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Old Testament

Comprehensive Approach

The Master of Arts in Old Testament is a degree designed for the person who desires graduate-level training in Old Testament Studies. It is ideal for students seeking to cultivate skill in accurate interpretation, exegesis, and exposition of the Old Testament based on its original languages. In it, the student will gain basic proficiency in Biblical Hebrew and the skills needed to translate, exegete, and apply Old Testament texts both to his own enrichment and to the instruction of others. The program culminates in a thesis written in the field of Old Testament Studies. The M.A. in Old Testament is not itself intended for pastoral training; however, M.A. course work may be applied toward advanced education.

The curriculum is designed around a core of courses that cover the entire Bible, the science of biblical interpretation, and the full compass of Systematic Theology. The focus courses in Old Testament are designed to develop proficiency in the reading, analysis, and exegesis of the Hebrew Old Testament. The purpose of the M.A. curriculum is to give the student a linguistic foundation in Biblical Hebrew, to introduce him to linguistic tools for Hebrew and Aramaic, and to provide him with the skills he needs to interpret, apply, and expound the Hebrew Old Testament accurately as part of his preparation for effective professional ministry.

Objectives

• That the student apply a consistent, dispensational approach when interpreting the Scriptures and applying them to his own life and the lives of others.
• That the student makes appropriate use of available linguistic tools to secure the most accurate understanding of the Scriptures available.
• That the student is competent in exegeting the range of texts and genres found in the Hebrew Old Testament.
• That the student possesses a store of biblical, lexical, grammatical, text-linguistic, and theological truths as a foundation for personal development, teaching, and further study.

Curriculum