BA Degree in Theology – First Year

Current Status
Not Enrolled
Price
$94
Get Started

RWBC Courses logo

REVEALED WORD BIBLE COLLEGE

(RWBC)

Internationally Accredited Bible Training MISSION VISION & VALUES

Mission

To Equip the Saints for the Work of Ministry

Vision

Training, Preparing and Sending Workers out to bring in the Harvest and to make Disciples.

Values

Activation, Teamwork, Multiplication

A Division of International Missions

30N Gould St Ste 3103.

Sheridan, WY 82801. USA | +1(639) 3902493

Email: [email protected]

Post Graduate Studies Email: [email protected]

What You Will Learn

First Year Certificate in Ministry

This is our entrance level qualification and is designed to prepare students for further studies. This is the minimum level for entry into our degree programs. However, some of our students choose not to study further and that’s fine. You decide on how far you want to go with your studies. The Certificate in Ministry is awarded to students who successfully complete the seven courses which make up this Phase 1.

Welcome to Christian Foundations, the first course of the Certificate in Ministry. This course covers the basics of Christianity. The foundational doctrines that we feel are necessary to be able to function as a Christian leader. This is an exciting and interesting course and is primarily focused on theology, without all the technical jargon. These teachings are practical and can be applied in your life and ministry from the start.

We all need wisdom and wisdom starts with knowledge. You can have knowledge without wisdom, but you can’t have wisdom without knowledge.

Christian foundations are a collection of teachings about what Jesus taught. Jesus must always be our role model, as we take our direction from Him. His whole earthly ministry was about discipleship. Being a disciple of Jesus is a lifelong journey of being transformed into His image.

How to Study

Please read this section carefully before starting your studies.

Studies

The courses are designed to make studying easy, relevant and interesting for you. When studying we encourage you to try and learn as much as possible. Certification is very important, but it is more important to increase your knowledge and be properly equipped for ministry than it is to be certified.

Reading Plan

First pray and ask for insight, revelation and understanding. It is recommended that you first read through the teachings. Then read again slowly, especially the scriptures. Make notes as you go through the teachings, and then review them.

Reviews

You will find reviews at the end of certain sections. These are set there as a reminder to you of what you have just read. By reviewing the teachings, you improve your memory retention of the content in the notes. These reviews are for your benefit, are to help you to prepare for the exam at the end, and your answers are not to be submitted to your Lecturer or the College.

Study Options

Students may elect and enrol in whichever study option suites them best – whether it be Certificate, Associate, Bachelor or Honours level. Students may also choose to study single courses.

Degrees

We offer Associate, Bachelor and Honours degrees, which are all internationally accredited through Christ for The Nations Institute Association of Bible Schools in Dallas Texas.

Our Bachelor programs are divided into three phases which are designed to be completed in three to four years. The duration of these studies is dependent on you the student, meaning that the time you put into studying will determine how long it takes you to complete your course.

Translations Used:

The teachings contained here are presented as: The Introduction and 18 chapters, plus an exam.

We mostly use the New Living Translation (NLT) as our main source of scripture. We do however also use other translations as well, where applicable, or in amplification.

Contact us

We also offer Post Graduate studies. More information may be obtained by emailing [email protected]

For information about our Certificate, Associate, Bachelors or Honours courses please email us on [email protected]

Introduction

Getting Wisdom

I recently watched a documentary about a farmer in Nigeria. We will call him Eric (not his real name). The area he lives in is very dry and soil erosion is great. The soil was not very fertile and the yield on the crops grown there was low. The other farmers accepted this as being normal, they had got comfortable in their circumstances of not producing good crops.

Eric came up with an idea to increase the fertility of the soil using ants. Everyone in the village thought he was mad and he was given the title of the village idiot. They mocked him and made fun of him. He was isolated from everyone else. They treated with him disgust and laughed at him.

The soil on Eric’s farm became very fertile and he had more than enough water. The crops he grew were of a much better quality and bigger than any of the other farmers. They had to take notice of what he was doing. He was no longer the village idiot. They were village idiots. He became known for his wisdom and every went to him for advice.

How did Eric become so wise? He lived in the same village as everyone else. Many of the villagers are his family and friends. He had been in the same schools as them all. He has the same education and training. His religion is the same.

He saw things others saw, but he saw more than they did. They saw the ants and how they made ant hills, how they dug holes and carried the sand away. Yet, Eric saw how they aerated the soil and fertilized it. He watched how they tilled the soil by bringing pebbles and particles to the surface and was amazed at how they acted as decomposers by feeding on organic waste, insects and dead animals, thus enriching the soil.

Yet they did not see any benefits for themselves. Eric studied the ants and got more knowledge about them. He paid attention. He learnt from the ants and then he took this knowledge and applied it. He learnt their secret. This is how he became wise.

