BIBL 1306_New Testament Survey Spring, 2021. Short Paper Assignments. This semester, rather than writing one large research paper, you will be writing two short papers (800 – 1000 words each)
Spring, 2021
Short Paper Assignments
This semester, rather than writing one large research paper, you will be writing two short papers (800 – 1000 words each) discussing various themes related to the Gospels, Acts, and the NT Letters. For each paper, 3-5 sources, other than the Bible, are required. These sources must be “scholarly” sources such as books and journal articles. Websites, blogs and devotional type articles are NOT considered scholarly sources and cannot be used. Class lecture notes and the textbook may be used as sources.
Turabian formatting for the paper is required and solid academic writing is expected for these short papers. In-text citations with a bibliography page is acceptable for this assignment. The student should be able to clearly and concisely communicate thoughts and display good knowledge of the subject at hand. The student should write from the third person and avoid “devotional” type writing. These are academic essays and should be treated as such.
The following rubric will be used for grading: 100 points per short paper.
Introduction and Thesis 15%
Main Content 60%
Mechanics (Spelling, Grammar, Etc…) 15%
Formatting/References 10%
Specific details…..
Short Paper #1 – (Gospels and Acts) – Due at the End of Week 3
The Gospels and Acts introduce us to:
The Life and Work of Jesus, and….
The Birth of the Church.
We are also introduced to the vital themes of:
The Kingdom of God and….
Salvation
In this short paper, you are to connect the dots between these four areas. Explain how you see the vital themes of the Kingdom of God and Salvation being exemplified through the life and work of Christ and the early church. Think of a giant puzzle where each gospel and the book of Acts places a piece of the puzzle to ultimately reveal a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God and Salvation.
Short Paper #2 (Pauline/General Epistles) – Due at the End of Week 6
The Epistles are letters written by the early Apostles to the first churches and their leaders. While the purpose of each epistle varies, as a corpus, the epistles bring about understanding of how the early church interpreted and lived out the teachings of Jesus in a wide variety of contexts. With this second paper, you will be given the opportunity to explore the vast space of the Epistles in one of three topics. (Choose only one)
1. Compare and Contrast how the doctrine of sin is dealt with in the Epistles. How does Paul’s view of sin compare and contrast with that of James, John and Peter? Do you see conflicts among the Apostles in this regard or do the epistles build a unifying view of sin?
2. Explore Paul’s view of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Pay particular attention to the filling and indwelling of the Spirit; how a believer walks in the Spirit; and how the gifts & fruit of the Spirit function in one’s life. Be sure to draw from as many of Paul’s letters as possible.
3. Explain how Hebrews, James and Peter deal with the subjects of suffering and persecution. How do these letters treat this relevant topic and form a cohesive solution for life under intense pressure? What are the practical implications for those in the church who suffer various forms of suffering and persecution? Note: This is not an apologetic topic as to why bad things happen to good people. Focus on the way through various forms of suffering and persecution