Interpreting the Bible - Hebrew Scriptures and Acts Through Revelation

Introduction
More than any other book, the Bible is revered around the world by millions of people. Although these individuals come from many different religious backgrounds and schools of thought, they all find value in these scriptures that were written so very long ago. As you will learn in this course, Unity's approach to the Bible is very unique and specialized.

Unity's perspective is that there is much more to the Bible than immediately meets the eye. Rather than just taking it at face value, we choose to see a practical side to the Bible that we can apply today in our own lives. What makes the Bible so important to us are the metaphysical meanings that underlie the words on the page. For us, people, places, and events in the Bible represent ideas and states of consciousness within each individual. This distinctive way of viewing the Bible is often not included in traditional Bible study

About the Course
Charles Fillmore, in his book Christian Healing, wrote that “the Bible is a very wonderful book; as man develops in spiritual understanding it reveals itself to him. . . It shows that the human organism is mind in action, rather than an aggregation of purely material functions. But above all, the Bible explains the spiritual character of man and the laws governing his relation of God. There are symbolically set forth as states of consciousness, illustrated by parables and allegories.” (See pp. 73-74)

Rather than merely presenting the metaphysical meanings behind the words and stories of the Bible, this course endeavors to give learners the tools necessary to interpret the Bible for themselves. Our studying will include selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, more commonly known as the Old Testament, and the Books of Acts through Revelation from the Christian Scriptures, more commonly known as the New Testament. Learners who successfully complete this 12 week online course will earn credit for BOTH Bible Interpretation, Hebrew Scriptures and Bible Interpretation, Acts through Revelation.

Charles Fillmore strongly believed that each of us has the ability to interpret the Bible on our own. By understanding what metaphysical interpretation is, what tools are available to assist in interpretation, and by experiencing interpretive work in the online classroom, we expect that learners who complete this course will come away confident of their skill and ability to personally interpret the Bible in order to find guidance and inspiration that will be valuable in their lives as well as in their spiritual unfoldment.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9)

Course Presentation
Faculty will prepare a Learning Guide for each week's work. The Learning Guide will include comments about the topic to be studied during the week, as well as suggestions about what to look for in the assigned readings.

Along with this posting, faculty will initiate discussion threads by posting specific questions related to the week's topic of study. Students will be able to post responses to the discussion questions, respond to other students' postings, and present questions to the class. Faculty will respond as appropriate.

Questions of special interest to individual students will be answered by e-mail.

Learning Objectives

On completion of the course, students will be able to:

Identify and metaphysically interpret the main characters and some of the major events from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures from Acts through Revelation. Note: Metaphysically means the interpretation of things, words and events beyond what is written. It is going beyond the form and physical circumstances to the real meaning of them.
Explain the metaphysical approach to interpretation and know how to use the process to metaphysically interpret any Bible story.
Relate the metaphysical interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Books of Acts through Revelation to their spiritual journey.

Required Texts

Metaphysical Bible Dictionary – Published by Unity
The Revealing Word – Published by Unity
The Holy Bible – New Revised Standard Version – Many editions of the NRSV Bible are available. We recommend especially the New Interpreter's Study Bible, Published by Abingdon

Books of Interest

Mysteries of Genesis – by Charles Fillmore. Published by Unity
Let There Be Light – by Elizabeth Sand Turner. Published by Unity
Be Ye Transformed – by Elizabeth Sand Turner. Published by Unity

Requirements for Learners

Complete Assigned Readings
The reading assignments will not be lengthy. However, the nature of the material requires careful reading and reflection. Reading about related topics in the recommended texts will enhance your understanding of the material but is not required.

Participate in Online Discussions
Several questions will be posted in the discussion forum each week. Students are asked to post a response to discussion questions and to respond to other students' postings as they feel inspired. Discussion questions in this course will focus on interpretation of Bible passages chosen by the instructor as well as passages selected by students.

Periodic Online Exams
At the midpoint of the course, students will be required to successfully complete a multiple choice / true false examination based on the Hebrew Scriptures. As the course concludes, students will be required to successfully complete a multiple choice/ true false examination based on the Books of Acts through Revelation from the Christian Scriptures.

Enriching the Experience
Prayer, Reflection and Journaling
Each individual is expected to invest some time in prayer, reflection and journaling. The amount of time invested is certainly up to the individual and will therefore vary from person to person. However, these practices are essential to your understanding and realization of the truths. You will discover that this is your most fulfilling work during the course.

Web Research:
Searching the Web for related information is highly encouraged, and we hope you will share the fruits of your research with the instructor and others taking the course.

Grading

(The standard grading format for Spiritual Education and Enrichment courses will apply)

S (Satisfactory)
NC (No Credit)
IN (Incomplete)

More Information

See class schedule or register now.
Tuition is moderately priced.

Also, make sure you read the technical requirements for this course and review our online learning FAQs.

For information, call Customer Service toll-free at 1-800-248-6489, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CT). You may also e-mail us at customerservice@unityonline.org.

We invite you to explore our other study programs, including online self-study or the Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) programs held at the Unity Village campus.

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Bible Interpretation: Hebrew Scriptures and Acts - Revelation

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