SEVEN MINUTE SEMINARY
Video Archive
Keys to a Better Small Group Experience
What are some keys to a better small group experience? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Kevin Watson shares insights from the early Methodist small group practices, including the class meeting and the bands, both set up to enhance and produce social religion—the pursuit of holiness in shared community.
Who is the Beast of Revelation 13?
Who is the Beast of Revelation 13, which is sometimes conflated with the term “antichrist” from John’s epistles? In this Seven Minute Seminary video, Dr. Ben Witherington responds with important Bible background, suggesting that there is good reason to think it referred to a Roman emperor.
Do Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4 Teach the Rapture?
Does Matthew 24 and 1 Thessalonians 4 teach the Rapture? Last week Ben Witherington shared on the origins of rapture theology. This week, watch him explain the Bible background and historical imagery behind two popular proof texts for rapture theology.
Where Did Rapture Theology Come From?
Where did Rapture theology come from? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Ben Witherington III explains that Rapture theology and its parent, Dispensationalism, are new ideas that were birthed in 19th century. He continues to work through the history of the belief and explains how it became a movement particularly in the United States.
Is the Rapture in the Bible?
In light of this weekend’s Left Behind movie release, Dr. Michael Halcomb addresses the question, “Is the rapture in the Bible?” by taking a look at three different core verses that sensationalists use to support the rapture. As Dr. Halcomb shows us, Matthew 24:37-41, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and Revelation 4:1-2 mean something different than Left Behind enthusiasts like to believe.
Why Christians Should Care about Environmentalism
In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Sandra Richter shares on the topic of Christians and environmentalism, and why the Bible has more to say on the topic than most people think.
What is Revelation About?
So much poor interpretation exists related to the book of Revelation because we try to apply our modern context to ancient images. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Robert Mulholland explains key aspects of the work that must be kept in mind in order to properly understand it.
Does the Doctrine of the Trinity Really Matter?
What is the Trinity, and why does it matter? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Matt O’Reilly explains that within the one God there is both unity and diversity. The Father is not the Son nor the Spirit, the Son is not the Father nor the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. He also shares 2 ways that the doctrine of the Trinity makes a difference in our daily living.
Matthew's Gospel: One of the Most Underrated Books of the Bible
The Gospel of Matthew is one of the most important and underrated books of the Bible. It bridges the two testaments and many verses are memorized using the Matthean version. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. David Bauer presents a survey of the Gospel—one that will be helpful to use in preparing for Bible study or sermon preparation.
Does Romans 9-11 Teach Calvinist Predestination?
Does Romans 9-11 teach Calvinist predestination? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Ben Witherington explains that Paul’s aim is to refute the idea that God now favored the Romans, or Gentiles, rather than the Jews. In the process, he explains how the terms predestination, election, and salvation relate—or don’t relate—to one another.
How Did We Get the Gospels?
We have no record of Jesus ever writing anything down, so how did what Jesus said and did make it to written form? In his Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Terence C. Mournet suggests that the process of moving from oral teaching to written texts involved both stability and flexibility, and this should teach us something about the ideal of contextualization.
A New Way to Develop Leaders in the Global Church
If 70% of the world’s population doesn’t get its information through literacy, could it be that the methods we’re using to reach them with the gospel need to be reconsidered? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Russell West illustrates why it’s important to reach oral cultures through oral methods, and work on enhancing the qualities already present in leaders of the church.
5 Steps to Getting Started in Church Planting
Many pastors sense a call to get involved in church planting, but the next steps can often feel overwhelming. In this Seven Minute Seminary, Ed Stetzer offers a 5 step guide for those pastors called to plant churches. They include: pre-assessment, assessment, boot camp, coaching, reproduction plan.
Does Romans 7 Teach that Christians Will Continue Sinning?
Some point to Romans 7 as the proof-text for the saint-sinner paradox, suggesting that if even the apostle Paul struggled with his unrelenting flesh, Christians must face defeat in certain areas of their Christian life. On the contrary, Ben Witherington suggests that ancient rhetoric illuminates the passage in a way that eliminates Paul as the subject of this passage and paints a more optimistic picture of God’s sanctifying grace.
Why Christians Should Fast with Muslims for Ramadan
In 2014 Ramadan ends on July 28—use this season as an opportunity to learn why Muslims fast and what points of connection you might share with them. Watch this Seven Minute Seminary with Matthew Friedman as he draws parallels between Muslim beliefs and Christianity.
Getting to Know Your Muslim Neighbors
In this introductory video on Islam, Matthew Friedman dispels myths about Islam and discusses how to get to know your Muslim neighbors. He goes over the 5 Pillars of Islam while sharing stories about neighborhood kids interacting together.
The Real Problem with the Tower of Babel
What is the meaning of the Tower of Babel and why was God displeased with the project? Dr. John Walton sets the story straight by suggesting that it be read in its ancient context, which reveals that the tower built was an ancient structure known as a ziggurat. Watch this Seven Minute Seminary for more insight into this famous biblical story.
The Gospel and Economic Change
In a world of vast economic change, can the gospel inform our vision and practice of work and the economy? Using the Wesleyan movement as an example, Dr. Greg Forster of Acton University discusses how the gospel can lead to positive impact on the economy and on community’s lives.