The Life of Yeshua
from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, Part One: From Birth to the Public Proclamation of His Messiahship
Taught by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
This is the first course in a sequence of four courses examining the life of Yeshua the Messiah from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Using a harmonization of the four Gospels, we’ll study the life of Yeshua using a chronological-thematic approach. A full understanding of the Gospels is not attainable without knowledge of the Jewish frame of reference, therefore this course provides detailed background information about first-century Jewish society, religious elements, rabbinic literature, and rabbinic theology. This course covers the period from Yeshua’s birth (the Incarnation) to the public proclamation of His Messiahship.
- Level: Associate’s
- Discipline: The B’rit Hadasha – N.T. Biblical Studies
- Course Code: BHD 101
- Prerequisites Recommended: None
- Instructor: Dr. Fruchtenbaum
- Length: 46 Segments
- Course Cost: $99 (excluding textbooks)
- Audit Cost: $49 (excluding textbooks)
- Audio Lectures Only Cost: $25 (Downloads cannot be refunded)
COURSE SYLLABUS
The video above is the first video segment for this course; there are 46 video segments for this course. Some video segments are short (5 min.) some are long (20+ min.).
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
B.A. Cedarville College
Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary
Ph.D. New York University
Dr. Fruchtenbaum is the Founding Director of Ariel Ministries. He is a world-class Bible scholar and authority on Messianic Jewish Theology and Biblical Studies. He also has been a prolific author and in-demand Bible teacher and conference speaker in the United States, Canada, India, Israel, Germany, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and many other nations.
Course Learning Objectives*
After completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Articulate the importance of studying the Jewish background for properly understanding and interpreting the New Testament (NT)
- Identify the types of messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures
- Recognize and define the categories of Old Testament (OT) quotations used in the NT
- Understand important aspects of the Greek-Roman backgrounds to the Gospel accounts
- Summarize seven key groups in first-century Jewish society
- Understand the four major religious elements
- Explain the development of Pharisaic-Rabbinic Judaism including the basic features of rabbinic theology, literature, exegesis, and authority
- Describe special characteristics related to the prologue of the Gospels of Luke and John
- Gain a better understanding of: the genealogy of Christ, the annunciations to Zechariah, Miriam, and Joseph, Christ’s infancy and childhood, the person and message of Yochanan, and the significance of the baptism of Yeshua
*Note: There are Learning Objectives for each Segment of this course.
Required Textbooks*
- Yeshua: The Life of Messiah from a Messianic Jewish Perspective – Volume 1 by Arnold Fruchtenbaum [Note – Be sure to get the full, unabridged edition of this book, NOT the abridged edition]
- Ariel’s Harmony of the Gospels by Arnold Fruchtenbaum
*Note: Textbooks can be ordered directly through Ariel Ministries; feel free to purchase an electronic copy or hard copy of the books. Again be sure you get the correct editions for textbooks for our online courses. We are NOT using the abridged edition of the Yeshua book for these courses on the Life of Yeshua.
Visit the Ariel Store for books and study tools!
Recommended Supplementary Books*
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- The Words and Works of Jesus Christ – by J. Dwight Pentencost
- Jesus According to Scripture – by Darrell Bock
- The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah – by Alfred Edersheim
*Note: In addition to these, almost all segments contain a list of optional books and other resources for further studies.
Course Exams
This course is comprised of ten Unit Exams. Each Unit Exam is to be completed after the required reading and assignments in the preceding Segments. Unit Exams are open-note, open-book, and open-Bible. The exams are based on multiple-choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank type of questions. The exams are on the website as well, graded automatically. Take as long as you need to complete the exams and exams can be taken as many times as needed.
Assignments
Each Segment has a section called “Spiritual Growth: Implication and Application Assignments.” Assignments vary from segment to segment. Sometimes there will be journal assignments, other times there may be Bible memory passages, other times written prayers, etc. Some of these assignments are optional, that means that it is recommended but not required. However, some of the assignments are required. If so, this will be stated in the assignment for that Segment.
