Words from the Director
Russell Haffner
Russell Haffner
Most of the books written today are designed to inform or entertain people. But, the Bible is the only book that can really transform lives in a truly meaningful and eternal way. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul says,
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The “renewing” of our minds takes place as we deeply study the word of God and apply it to our lives by obeying its teachings. This is where the WVBS Online Bible School comes in. In the school you are not only taught how to study God’s word but you are also provided with instruction from those who have great Bible knowledge and years of experience to assist you in the Bible’s transformative process. I know this in-depth, comprehensive approach to Bible study can have dramatic results, not only from my own experience, but also from the many comments I receive from students whose lives are being changed by the school’s curriculum (see student’s comments below).
In February 2014, WVBS first introduced five courses to the online community. As time passed more courses were added. Under this program, you can study every book of the Bible plus a few additional courses which will help you in your understanding of the scriptures.
The WVBS Online Bible School brings to you the exact same level of study that you would find at a Bible college or a training school for preachers. I am very excited about the impact the school is making in the lives of so many individuals around the world. God’s word is the only power to transform lives and save souls in our world today.
Course News
We are pleased to announce that we now have the Daniel Course available online. Which means we have all 45 courses of the curriculum accessible for free online viewing. The Daniel Course is a detailed examination of the book of Daniel. This is a study of the entire book in order to understand faith as it is shown in Daniel himself, his three friends and the kings of Babylon. These lessons will help you to see how the sovereignty of God (He rules the nations) is confirmed, and help you to understand the predictive and symbolic sections of the book.
If you are unsure about which course you should be taking now I would highly recommend that you follow the same course order our Formal Students follow. The Formal Student order has been designed to provide the optimum approach to an understanding of the Bible. It provides a logical building process of new information being supported by the foundational principles learned in previous studies. The Formal course schedule order can be found by clicking on the "Course Schedule" link on the blue menu bar of the school website.
Understanding God's Word
We can occasionally be overwhelmed by some of the complexities found in God's word. We may even fail to see the true simplicity and clarity of the information found in the scriptures. What approach should we use to gain a good understanding of God's word? We begin by reading the passage to arrive at a summary of what we think the verse means. We would also want to take note of the questions we have about our text. Our next step might be to search the Bible to find all other passages that deal with the same topic. It is essential that we understand not only the immediate context where the verse is found but also the remote context where the same subject is taught. It would also be helpful to write down everything we learn and any questions we might have.
We would want to consider several questions as we are examining the text such as:
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What is the context?
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Who wrote the text?
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What do we know about the background of the writer?
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To whom was it written?
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What was the historical circumstance?
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Why was it written?
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What questions are naturally produced from the text?
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What is the text about?
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What are the key words found in the text?
It is true that the Bible has some difficult passages to understand. However, God has given us His word in a way in which it can be understood. He expects us to be good and diligent students of the scriptures. The Bible continues to challenge us to learn more. We must push our minds toward greater understanding of the deep truths God supplies us. The Bible prods us toward a deeper and deeper study of God's will.
Statement of Faith?
The WVBS Online Bible School has no statement of faith, creed book or religious manual. The only statement of a Christian’s faith which is needed is the Bible. If the statement of faith says less than the Bible it has left something out. If the statement of faith says more than the Bible it has added to God’s word (Revelation 22:18-19). Let us abandon the opinions of men and seek to practice and teach only that which is found in God’s word. The staff of the school is composed of Christians seeking to teach others about the Bible. The material produced is designed to be used by anybody seeking a greater understanding of God’s word.
The goal of the school is to serve God and His people by doing His will to the best of our ability. We have a genuine desire to glorify the Father, His beloved Son, His word and His blood-bought church and not to glorify ourselves or any other men.
The goal of the school is to serve God and His people by doing His will to the best of our ability. We have a genuine desire to glorify the Father, His beloved Son, His word and His blood-bought church and not to glorify ourselves or any other men.