[Teachldsseminary] [COMM] Teach: NT Sequentially or in Harmony

[E. Keith (JB) Howick, Jr.]

I marked this email as COMM because, despite it's being a comment about 
topically vs. harmoniously teaching the NT, it ends up as a product pitch.

I've listened to a lot of gospel teachers over the years try to teach 
the Gospels harmoniously.  It's certainly a temptation, but it's also 
(in my opinion), incorrect.  The Gospels were not written as histories, 
but as testimonies.  This is the reason why (a) they don't match 
perfectly when profiled in harmony and (b) there are discrepancies 
between how one ancient Apostle remembers an event versus another.  This 
is part of what makes the Bible (and all Scripture) true ... it's 
delivered through the medium of human experience.

Because of this I prefer to teach (and be taught) the Gospels 
topically.  It isn't the history that's important, it's the lessons that 
Christ taught that are important.

But, I'm biased.  Beginning twenty years ago my father wrote a series of 
books discussing the life of Christ topically.  Despite my bias, I still 
consider them some of the finest books for studying and teaching the 
Gospels.  It's the reason I choose to publish the first four books (the 
Miracles, Parables, Sermons, and Mission of Jesus the Messiah, 
originally published by Bookcraft) as our first four books, and the 
fifth book on the Second Coming as a new release.

You can learn more about them at our website (click on "doctrine" in the 
right-margin menu):

http://www.windriverpublishing.com/index.php?page=CAT&subpage=lds#top

These five volumes in hardback usually retail for $97.75, but I'll ship 
the set to interested seminary teachers for $45, shipping included.  
Send me a private email with your mailing address if you're interested.  
howick at windriverpublishing.com.  I'll include an invoice with the books.

-JB Howick


Barb Gardner wrote:
>
> Decisions. Decisions. As we approach the New Testament year in 
> seminary the decision is ours whether we teach the Gospels 
> sequentially or in harmony.
>

-- 
*E. Keith (JB) Howick, Jr.*
President
/WindRiver Publishing, Inc. <http://www.windriverpublishing.com>/
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