October 8, 2026 by

 

I have a confession. When I was college shopping in high school, a Bible minor was low on my priority list.  

The mail I received from Cedarville always emphasized that every student completes a Bible minor consisting of five classes: The Bible and the Gospel, Old Testament Literature, New Testament Literature, Theology I, and Theology II.  

According to Cedarville marketing, the Bible minor makes a huge difference in students’ lives and is an integral part of a Cedarville education.  

At first, I wasn’t so sure about that. 

Don’t get me wrong; I thought the Bible minor was a nice idea. But that’s all I thought it was at first. I figured I would enjoy the Bible classes and maybe even learn an interesting tidbit here and there, like the differences between Elijah and Elisha (I always get them mixed up) or who really wrote the book of Hebrews (spoiler alert: no one knows).  

But I didn’t think I needed Bible classes.  

After all, I had gone to church three times a week my entire life and read my Bible every day. I already considered myself a competent student of Scripture. However, now that I have taken three Bible minor classes, I see how they have enhanced the way I view the Bible and deepened my faith.  

Here are a few things I have learned from the Bible minor so far: 

Read the Bible in Context and Holistically 

Dr. McKay, my Bible and the Gospel professor, jokes about “fridge magnet theology,” our tendency to take one Bible verse, stick it on the fridge without context, and form our entire perception of God from that one magnet.  

When he put it that way, it sounded absurd, yet I realized that I had no idea of the context for some of my favorite Bible verses. 

I began to look at Bible verses in the context of their chapters, but then New Testament Literature professor Dr. Couser once again changed the way I read the Bible. He encouraged us to read an entire book through in one sitting.  

That recommendation seemed daunting to me; I tended to only read a few chapters at a time. However, when I completed my reading homework, I decided to take his suggestion.  

By reading Matthew completely through on the floor of my dorm room, I read about Jesus’ entire life, from His birth to His death and resurrection, in just a few hours. It was amazing to take in all at once.  

Image of open Bible that has been written in and highlighed with a pen on top and a mug beside it.

I decided to do the same for every other New Testament book, and I experienced the same wonder. For example, instead of just reading individual pieces of instruction in Paul’s letters, I experienced his messages as a whole to each of the churches he taught.  

While I cannot always read an entire book at once, I still think holistically when I read smaller portions, something I had never before considered. 

The Biblical Timeline Is Important 

Until my Old Testament Literature class, I had viewed the Bible book by book. Even though I knew they were all related, I tended to think of them separately.  

Dr. McKinion changed that. He helped me identify how the entire Old Testament points to the New Testament, not just the prophecies that I normally thought of relating to Jesus. He also highlighted key events in the Old Testament, like the Babylonian and Assyrian exiles, that provided context for other books.  

Now that I know where each book fits into the biblical timeline, I notice themes between them and better understand their messages. 

You Can Make It Through Less Familiar Books  

When’s the last time you read Zephaniah? I have read the Gospels and the Pentateuch far more than I have ventured into books like the minor prophets, partly because the prophecies often confuse me, and I have no idea how to study them.  

Old Testament Literature forced me to confront the harder-to-read books and helped me understand the general themes of each one. Now, I am less nervous about reading the prophetic books and am confident that I can not only better comprehend them but also learn from them. 

Image of female college student holding up a book that says, "Old Testament Survey" with another book open in front of her.

Historical Context Is Valuable 

The culture and events during biblical times influenced people and their behavior, so to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible, it is important to study the different time periods in which it was written.  

Learning about events during the intertestamental period that are not included in the Bible helped me understand the Roman occupation in the New Testament.  

By contrasting pagan practices with biblical doctrine, Dr. Couser made me realize how different the early Christians were from unbelievers and helped me better appreciate God’s high standard of morality.  

Now, if I do not understand a cultural reference in the Bible, I see the value in doing further historical research. 

You Can Learn To Love the Bible Too 

I hope you already love the Bible. The more I study it, the more I appreciate everything about it — its literary beauty, its complexity, and, most importantly, its ability to transform lives. 

Maybe you already have a very solid biblical foundation. Maybe you’ve gone to church your entire life but never cracked open your Bible at home. Maybe you know very little about Scripture.  

Regardless of your biblical literacy level, you can always learn something from an in-depth study of God’s Word, especially with the excellent Bible professors and community at Cedarville. The Bible minor has changed my faith.  

I hope you come to Cedarville and earn a Bible minor — it just might change you too. 

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