Course Info & Schedule

PNEUMATOLOGY Course Guide

We Believe in the Holy Spirit
Building Biblical Theology 

Precepts on Tuesdays at 6:30PM EST (USA) from  October 14th to December 16th, 2025

Course description

This course comes in two parts. First, we'll discover how the doctrine of the Holy Spirit developed historically, and we'll explore the Spirit's dynamic work in the world, in the church, and in believers. Practically speaking, the Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who is most involved in our daily lives, but many Christians know far more about the Father and the Son than they do about the Spirit. Second, it explains the meaning of biblical theology, examines the way it is developed, defends its legitimacy, and gives examples from both the Old and New Testaments of its use. Faithful Christians have always recognized the importance of progress in biblical history, especially as it relates to humanity's fall into sin and to God's redemptive work. As a specialized discipline, biblical theology studies this progress by tracing the development of theological ideas between historical epochs. Used rightly, it is a helpful tool for interpreting and applying the Bible. This course is based on two Thirdmill video series, We Believe in the Holy Spirit, as well as Building Biblical Theology produced by Third Millennium Ministries and presented by Dr. Ramesh Richard and Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr. with contributions from a variety of professors.

COURSE GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND LIST OF MODULES

Goals

In this course, we would like to accomplish the following:

1. We hope you will make use of all the elements of the course to:

   • Have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit's role within the Trinity;

   • Develop a greater love for the work of the Holy Spirit in redemptive history; and 

   • More intentionally rely on the Holy Spirit for all areas of life and ministry.

2. We hope you will make use of all the instructional elements of the course to understand the meaning of biblical theology and how it is studied, to consider examples of how it can be beneficial, and to grasp the overall patterns and themes of Scripture, especially the theme of the kingdom of God.

3. We hope you make changes in your life as a response to the teachings of this course, especially has it relates to the way you study the Bible and how you relate to the Holy Spirit.

Objectives

When you have done the following, it will show that the goals are met:

1. Obtain satisfactory grades on the quizzes and test, demonstrating that you can:

   • Identify key information about the Holy Spirit's relationship with the other members of the Trinity;

   • Communicate the various biblical ideas concerning the proper use of spiritual gifts;

   • Identify the meaning and importance of Biblical Theology, distinguishing it from Systematic Theology; and

   • Analyze some examples of how Biblical Theology can help us understand passages from the Old Testament and New Testament.

2. Complete the study guides and other assignments of the course, expressing your thoughts and attitudes regarding topics of pneumatology and biblical theology, and show how you have applied the teachings of the course to your own life.

3. Participate in weekly discussions that both review and reflect up on the teachings of the Thirdmill videos, in order to more fully understand the concepts and apply them to your life and ministry.

List of Modules for Biblical Foundations Course

1. In the Trinity

2. In the World

3. In the Church

4. In the Individual

5. What is Biblical Theology?

6. Synchronic Synthesis of the Old Testament

7. Diachronic Developments in the Old Testament

8. Contours of New Testament Biblical Theology

EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

The Multimedia Lessons

1. Study the lessons, watching the video, listening to the audio, or reading the text.

2. Complete the Study Guide for each lesson. These study guides will prepare you for the online quizzes and help you apply the teachings of the lesson to your own life.

3. Take the online quizzes for each lesson. The quizzes may be taken as many times as you want, but you must wait one hour between each attempt. Your highest grade will be the official grade. We suggest achieving at least an 80% before participating in the weekly discussion to ensure you understand the concepts correctly.

4. Participate in the weekly precepts, utilizing the session’s Discussion Guide. These discussions are vital to your full understanding of the course material and your ability to correctly apply the concepts to your life and ministry.

5. Take the Old Testament Narratives – Final Exam. You may take the test again as many times as you want for review, but you must wait one hour between each attempt. The official grade will be your highest grade and we recommend achieving at least an 80% before moving on to the next course.

Badge - 

1. One hour each week should be devoted to working through the Badge Instructions. The badge guide will provide a general direction as you seek to develop this vital ministry skill.

2. In the first few weeks, spend the one hour you have that week walking through the Topics to Discuss given in the Badge Instructions.

3. Once a solid foundation has been laid through the group discussion times, spend the remaining weeks working through the badge Action Steps.

4. You will be awarded the badge once your instructor has determined the completion of the actions steps in light of the Badge Instructions. All badges will be visible in your student “backpack” in the online classroom.

GRADES - The final grade will be calculated as follows:

1. The quizzes on the lectures are each worth 30 points.

2. The final exam on the lectures is worth 100 points.

3. The Teaching Badge Report won't affect your grade but must be submitted to complete the course.

A total course score above 80% is considered passing.

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