Bible Study
Bible open to the 23rd Psalm
Join us online for a richly engaging Bible study on led by an acknowledged master of biblical history, Each session is offered for one hour on Zoom, beginning and ending in prayer. No homework is required as readings and the study guide will be explored together in class, but the first session is foundational—so please make every effort to attend from the start.
New Revised Standard Version, Update Edition of the Bible
About our current course:
Primordial History in the Book of Genesis — the story continues
Last spring, Biblical Scholars began a study of the primordial history in Genesis, chapters 1 through 3. In these chapters, God orders heaven, earth, and everything that fills them. God’s carefully articulated plan transforms primordial chaos into a good world, filled with life and crowned by humans who bear God’s image on earth. Creation itself functions as a “blessing machine,” delivering the good things of life to God’s creatures.
But this paradise of innocence does not endure. What begins as a story of trust and obedience becomes an account of crime and punishment as humans grasp for knowledge instead of living in trust. They become estranged from God and from their original innocence.
This semester, we continue the story with the primordial parents cast out of the garden. This is not simply a story of human disobedience and divine displeasure; it is also a story about God’s own struggle in responding to the realities of human life. Whether in or out of the garden, humanity must ultimately reckon with God’s terms. If the garden represents primordial unity, then banishment from it marks the deepest form of religious alienation.
Beginning Wednesday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m., we will pick up the story in Chapter 4 and continue through the fall. Everyone is welcome to join us! For those who missed the earlier sessions, a summary of chapters 1 through 3 will be provided. No prior background in biblical studies is required.
About our Instructor:
The Reverend Dr. Kenneth Kochbeck holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Washington University and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Following a parish ministry, he has devoted the past 35 years to teaching the Bible and Christian theology in churches and seminar settings across denominations, including service as adjunct faculty at Eden Theological Seminary. He is deeply committed to the teaching ministry as central to the proclamation of the gospel.
In 1970, he married Olivia Ilagan, a music theorist, pianist, and artist. Born in the Philippine Islands and raised in St. Louis, she holds a B.M. in Music Education, an M.S. in Counselor Education, and an M.M. in Music Theory. The Kochbecks have been married for 54 years and have one son, David. In 2017, they retired to Santa Fe, NM.