies

Open Note Academic Dishonesty Policy

• You may access only your course notes during the exam. You are not allowed to use any electronic devices during the exam, which includes the use of cell phones and e-tablets, except in the case where you are using your electronic device to access your course notes or books.

• While taking the exam you are not permitted to access outside resources, including but not limited to: friends and family, other students/individuals, websites, chat rooms, social network sites, or other printed materials. Upon completion, you are not permitted to discuss or record the exam questions or exam content with any individual(s).

• If these guidelines are not followed, you will be in violation of Masters College ‘Academic Dishonesty Policy’ which will result in the exam graded as a 0%. Any subsequent documented offense of academic dishonesty (regardless of whether it occurs in the same or any other course taken by the student at the College) will result in automatic failure of the course and expulsion from the College for a minimum of one academic year.

For more information, see Student Handbook § 4.02

 

Grade Policy

• Professors keep record of all student grades for course assignments, participation, quizzes, exams and extra credit as assigned.  Check the Gradebook in Canvas for your grades. Note the following:

  • Quiz and exam grades scored by Canvas in some instances need to be adjusted by the professor to account for essay and/or short answer responses or in some rare instances discrepancies within the test itself.

  • This also applies to extra credit or additional assignments [as assigned].

• The instructor might also adjust grades within the Canvas grade book calculated inaccurately.

• The official grade is recorded with the course instructor throughout the course. As a result, students will find their final and official grade for the course in Self-Service which is the same grade students will see on their transcript at course completion. This grade may be different from the grade which appears in Canvas for the reasons outlined above. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your professor.

Student Handbook § 3.06

 

Late Policy

• Late assignments (essays, papers, power point assignments, etc.) will be subject to a 20% deduction on the first day an assignment is late and 10% each day thereafter unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. If you know you will be offline the day an assignment is due, please make sure to post it early. Anytime you feel that you might be falling behind in the course, it is best to contact the instructor before you fall behind to discuss your situation. If you have an assignment completed by the deadline but are unable upload it through Canvas for technical reasons, send the assignment file to the instructor as an attachment via email to demonstrate that it was completed on time.

• Exams (both proctored and non-proctored) that are not completed by the due date are closed and not available for students to complete. Students will thus receive a ‘0’ on the exam. If you are unable to take the exam by the due date, please contact the instructor prior to the close date to discuss options.

• Assignments, exam, quiz and test due dates are outlined in the Course Schedule section of the syllabus. Due dates are usually Sunday evenings at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST).

• Discussion due dates for postings vary; the specific days are outlined in the Discussion Grading Rubric located within the syllabus section of the course. There are no extensions granted for late discussion postings regardless of circumstances. In some instances there may be extensions granted for late recording of completed reading required for a given week, but this does not apply to the discussion/reflection aspect of the posting.

Student Handbook § 3.04.c

 

Course Add/Drop Policy

• Credit Enrollments: Online Courses dropped before the first week of the class has ended (before the second Monday) will receive a 100% refund. Courses dropped during the second week (before the third Monday) will receive a 75% refund. Courses dropped during the third week (before the fourth Monday) will receive a 50% refund. Courses dropped after the third week are not eligible to receive a refund. Students can withdraw from a course without a grade being recorded until the end of the sixth week, after which a grade will be awarded based on work submitted up to that point.

• Students can add and drop courses within the open Registration Period before courses begin. After the first day of class, students must submit a Petition to Add or Drop a Class form. If you are considering adjusting your schedule by adding or dropping, you must contact your Academic Counselor. For a list of academic counselors, see Student Handbook § 2.02c.

• Audit Enrollments: Audit students who withdraw from classes before course materials have been received are eligible for a full tuition refund. There are no tuition refunds for Audit Enrollments after they have received either access to their course home page or a DVD lecture set. You will need to contact your academic counselor to enroll you in the course at a later date. You will be charged full tuition to retake the GES/DS course(s).

Student Handbook § 2.02.c

 

End of Term: Course Availability & Late Assignment Submissions

• This course will be continuously available for your reference so that you can return to download any course documents, assignments or lectures that you were unable to save during the duration of the term in which the course was live. However, with the exception of students in an ongoing cohort, please note that any assignments submitted after the term concludes will not be accepted unless preapproved by the course facilitator (i.e. professor).

Student Handbook § 3.05 

 

Student Audit Policy

• The Master’s College Online department extends enrollment of online courses to students not wishing to pursue course credit, but rather are interested in personal enrichment. Such applicants are classified as ‘audit’ students.