There are many opportunities around us which can change our lives forever, but most people will not see them. They will walk away from these opportunities, never knowing they were there. Most people get into a routine of doing things a certain way. They refuse to change. They don’t realize that change is always with us. It’s permanent. That’s the way they do things and are reluctant to change.

They don’t realize we hold our destinies in our own hands. Every one of us can become wise. The difference between those that are wise and those that are foolish is the choices they make. The wise seek knowledge and understanding, the foolish don’t.

Solomon

This was written by Solomon. He wrote 3000 proverbs which include those in the bible. 1 Kings 4:30 says he was the wisest man who ever lived and 1 Kings 10:23 says he was the richest man who ever lived. God asked what He could give him. He did not choose wealth or honour. But he chose wisdom. The result was that because of this great wisdom that was given to him he got wealth and honour as well. Solomon reigned in Israel as king for 40 years.

Proverbs 4:7 NLT Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

During his reign Israel was known for its great splendour, and this period is known as the golden era in Israel’s history and the time of her greatest wealth ever. 1 Kings 10:14, tells us that Solomon collected tribute amounting to 666 talents (18164 Kg) of gold in one year. At today’s gold price that amounts to well over ten billion rand or $ 808 000 000. This was from a head tax. All men of 20 and older had to pay a head tax once a year. There were about 120,000 men in Israel at that time which means that each man had to pay about R87,000. That’s how rich the country was, because of the leadership of this wise king.

The difference between wisdom and knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge are both recurring themes in the Bible and are related but not synonymous. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Knowledge is knowing how to use a gun; wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it holstered.

God wants us to have knowledge of Him and what He expects of us. In order to obey Him, we have to have knowledge of the commands. But as equally important as having knowledge is having wisdom. Knowing facts about God and the Bible is not all there is to wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God.

Knowledge is what is gathered over time through study of the Scriptures. It can be said that wisdom, in turn, acts properly upon that knowledge. Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes. Knowledge sees the quicksand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorizes the Ten Commandments; wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns of God; wisdom loves Him.

Even people in the world understand this. “Wisdom Is the Principal Thing. … Knowledge is the accumulation of information; understanding is the grasping, comprehension and interpretation of that information; but wisdom is the application of the information which one understands.”

May 27, 2014 Huff Post.

Christian wisdom is the application of God’s Word in our lives, whereas in the world it is worldly knowledge. God’s wisdom is greater than the world’s.

We have learned that to be a Christian is more than saying we are a Christian; we must demonstrate it by the lives we live. By controlling the way we speak by what we do for the poor and by keeping ourselves pure.

James 1:26-27 NLT If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

Wise people don’t argue about unimportant things. They don’t try to show how clever they are. They don’t get into senseless arguments, but correctly present the truth. They are aware of the impact they have on other people and avoid making damaging statements. They try to lead lives which will point people to Christ.

2 Timothy 2:14-19 NLT Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behaviour. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

Getting Wisdom

Getting wisdom is a journey. It is not something you just have. We must make an effort to get wisdom, see 1 Kings 3. It is easy to make money but hard to keep it. If we spend more than we earn we will always be in debt. We need a plan for our finances.

James 1:5 NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

Just like Solomon we should pray and ask God for wisdom. Remember, the Holy Spirit lives in us and He is God, and therefore has all wisdom. He guides us if we listen.

Proverbs 1:7 NLT Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

To fear the Lord is to start on the path to knowledge, and God can then begin to provide us with wisdom through Christ, who the Bible says is Wisdom Himself:

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

The road to wisdom is paved with mistakes which produce much pain. The easy way to wisdom is to learn from other people’s mistakes. This is through learning from them through their experiences. The hard way is to learn from your own mistakes.

Proverbs 4:1-5 NLT My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.

Learn from our parents, learn from older people or anyone who has more experience in an area that you lack wisdom, and study. When we study we learn from people who have gone on the road before us. They have made mistakes which we can learn from.

Studying at RWBC

When studying we need to ask ourselves what is our motive in studying this?

What is our goal?

Is it to just get to get certified?

To be able to say I have such and such a qualification?

Whilst certification is an important aspect of studying, it should not be the primary goal. Our primary goals should be to study to get knowledge and understanding, which produce wisdom in us. This has far more value than a piece of paper and the recognition of men. There are very few people in the world that we can consider to be wise.

Proverbs 4:5-9 NLT Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honour you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.

As you study make it your goal to gain knowledge and understanding so that you will become wise, because you will be full of the Word of God. Persevere and you will succeed. Don’t give up even if all hell breaks loose on you. It may be that the devil wants to stop you from stepping into your destiny.

Proverbs 4:10-27 NLT My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble. Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving. For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble. They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence! The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get side-tracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Click on the links below to start with the course

RWBC Online campus
Online College
RWBC Student prospectus
Prospectus
Courses and study fees
Study Fees

Join Us on our Social Networks

Reach out to us for assistance. Whether you need assistance with our courses or different services or anything else on the website that you need assistance with.