Island ECC - A Dynamic English Speaking International Church in Hong Kong

14/04/2024 - 14/04/2024

This is a new four-part course designed to enrich your Bible reading experience by bridging the gap between biblical and 21st-century cultures. A one-session introduction is open for sign-up, after which you can decide to take one, some, or all of the units. A certificate awaits those who complete all FOUR units.

Date: Sunday, 14 April 2024
(Unit 1 begins on 21 April 2024)
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: 11/F Hall (enter via the door on the right side of the hall)
Facilitator: Martin Radford

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“The Bible - Behind the Scenes” Course Info:

This is a new four-part course designed to dig into the richness of Old and New Testament cultures, explore the reliability of scripture, and bridge the gap between biblical and 21st-century cultures. After the introduction, you can sign up for one, some, or all of the units. A certificate awaits those who complete all FOUR units.

Who is it for: Seasoned Christians who want to deepen their Bible reading, those who lead Bible studies, and those who really want to get a handle on understanding scripture.

Facilitator bio:

Martin Radford has taught and lectured on Biblical and Theological studies for many years to church communities, to high school and university students, and to adults of no specific faith. He has a lively and informative teaching style which provides an accessible platform from which we can explore the Bible and its culture meaningfully within our present day.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Intro Getting your bearings on the whole course (one session)
Unit 1 Uncovering the Richness of Old Testament Cultures (four sessions)
Unit 2 Experiencing the Intensity of the New Testament Century (four sessions)
Unit 3 Scrolls, Copies, and Translations - The Reliability of Scripture (four sessions)
Unit 4 The Bible in the 21st Century (three sessions)

Time: Sundays, 1:30pm to 3:00pm, bring-your-own lunch
Intro session: 14 April 2024
Unit 1 and Unit 2 course dates are listed on the Course Syllabus.

For inquiries, please contact

Course Syllabus

Unit 1. Uncovering the Richness of OT Cultures
April 21, 28, May 5, and 12 (4 sessions)

Stories, patriarchs, Exodus, sacrifices, violent histories, prophets and, a whole lot of language and concepts that we are seriously not used to, make reading the Old Testament quite a challenge. This should not be surprising from a text that was composed to an ancient culture from 2500 to nearly 4000 years ago.

This is a user-friendly but detailed course to guide you through Ancient Near Eastern and Israelite culture that will make your reading of the Old Testament so much more rewarding whether you are used to reading it, reluctant to read it or just curious.

Unit 2. Experiencing the Intensity of the NT Century
June 9, 16, 23, 30 (4 sessions)

Pharisees, Sadducees, Synagogues, Herod (which one?), Jews, Greeks, conflicts and Rome – the storm of political and religious conflict into which Jesus came and the pagan imperial pressures in which early Christianity grew.

A seriously useful course to walk you confidently through 1st Century Palestine, and the Graeco-Roman world getting a deeper grasp on the world of the Gospels, Apostle Paul, and other NT writers and the immense issues they faced in planting and growing churches.

Unit 3. Scrolls, Copies, and Translations - The Reliability of Scripture
More info and Sept dates TBC (4 sessions)

Unit 4. The Bible in the 21st Century
More info and Oct/Nov dates TBC (3 sessions)