When a written assignment is required, such as a journal or prayer, students must complete these, but they are not turned-in for grading or credit. We expect students to complete these assignments, using the honor system. For student journal assignments you can use a Word doc on your computer or a handwritten journal or notebook; whichever you prefer is fine (again these will not be collected, turned-in or graded). However, when there is a Bible memory passage that is assigned and also required, then the Bible memory passage will be included in the Unit Quiz. Bible memory verses for this course are based on the NASB (1995) version of the Bible; per Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s instructions. He uses the ASV in teaching but requested that the NASB be used for the Bible memory passages for this course.
Grading
The number of questions vary; some Unit Exams have 25 questions (e.g Unit Exam #1) and some have 60 questions (Unit Exam #7). Grades on Unit Exams are calculated into percentages (100% = perfect score), regardless of the number of questions on an exam. The final grade is automatically calculated, also using percentages, based on all of the combined totals from all ten Unit Exams.
Letter Grade | Percentage |
---|---|
A+ | 97%+ |
A | 93%-96% |
A- | 90%-92% |
B+ | 87%-89% |
B | 83%-86% |
B- | 80%-82% |
C+ | 77%-79% |
C | 73%-76% |
C- | 70%-72% |
D+ | 67%-69% |
D | 63%-66% |
D- | 60%-62% |
F | 0%-59% |
Communication and Contact Information
Because our courses are pre-recorded, self-paced, with open-enrollment, there is no direct personal one-on-one student-to-teacher or teacher-to-student communication. If you have customer service type of questions related to the online courses, please click on the “Contact Us” link on the Ariel Online Courses homepage.
Please do not send questions related to course content to the course instructor or professor. Please do not call the Ariel home office regarding the Ariel Online Courses. Instead, please use the “Contact Us” link on the Ariel Online Courses homepage. We will promptly respond to your questions, generally within 48 hours (except on weekends or holidays). All communication with Ariel Online Courses will be through email, there is no telephone customer service for matters pertaining to Ariel Online Courses.
Course Records
If you complete the “My Profile” section on the Ariel Online Courses homepage, we can keep an official record for your progress, including the courses you complete and your grades. Please sure to complete this information.
Course Content
Unit 5: Rabbinic Theology
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17. The Three Messianic Miracles: (1) The Healing of a Jewish Leper
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18. The Three Messianic Miracles: (2) The Casting Out of a Demon Causing Muteness
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19. The Three Messianic Miracles: (3) The Opening of the Eyes of a Man Born Blind
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20. Rabbinic Exegesis, Authority, and Status
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15. Torah
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16. Scripture and Messiah
- 17. The Three Messianic Miracles: (1) The Healing of a Jewish Leper
- 18. The Three Messianic Miracles: (2) The Casting Out of a Demon Causing Muteness
- 19. The Three Messianic Miracles: (3) The Opening of the Eyes of a Man Born Blind
- 20. Rabbinic Exegesis, Authority, and Status
- 15. Torah
- 16. Scripture and Messiah
Unit 7: The Arrival and Advent of the King
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27. The Genealogy of the King
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28. The Annunciations of the Birth of the Messiah to Zechariah
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29. The Annunciation of the Birth of Yeshua to Miriam
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30. The Visit of Miriam with Elizabeth and the Song of Miriam
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31. The Birth of Yochanan (John)
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32. The Annunciation of the Birth of Yeshua to Joseph
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33. The Birth of the King
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34. The Announcement to and Visit of the Shepherds
- 27. The Genealogy of the King
- 28. The Annunciations of the Birth of the Messiah to Zechariah
- 29. The Annunciation of the Birth of Yeshua to Miriam
- 30. The Visit of Miriam with Elizabeth and the Song of Miriam
- 31. The Birth of Yochanan (John)
- 32. The Annunciation of the Birth of Yeshua to Joseph
- 33. The Birth of the King
- 34. The Announcement to and Visit of the Shepherds