Biblical Theology Paper Proposal Assignment Instructions
Assignment Instructions
Overview
Throughout the course, you will work on a Biblical Theology Paper. This paper will define a theological concept, trace that concept throughout Scripture (Old and New Testaments), and then apply an understanding of the concept to various aspects of leadership. Throughout the course, three specific assignments will focus on the Biblical Theology Paper:
- Biblical Theology Paper: Proposal Assignment
- Biblical Theology Paper: Annotated Bibliography Assignment
- Biblical Theology Paper: Final Draft Assignment
Instructions
As the capstone of this course, you will write a 12–15-page research-based paper in current APA format, focusing on a biblical theology of leadership. This paper must include at least 20 scholarly, peer-reviewed or academic sources.
The paper will answer the question: How would the biblical/theological foundation of [your topic/biblical theme] form and inform leadership in the following 5 areas: purpose of leadership, role of the leader, role of the follower, leadership methodology, and leadership setting?
The Biblical Theology Paper: Proposal Assignment is designed to get you started with your Biblical Theology Paper and to provide an opportunity for initial feedback from your instructor. You must submit the following items:
- Topic selected for paper (include the doctrine you will be writing on for your paper)
- A clear and concise thesis sentence (what point are you arguing in your paper?)
- Citations in current APA format for at least 10 sources you plan to use in the paper (sources include a combination of academic biblical commentaries, theological reference material, and leadership materials)
This assignment should not be any longer than 1.5 pages.
Please select one of the following topics to write on for the paper:
- Image of God
- Redemption
- Sanctification
- Reconciliation
- Incarnation
- Trinity
- Kenosis
- Justification
- Creation
- Authority of Scripture
- Restoration
- Fruit of the Spirit
- Conversion
- Worship
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
SAMPLE STUDENT ANSWER
A Godly Harvest: An Analyzation of the Fruit of the Spirit
A Christian Farmer
The aspect of farming grants one to learn how to be fruitful in the name of the Holy Spirit. There are seven steps of necessary work in receiving a successful harvest and being able to eat and gain from one’s labor, for this translates to what a Christian must do to have a fruitful spirit. First, a person must consider oneself as a vine that inevitably stems from the Holy Body of Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit can be seen in the Old Testament with scriptures Isaiah 32:15-17 and Joel 2:28-32. The concept transcends into the New Testament with scriptures such as the Epistle to the Galatians. In the book of Isaiah, the doctrine states, “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.And the work of the righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever” (32:15-17). In connection, the Old Testament speaks to the blessing one gains from having a relationship with the Lord that is obedient and devoted.
The guiding fact is that this concept of hemming and sustaining one’s relationship with the Lord is the only way to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit; therefore, a point that can be argued is that if one strays from the Lord, that their vine will become barren.
Fruit of Our Labor
It is important to express the scripture as a fruit because of the true meaning of the word fruit. Penny Noyes, a Christian author, and Christian Education Specialist, offers a framing of the idea when he notes “The Greek word καρπός that we translate fruit usually means fruit in the sense of edible fruits and vegetables, but it can also be translated as offspring, deed, action, result, or profit. In an agrarian society, fruit is a good thing; it is the result of hard work and careful tending. Today, we might use the word fruit in a phrase such as the ‘fruit of our labor’ to communicate the results of our effort. Even if we do not harvest strawberries or apples, we can have fruit, something to show for our work, in a paycheck, a finished project, or even a baby” (Noyes, 2021). This argument aligns with the idea that to manifest the Spirit’s fruit, and there is a central understanding that one must put in work. In a contrasting perspective, if one does not pursue the Lord- not saying he will forsake his child, yet, in like manner, he will not seek them, so when we observe their harvest-it will not yield its actual capacity.
In bolster, Exodus 34: 14, Moses warned, for thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. In essence, God deserves and requires that one look to no one else but him for deliverance, which ultimately leads to the Fruit of the Spirit. Parallel to this, a Christian sourcing network observes, “The beginning of work is from the beginning of time. God Himself worked for six days and rested on the seventh. When God completed creation He called it “very good.” We are created in the image of God and are designed to experience success and fulfillment through hard work! As Christians, we should view our jobs as an opportunity to serve God through perseverance and patience, and serve others through a Christ-like attitude…”(Staff). It’s a fact that faith must be combined with work to be fruitful, and the scripture supports this in Proverbs 12:11 “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.”
The Mixture of Faith and Works
In the Epistle to the Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Paul offers the good news about what can come from being an obedient and devoted Christian in his Gospel. It can be argued that there is Freedom in Christ; Paul’s words can also assert that one cannot just rely on faith alone, yet a Christian wishing to grow will have to put forth effort. In James 2:17, the scripture observes that faith itself without work is dead. So one can conclude that one must compost themselves with the word, change themselves so that spirit can amend, plant seeds of love, water with the fellowship of the Lord, and weed entices that only seek destruction to be able to grow, flourish, and bear the fruit of the spirit.
Conclusion Borough into Scope
A Godly harvest is abundant. One could stand on that this links the concept of building trust with hemming and sustaining one’s relationship with the Lord to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit; however, a point that can be justified is that if one strays from the Lord that their vine will become barren, in connection to not reaching their true potential due to the lack obedience and devoted behavior. Obedience and devotion are what the Lord requires to reap one’s actual harvest. Mathew 9:37 supports with scripture, stating, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few….” The bible lets us know that you are mandated to repeat a bountiful harvest, but the first thing one must do to get there is to do the required work. In addition, Galatians 6:9 states, and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. The ultimate message one can get from is for everything there is a season: a season to work, a season to grow, and a season to yield, which no season is no more important than the other; that’s why the scripture adds not to grow weary, for in time if one puts the necessary work that is required they will receive the fruit of the spirit.
References
Exodus 34: 14
Galatians 5:22
Galatian 6:9
Isaiah 32:15-17
James 2:17
Joel 2:28-32.
Mathew 9: 37
Noyes, Penny. “What Are the Fruits of the Spirit?” Christianity.org, 25 Aug. 2021.
Proverbs 12:11
Staff, B. (2015, February 04). Bible Verses for Labor Day and Work. Retrieved from
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-for-labor-day-and-work/