Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them. Mt 18: 20
2026 - AG23 Fall Series at Calvary Church
Dates, Titles, Presenters; 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Subject to Change
2026 Sep - Dec
CURRICULUM
Introduction to Biblical Theology
Rev. Richard (Rick) Ligthart, MBA, MA; C/T: 708-334-7831; E: rich.ligthart@gmail.com
Where: Calvary Church, 16100 S. 104th Ave., Orland Park, IL 60467
When: Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm; 2 September 2026 – 16 December 2026
Introduction to Biblical and Theological Inquiry
A series of 15 2-hour sessions of classroom instruction, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and dialogue will be provided every Wednesday, 6–9 pm, 2 September – 16 December 2026. Doors open at 6:00 pm with a review of the previous week’s content. Instruction begins promptly at 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
Preparation
All are welcome, regardless of Biblical, Theological, or Faith maturation, non-believers, new believers, or maturing believers. Not required but beneficial, attendees should desire maturity and edification in Biblical Theology. Classes include the Socratic method, instruction, PowerPoints, critical thinking, dialogue, and Christian irenics.
1. Essentials of Bible Knowledge
1. 2 Sep 26 Bible History – 12 Biblical People, Places, Events, Eras
2. 9 Sep 26 Bible Canonicity – How the Bible Came to Be
3. 16 Sep 26 Bible Translation – Philosophies and Methodologies
4. 23 Sep 26 Bible Interpretation – Philosophies and Methodologies
5. 30 Sep 26 Guest Speaker: Pending
2. Essentials of Biblical Theology
1. 7 Oct 26 Doctrines of God and Humanity
2. 14 Oct 26 Doctrines of Sin and Restoration
3. 21 Oct 26 Doctrines of Soteriology and Atonement
4. 28 Oct 26 Doctrines of the Holy Spirit and Eschatology
5. 4 Nov 26 Guest Speaker: Pending
3. Essentials of Church and Faith History
1. 11 Nov 26 Ecclesiological and Faith History – Key Events
2. 18 Nov 26 Denominations – Historical Formations and Key Events
No Class 25 November 26 Thanksgiving Break
3. 2 Dec 26 Judaism – Understanding Israel, Past and Present Israel
4. 9 Dec 26 Non-Christian Beliefs – Discipling all the Nations
5. 16 Dec 26 Content Review and Optional Exam
Tutoring is available.
Class 1: 2 Sep 26
Bible History: 12 Biblical Eras, People, Places, Events
This class provides a Bible meta-view, Genesis to Revelation, identifying 12 People, 12 Places, 12 Eras, and 12 Events in the Bible – a synopsis of Biblical history. Extensive PowerPoints facilitate the teaching narrative, supplemented with discourse and handouts. Biblical eras, people, and locations are presented, not books, not testaments, not covenants, and not dispensations, but Biblical history. Content includes an explanation of book genres and book types. Attendees will obtain a sense of, “Wow, I finally know basic Biblical history from Genesis to Revelation. I now can verbally tell someone the entire Bible, and I have some tools to help.” Our reference is 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. Attendees will gain confidence producing self-assurance. This class is understandable for nonbelievers, new believers, or maturing believers. Handouts, PowerPoints, outlines, and learning materials are provided.
Class 2: 9 Sep 26 Bible Canonicity: How the Bible Came to Be
This class teaches how the Bible came to be. Content includes Church history, Theological history, and the historical formation of biblical texts. Hebrew and Koine Greek scriptures are explained, and intertestamental Judaism, or the time between the testaments. Differing Bibles, particularly Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles, are contrasted. Content on Hebrews, Jews, Israelites, and Christians. Hebrew Scriptures, Dead Sea Scrolls, Tanach, and Mishnah are explained. Pseudepigrapha 1 & 2, Septuagint, Apocrypha, and non-canonized writings are presented. This class teaches how and when the Bible came to be and its historical developments toward canonization. Contrasting historical views of an “open cannon” or a “closed cannon” are presented. This class edifies nonbelievers, new believers, and maturing believers.
Class 3: 16 Sep 26
Bible Translation – Philosophies and Methodologies
This class teaches historical Bible translation philosophies and methodologies - historic methods of how Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek) have been translated to English. Topics: biblical genres, translations to dogma, irenics, apologetics, councils and creeds, translation anomalies, and differences in heresies and apostates are explained. Practical methods, “Oops, I had that wrong,” are presented when encountering perceived translation anomalies. Paraphrase Bible vs Essentially Literal Bibles are contrasted. Interlinear use, computerized Bible Software, and scholarly translation tools are explained. This class provides content on a basic understanding of the Bible throughout history, from its beginnings, through 2000 years, to today. Attendees will gain confidence in their understanding of the historical Bible translation philosophies and methodologies. This class edifies nonbelievers, new believers, and maturing believers.