• Audit students enrolled in a course are able to access the course home page through the Learning Management platform, Canvas, for the duration of the course session. The course home page provides access to all course learning materials including video lectures, lecture notes, related handouts, the course syllabus and other course resources.

• Participation and Grading: Audit students can, and are encouraged to, participate in discussion forums, but are under no obligation to do so. Given that audit students do not receive grades, students are not required nor permitted to submit assignments or course work to the instructor for review or grading.

• Copyright policy as it applies to Audit Students: Audit students are also required to adhere to The Master’s College Copyright policy which states that course materials and resources are for personal educational use only. Reproduction and/or distribution of course materials are restricted. Please refer to the copyright information section of the course e-book for further details.

Student Handbook § 3.08

 

Copyright Policy

• Please note that the copyrights for the course materials provided in this course, including the course videos, are owned by their creators. You are licensed to use these materials for your education, and for taking this course. All other rights are restricted—if you wish to reproduce any of these materials, please contact us. 

Student Handbook § 4.07

 

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TMC Policies

Academic Dishonesty Policy

It is the responsibility of the faculty member to pursue suspected incidents of academic dishonesty occurring within his/her courses. If a student is found to be guilty of cheating, plagiarism or another form of academic dishonesty, the faculty member is required to document the incident in writing and submit the report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The first documented incident of academic dishonesty will result in the student failing the assignment or the course at the instructor’s discretion depending on the severity of the incident. Any subsequent documented offense of academic dishonesty by that student (regardless of whether it occurs in the same or any other course taken by the student at the College) will result in automatic failure of the course and expulsion of the student from the College for a minimum of one academic year.

Academic honor and Christian virtue in your studies is the result of placing your vocational and academic pursuits under the Lordship of Christ (2 Cor 10.5).  It is the result of respecting and honoring the faculty and the institution as “one with authority” (1 Pet 2.13).  It is the result of modeling academic excellence in one’s academic pursuits before a watching world (Matt 5.16).

For more information, see Student Handbook § 4.02.a

 

Disability Policy

The Master’s College is committed to practicing principles of equal opportunity and to provide educational programs and/or activities for all students based upon sovereign biblical principles. We are also committed to comply with provisions of various state and federal regulations, among them the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, regarding discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

To comply with these regulations we provide a variety of services to individuals with disabilities through the Office of Disability Services. Persons having questions about obtaining available services at TMC should contact Diana Castanzo at (661) 362-2269, or email her at dcastanzo@masters.edu.

Because regulations do not permit the College to inquire about existing or perceived disabilities, we invite individuals to identify a qualified disability and specifically request reasonable accommodations to assist them in meeting the requirements and expectations of one or more of their courses.

Student Handbook § 6.03

 

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Help & Support

Should you have any course content related questions, please communicate directly with your professors via Canvas, TMC email, and phone. General information concerning OLP (Online Learning Program) matters not related to enrollment or academic counseling should be directed to the Administrative Assistant, Lindsay Mullin, at lmullin@masters.edu or 661-362-2671.

Should you need to get a hold of our offices on campus, office hours at the OLP office are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (PST).

For more information, see Student Handbook § 1.02

 

Academic Help

• For questions about the course content, assignments, or grades please contact the course professor, Dr. Halstead, at thalstead@masters.edu.

 

Course Home Page Help

• For questions or help about the technical aspects of the course home page (e.g., the video lessons aren't working, links are missing or not working, etc.), please email onlinecoursehelp@masters.edu. You should receive a response within 24 hours.

• If you require immediate assistance, please contact one of the following TMC Online department team members:

  • Jay Street, TMC Online Course Technician: jdstreet@masters.edu (661-362-2683)

  • James McLaughlin, TMC Online Director: jmclaughlin@masters.edu (661-362-2672)

 

Technical Support

• For technical support regarding your computer or access to your account on Self-Service, please contact The Master’s College IT department:
  
  IT Service Desk
  Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – 661.362.2876 – servicesdesk@masters.com or  helpdesk@masters.edu

For more information, see Student Handbook § 6.03

 

Canvas Help/Tutorials

• If you are new to Canvas, view the Canvas Student Quickstart Guide:

• You can get help with Canvas by clicking "Help" in the upper-right corner and "Search the Canvas Guides."

 

Canvas Log-in Help

• If you are unable to log onto Canvas, please contact onlinecoursehelp@masters.edu.
  

 

Administrative Questions

• For any administrative questions related to the course, such as adding or dropping online courses, proctoring administration, etc., please contact your Academic Counselor.

For more information, see Student Handbook § 2.02.c

 

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