Course Description
The Bible opens with a remarkable claim. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Everything begins with God, including the Bible. Often known simply as “the law,” the opening five books of Scripture cover many of the most important teachings of the Christian faith. By surveying these books, this course will give you a foundation for knowing the entire storyline of the Bible.
About the Instructor
Dr. Benjamin Shaw is professor of Old Testament at Reformation Bible College. He is also a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He previously served as academic dean and professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He earned his M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, his Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from Bob Jones University. He is the author of Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World and has contributed articles and book chapters on Old Testament studies and applied theology.
A Letter From the Instructor
Dear Student,
Law. The title itself sounds difficult and boring. The English word “law” in the Bible usually translates the Hebrew word Torah. Torah is also used as shorthand to refer to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis through Deuteronomy. That is the sense in which the word is used here. What we discover in this course is that “Law,” while it includes legal directions, is much more than that. It is, instead, instruction on the holy life. Some of that instruction is fulfilled in Christ, and the course will look into those fulfillments. Some of the instruction is moral and remains in effect for the modern Christian. Some of the Law opens to us the ways of God, giving us a clearer picture of who he is. The student will discover that Law may be difficult but it is not boring.
In Christ, Dr. Shaw
