Biblical Scholars
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.
About our current course:
The Messianic Idea
Every Sunday we call Jesus the Christ, and claim that he is the Messiah of the Jews. But what does that mean? In this course, we will explore the idea of the “messiah” as it was understood by the Christians of the early Apostolic age through their interpretation of the texts of the Old Testament selected post-canonical writings, and the New Testament. How did Jewish converts to Christianity understand what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah from their tradition?
To do this we will mine insights from Joseph Klausner’s classic study The Messianic Idea In Israel. We will combine those insights with a detailed survey of the messianic material in the primitive Christian literature: Paul’s letters and the gospels, to understand what it might mean to be a messianic church: That Jesus is the Messiah reminds us that the kingdom of God has this-worldly and not only spiritual implications. The marks of the Messiah are justice, peace, kindness, mercy to the poor and oppressed, and healing. A truly Christian church, that is, a church of the Christ, would also display the marks of the Messiah. It would be a church that could truthfully say, “Today this prophesy is fulfilled in us”.
On Wednesday April 8 at 7:00 p.m. we will begin our study of the messianic idea. Everyone is welcome to join us! No prior background in biblical studies is required. Contact us to register and receive the Zoom link and study guide.
Our instructor will be the Reverend Dr. Kenneth Kochbeck.
About our Instructor:
The Rev. Dr. Ken Kochbeck
Minister of the Gospel, Retired
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.
Link to the text of the bible: New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition