Thursday Evening Bible Class

In spring 2025, recognized Christian apologist, best-selling author, and research professor Dr. Douglas Groothuis taught a seven-week introduction to the world’s major religions — including atheism. Based on his recent book “World Religions in Seven Sentences,” attendees:

• Gained insights into a religion’s key values, cultural context, and practices.
• Examined religious beliefs logically and apologetically from a Christian worldview.
• Understood how to boldly communicate the gospel with your neighbors.

Class Schedule

Below are video recordings of the class sessions.

• Session 1: Thursday, March 20, 2025
• Session 2: Thursday, March 27, 2025
• Session 3: Thursday, April 3, 2025
• Session 4: Thursday, April 17, 2025
• Session 5: Thursday, April 24, 2025
• Session 6: Thursday, May 8, 2025
• Session 7: Thursday, May 15, 2025

As the community of disciples, the church has been tasked by the Lord Jesus to continue His work, and this particularly involves the study and teaching of Scripture. The Messiah’s vocation was “Bible Teacher,” and not only did He approach this task in unique and surprising ways as He “taught as having authority and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29), but He commissioned his followers with that same authority and responsibility.

• But how does being a disciple or apprentice of the “one teacher, even the messiah” (Matthew 23:10) impact the nature and mission of the church?
• How does learning to read the Scriptures like Him impact modern approaches to hermeneutics?
• How does the centrality of Scripture challenge current trends about the mission of the church?

This eight-week study explored such questions as Dr. Bruce Henning, assistant professor of New Testament at Cornerstone Theological Seminary, investigated the theme of teaching Scripture like Jesus. After seeing first-century views of discipleship and the Messiah, we explored Jesus’ own approach to Scripture in the gospels, and then worked through the most significant texts from New Testament authors to see how they depict the church’s mission of continuing Jesus’ work of teaching.

• • Session 1 (September 19, 2024): Background: Discipleship and Teaching Authority in the First Century
  • Session 2 (September 26, 2024): Jesus’ Teaching Mission according to the Gospels
  • Session 3 (October 10, 2024): The Disciples’ Teaching Mission according to Mark
  • Session 4 (October 17, 2024): The Disciples’ Teaching Mission according to Matthew
  • Session 5 (October 24, 2024): The Disciples’ Teaching Mission according to Luke
  • Session 6 (November 7, 2024): The Disciples’ Teaching Mission according to John
  • Session 7 (November 14, 2024): The Church’s Teaching Mission according to Paul and the General Epistles

Chapter I, Paragraph IV of the 1646 Westminster Confession states, “The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God, (2Pe 1:19; 2Pe 1:21; 2Ti 3:16; 1Jo 5:9; 1Th 2:13).”

The belief that the Holy Scripture is truly the Word of God has fallen on hard times within the Church. The authority and sufficiency of Scripture seems to be attacked on so many fronts including seminaries and local churches. The faculty of Cornerstone Theological Seminary wish to call God’s people together to state with clarity that we are fully committed to the authority and sufficiency of the Bible as God’s Word. We believe the Bible is authoritative not because of what it does, but because of what it is, namely the very Word of God constituted by the Holy Spirit. We wish to encourage God’s people this fall semester to renew their confidence in and surrender to God’s Word in all things.

Join us this fall for our Thursday Evening Bible Class as we learn from a variety of our full-time faculty as they teach these truths from their unique disciplines, unpacking how the entirety of God’s Word from the Old and New Testaments authoritatively and sufficiently equips us for life and godliness.

• Sept. 14: Dr. Jeffrey Halsted, Dean of CTS and Professor of Ministry Theology & Practice
  • Understanding the contemporary cultural and churchly context
  • Cornerstone Theological Seminary and the doctrine of Holy Scripture
• Watch Session 2 With Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, President of Cornerstone University (9/21/23)
• Watch Session 3 With Dr. Jeffrey Halsted, Dean of CTS and Professor of Ministry Theology & Practice (9/28/23)
• Watch Session 4: Authority and significance of Holy Scripture in the Old Testament With Dr. Daniel Watson, Professor of Old Testament (10/12/23)
• Watch Session 5: Authority and Significance of Holy Scripture in the New Testament With Dr. Bruce Henning, Assistant Professor of New Testament (10/19/23)
• Watch Session 6: Authority and Significance of Holy Scripture in the New Testament With Dr. Bruce Henning, Assistant Professor of New Testament (10/26/23)
• Watch Session 7 With Dr. Jeffrey Halsted, Dean of CTS and Professor of Ministry Theology & Practice