May 3, 2022 by

Cedarville students are encouraged to grow in understanding of the Gospel and knowledge of God just as much as we are encouraged to succeed in our academics. We are also reminded that growing in knowledge about God is for the purpose of loving Him more. If you have visited Cedarville, you may have heard that two main things that set Cedarville apart from other Christian universities is that we have chapel at 10 a.m. every Monday-Friday and that each student graduates with a Bible minor. 

Within the Bible minor, there are five 3-credit classes that every Cedarville student takes: The Bible and the Gospel, Old Testament, New Testament, Theology 1, and Theology 2.  

The Bible and the Gospel 

Spring semester of my freshman year, I took my first Bible class at Cedarville: The Bible and the Gospel with Dr. Owens at 9 a.m. The Bible and the Gospel is an introductory course that is helpful for all students: new Christians, students who do not fully know what they believe, students who were saved at a young age, strong, mature Christians … you name it. It is an introductory course to the Gospel and the Bible as a whole. This class exists to teach and remind us of the foundations of Scripture as we begin studying our different majors and continuing in the Bible minor classes.  

Each Bible and the Gospel professor takes this class in different directions and can require different textbooks to learn their material best. Dr. Owens had us read the book Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines by David Mathis, which was incredibly meaningful for me. Although I was saved at a young age, at this time in my life, I had been coasting through my relationship with God, doing the bare minimum – only reading my Bible and praying occasionally. God used this book to capture my heart and convict me of my need to apply different spiritual disciplines to my life to grow in my knowledge and love of God. 

Old Testament 

One of my favorite classes I have taken in my undergrad is Old Testament with Dr. Miller. The Old Testament was brought to life for me through taking this class more than it ever was before. I learned to see the entire Bible through the fullness of the Gospel story. All of Scripture points to Christ! Ever since I took this class a little over two years ago, the Lord has grown in me a desire to continue to study and recognize the richness of the Old Testament.  

I recommend taking this class with friends. I got to take it with a few of my close friends, and it was so sweet to learn more about the Old Testament with them, talk through the lecture material, and study together. We wrote papers, took exams, and studied hard – one time, my friend Hannah and I camped out in Stinger’s, one of Cedarville’s dining options, for seven hours straight studying for an Old Testament exam! 

New Testament 

Betcha can’t guess what this class is about … the New Testament! I took this class with Dr. Michael McKay. This class was incredibly beneficial to me. We walked through the history, authorship, and context of each book as we discussed it, which is now a helpful practice that I use as I study Scripture personally. It is super interesting and useful to know why the author is writing a book and who the original audience was. 

Theology 1 & Theology 2 

Theology 1 and Theology 2 (two separate classes) introduce and continue teaching on many different theological doctrines found in Scripture. In Theology 1, I learned a detailed overview of the doctrines of God, creation and humanity, revelation, and sin. It was intriguing to dive deeper into doctrines that are so foundational in biblical theology. In Theology 2, my professor, Dr. Dixon, focused on the doctrines of Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the end times. Again, different professors will choose different academic materials, projects, exams, etc., in their theology classes – there is so much to know, so each professor may use different teaching methods to teach the core doctrines of our faith, but they are all very beneficial to learn under! 

I posted the above photo on my Instagram story after my I took my final exam for Theology 2 last semester. My friend Hannah and I took three of our Bible minor classes together, which was such a blessing! The knowledge I have gained about the Gospel and theology throughout my time in these five classes has been so instrumental in my personal spiritual growth. While I still fail each day, I desire to seek and serve the Lord better and want to grow in godliness in all aspects of life. I encourage you look forward to these classes in excitement of how the Lord will use them to grow your personal knowledge and love for God during your time at Cedarville. 

P.S. Now, Cedarville is making this outstanding Bible teaching available to everyone through their online Bible Minor Project. Every lecture from all five courses will be recorded and, when completed, made available for free for personal enrichment, group Bible studies, and the benefit of the church. 

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