Basics of the Bible
About This Class
Welcome to an enriching exploration of Christian faith! These foundational lessons invite you into a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ—not just intellectual agreement, but genuine trust in who He is and what He's accomplished for us. Christianity centers on this beautiful truth: Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves, offering us adoption into God's loving family.
At the heart of this journey is the Bible—a remarkable collection of 66 books written by approximately 50 authors across 1,500 years, yet wonderfully unified around one central figure: Jesus. Divided into Old and New Testaments, Scripture reveals God's covenants with humanity. The Old Testament, comprising four-fifths of the Bible, traces humanity's relationship with God from creation through the promises to Abraham and Moses, pointing forward to redemption. The New Testament fulfills these promises through Jesus' life, the early church's growth, and instructional letters guiding believers in faithful living.
Learning to read the Bible effectively transforms study into meaningful application. Rather than getting lost in details, focus on the main message, understanding what passages meant originally, identifying timeless truths, and applying them practically to your life today.
Theology—the study of Christian belief through Scripture—helps you grow deeper. You'll explore God's nature (His omniscience, omnipresence, and love), the Trinity, Jesus' divinity and saving work, the Holy Spirit's role, and essential doctrines about salvation and Christian living.
Finally, sanctification describes your ongoing transformation—becoming more like Jesus. This journey involves confession when we stumble, growth through trials, prayer, and community. It's challenging but deeply rewarding, as God faithfully walks alongside you, shaping you into the person He created you to be. Changed people truly live changed lives!
About the Professor
Bill Mounce
Bill Mounce has had a distinguished career as an author, translator, and teacher. As the founder of BiblicalTraining.org and also serving on The Committee for Bible Translation to create the NIV translation of scripture, Bill is well-known for his best-selling biblical Greek textbook ‘Basics of Biblical Greek’ amongst other acclaimed works.
Lessons
What truly defines a Christian? Moving beyond "church speak," this lesson clarifies that a Christian is someone who trusts that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be—God and Messiah—and that He accomplished His mission on the cross. This trust is more than intellectual; it is a personal transfer of reliance from oneself to Jesus. Being a Christian involves two vital parts: entering a relationship through faith and living within it through the Holy Spirit's power. Ultimately, "changed people live changed lives," meaning a genuine relationship with Christ naturally results in a pursuit of holiness.
0% CompleteThis lesson covers bibliology, the study of what Christians believe about the Bible. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by around 50 authors over 1,500 years, yet it maintains a consistent message centered on Jesus. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments, representing God’s covenants with humanity. The lesson explores how the Bible was transmitted, from oral teachings to written texts, and the process of canonization. The doctrine of inspiration affirms that Scripture is God-breathed and authoritative. The lesson also discusses manuscript reliability, translation differences, and the importance of reading multiple translations for deeper understanding.
0% CompleteThis lesson provides an overview of the Old Testament, highlighting its structure, key themes, and major figures. The Old Testament, which makes up four-fifths of the Bible, centers on humanity’s relationship with God, the consequences of sin, and God’s faithfulness. It covers foundational events like creation, the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and the history of Israel through Judges, Kings, exile, and restoration. The prophetic books warn of judgment but promise redemption. Ultimately, the Old Testament points to Jesus, fulfilling God’s promises of salvation and restoring the covenant relationship between God and His people.
0% CompleteThis lesson surveys the New Testament, structured in three sections: foundational (the Gospels), historical (Acts), and instructional (letters and Revelation). The New Testament fulfills God’s promises in Jesus, emphasizing faith, obedience, and covenant blessings. The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—document Jesus’ life, teachings, and divinity. Acts details the early church’s growth. Paul’s letters address theology and Christian living, while general epistles provide wisdom and encouragement. Revelation assures God’s ultimate victory. The overarching theme is restoring humanity’s relationship with God through Christ, who fulfills Old Testament promises and establishes the new covenant, guiding believers in faith and obedience. [Correction: Stephen’s heritage is most likely a Hellenistic Jew. He is described at 11:53 in the lesson as a gentile. We will update the video when we are able.]
0% CompleteThis lesson teaches how to read and understand the Bible effectively. Instead of focusing on minor details, the approach emphasizes identifying the passage’s main point. Bible study follows four steps: (1) Determine what the passage meant to its original audience by examining context and structure. (2) Identify its meaning today, distinguishing cultural elements from eternal truths. (3) Reflect on what the passage teaches about God, oneself, and others. (4) Apply it in practical, concrete ways. Avoid beginning with personal interpretation; instead, start with exegesis—drawing meaning from the text—and let application follow naturally for meaningful Bible study.
0% CompleteThis lesson explores theology, which is the study of what Christians believe by examining Scripture. Using the Statement of Faith as a guide, it covers key theological topics: the Bible as God’s truth, God’s omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, love, and the Trinity. It discusses Jesus’ divinity, humanity, and role in salvation, the Holy Spirit’s work, human nature, salvation, sanctification, the church, and the end times. Learning theology helps Christians grow in faith and maintain a sound, scripturally grounded belief system.
0% CompleteThis optional lesson reviews the Statement of Faith, summarizing core theological beliefs covered in previous lessons. It affirms the Bible as God’s infallible Word, the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and Jesus’ divinity, humanity, and role in salvation. It discusses human nature, sin, and the necessity of faith for salvation. Other key topics include sanctification, the role of the church, baptism, communion, and eschatology—the return of Christ, final judgment, and eternal life. The lesson emphasizes theology’s importance in shaping Christian faith and encourages reviewing the Statement of Faith to reinforce understanding of essential biblical doctrines.
0% CompleteSanctification is the process of becoming holy, growing spiritually, and looking more like Jesus. At conversion, believers are transformed—rescued from sin, justified, redeemed, and adopted into God’s family. Changed people live changed lives. However, challenges remain: sin’s influence persists, and hardships refine faith. Confession restores believers when they stumble, and trials foster growth. Sanctification happens in community and through prayer, as seen in the Lord’s Prayer. Spiritual maturity requires dependence on God, listening to His Word, and seeking His will. The journey is difficult but leads to true life in Christ, who faithfully walks with His people.
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Class Resources
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About BiblicalTraining.org
BiblicalTraining.org wants every Christian to experience a deep and loving relationship with Jesus by understanding the life-changing truths of Scripture. To that end, we provide a high-quality Bible education at three academic levels taught by a wide range of distinguished professors, pastors, authors, and ministry leaders that moves from content to spiritual growth, all at no charge. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by gifts from our users. We currently have over 180 classes and seminars, 2,300 hours of instruction, registered users from every country in the world, and in the last two years 1.4 million people watched 257 terabytes of videos (11 million lectures).
Our goal is to provide a comprehensive biblical education governed by our Statement of Faith that leads people toward spiritual growth.