The Bible was NOT written
by one person,
at one place,
at one time, or
in one language
BUT
by numerous authors,
living in different places,
over a 1000-year period of time and
in three languages,
drawing from the vocabularies of 7 civilizations –
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece and Rome.
The originals of the biblical texts have never been found.
The Bible is composed of:
selections of copies,
discovered and
edited through the ages.
No two ancient copies are identical - different communities interpreted the words according to their assumptions and knowledge of the world
The earliest copies of the Bible were all hand-written for over a 1000 years.
This is our biblical inheritance
What will you learn?
This course examines the implications of the Bible’s long and complex history as we explore the seven civilizations that shaped the writing and the interpretations of the texts. You will learn:
Why the Bible was written the way it is
The 7 ancient civilizations that shaped the writing of the Bible
The archaeology that shaped the interpretation of the Bible
To distinguish the Bible’s message from the media
An intellectually responsible way to achieve spiritual integrity
Why BEREAN™ ?
The name BEREAN™ is inspired by Acts chapter 17, verse 11, where the author wrote:
“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, ... They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” NLT
Paul commended the Bereans’ open-mindedness and quest for the truth.
Paul and Silas introduced new teachings to the people already familiar with the “scriptures” which did not mention Jesus.
3 Civilizations that influenced Paul
Paul was an expert in Jewish law, which was written during the Persian period.
He was also steeped in Greek philosophy and trained in Roman rhetoric –
3 civilizations are wrapped in Paul alone!
5 Civilizations that influenced the Old Testament
Mesopotamian Abram became the
Egyptian Abraham, whose descendants were exiled by
Assyrians and Babylonians, before the
Persians liberated them to re-form a distinct religion we call Judaism
5 civilizations shaped what we call the Old Testament.
What to Expect?
This course explores what it means to be open-minded and to seek the truth in the spirit of the Bereans.
BEREAN™ is an interdisciplinary approach. It inquires into the beliefs we have all inherited and asks, as the Bereans did:
Is this true?
BEREAN™ will give you the tools to distinguish the message from the media.
The message is eternal. The media is time-space specific.
Take Jonah for example:
Is the message about a big man-swallowing fish?
It is about God’s love for the entire world, even our tribal enemies.
The great fish story is the media.
God’s love is the message, conveyed through the medium of a memorable fish story.
For many, the historicity of the fish is a test a faith. This results in arguments about the media and misses the message of God.
Consider this:
Would biblical writers from land-locked countries such as Mongolia or Nepal use a sinking ship and a great fish to make a point about God’s love?
Or would they rather use the media of dinosaurs in the Gobi desert and mountain yaks in the Himalayas attacking a man?
BEREAN’s approach to the Bible?
This is ACT’s signature training program for Bible teachers and fellowship group leaders, either taking it live in New York or in a recorded format accessible through youtube. A live and global online program to discover why the Bible was written as it is by learning the geographical and historical contexts of its many genres, intended messages, and applications for our lives today.
Who Should Join?
BEREAN is not for everyone. This is not a course to study the texts of the Bible but rather the broad themes with respect to their location and period (geohistory) of oral traditions and written composition. It is for anyone who seeks to teach or understand the Bible but have not had an opportunity to attend seminary – church leaders & teachers. Suitable for individual quiet time or cell group studies.v
Know the original message conveyed through the geohistorical and scientific contexts to avoid misinterpreting the Bible. Community: You will be studying archaeology, geohistory, theology and the Bible with fellow students from all over the world.
The Tutor
Dr Ron Choong, PhD is the Executive Director of the Academy for Christian Thought in New York City
-MDiv (Christian Theology)
-ThM (History & Philosophy of Science)
-STM (Medieval Philosophy & Islamics)
-PhD (Neuroscience, Paleoanthropology & Theology)
from Princeton Theological Seminary & Yale Divinity School
-BA (Biochemistry & Astronomy)
-LLB Hons (English Law)
from the Open University & the University of London
Dr Choong has conducted field research to locations of all seven civilizations.
He has over two decades in archaeological expeditions and excavations. He has investigated other religions and shares both eastern and western cultures. His studies in the sciences and the humanities and 29 years in ministry provides a unique interdisciplinary perspective on Christian apologetics.
Fall 2018 Registration Coming Soon
Questions about registration: actron@mac.com
Live classes in NYC: $500.
Online course: $300 (Video & audio recordings on website)
Early Registration, by Jan 15: 20% discount ($400/$240)
Berean Alumni: 50% off ($250/$150)
The topics above will match the geohistory of seven civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece and Rome.
Mesopotamia: Abraham & the Enuma Elish & Gilgamesh accounts.
Egypt: Moses & the Memphite theology of creation.
Assyria: Ephraim’s Samaritans & the Lost Tribes of Israel.
Babylonia: Judah’s Davidic promise & rabbinic Judaism.
Persia: Cyrus as Isaiah’s messiah & the rise of Jewish monotheism.
Greece: Paul’s philosophical training & rhetorical vision.
Rome: John’s apocalyptic vision of Rome v Israel.
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