Class 4: 23 Sep 26
Bible Interpretation - Philosophies and Methodologies
This class teaches historical philosophes and methodologies of Biblical interpretation. Linguistical Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Semantics, Parsing, Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Exposition, Interpretation, and the Grammatical-Historical (also known as Historical-Grammatical) Method are explained. Grammatical Structures and Literary Genres are explained. Contextual, Historical, and Contemporary Hermeneutics are explained. The perils of misapplied proof-texting or misapplied Scripture quoting are explained. Basics of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek are explained. The processes of Biblical Linguistic Analysis in Hebrew, Koine Greek, and Englis are explained. Attendees will gain confidence learning how Theologians, Pastors, Teachers, Authors, and attendees themselves approach, read, and interpret the Bible. Irenics, polemics, and apologetics are contrasted with a focus on research, scholarship, and irenic dialogue.
Class 5: 30 Sep 26 Guest Speaker - Pending
Class 6: 7 Oct 26
Doctrines of God and Humanity
This class teaches the historical developments defining God and Humanity. Revelation “types” will be explained, as will General Revelation, Particular or Special Revelation, and Scripture as Revelation. The often-used terms "inspiration" and "inerrancy" will be explained. Naturalism, Pantheism, Deism, Theism, Finite Theism, Dualism, Monism, and others historically developed in cultic forms of understanding God will be contrasted. Secular Humanism will be presented as a competitive god (small g) that has and is currently influencing many people and nations. The Trinity will be presenting, clarifying the Father, Son, and Spirit as a uniquely Christian theological construct. God’s divine plan from the originating creation through the continuing work of providence will be explained. A biblical creation account of Humanity will be discussed. The “image” and “likeness” of God will be clarified. Various “constitutions” of humanness (body, soul, spirit, heart, mind, etc.) will be clarified.
Class 7: 14 Oct 26
Doctrines of Sin and Restoration
This class presents an understanding of Hamartiology (sin) and Ponerology (evil). The nature and sources of temptation, sin, and the consequences of sin and evil’s effect on a human relationship with God and man will be presented. Historical theories of Original Sin will be presented. The magnitude, extent, and intensity of Sin will be clarified. How Jesus has dealt and deals with God’s wrath and our sins will be explained. Atonement will be defined. Guilt will be defined. What happened at the Cross? The complexities of why humans have difficulty discussing sin and evil will be discussed. The effects of sin and evil on the self and other sinners will be discussed. Deontology, Ontology, and Teleology will be explained, and their influence on human views of sin. We will clarify Jesus as the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant to explain “Expiating” our sins and “Propitiating” God’s wrath.
Class 8: 21 Oct 26
Doctrines of Soteriology and Sanctification
This class teaches essential understandings of Soteriology (salvation) and Sanctification (maturation). Salvation from Protestant and Roman Catholic teachings will be contrasted. The “Golden Chain” of Rm 8:29-30, five steps: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification, will be presented. Augustinianism, Calvinism, Pelagianism, Arminianism, Semi-Pelagianism, and Universalism will be presented. What a person is saved, “From, To, Through, and For” will be clarified. Christian Perseverance, Preservation, and Persistence will be explained. The meaning of regeneration, the process of salvation, and effectual calling will be explained. Justification, adoption, and faith vs works will be explained. This class includes a number of theological terms and definitions to clarify and deepen understanding of Biblical Christian salvation and sanctification.
Class 9: 28 Oct 26
Doctrines of the Holy Spirit and Eschatology
This class provides content on two seldom-thought-of theologies: the Holy Spirit and Eschatology. Each will be taught separately.
HOLY SPIRIT: Significant teaching will be on the Trinity and the person and work of the Holy Spirit within a trinitarian framework. The importance of a biblical understanding of the doctrine will be highlighted. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew (OT) Scriptures, Greek (NT) Scriptures, in Jesus, and in Christians will be elucidated.
ESCHATOLOGY: Edification will be given to historical eschatological views. Eschatology can be an emotional, misunderstood, subjective, challenging, and divisive topic without Christian scholarly irenicism. John’s book, Revelation, will NOT be taught. However, an introductory analysis of this apocalyptic book will be provided. Various historical and scholarly eschatological views will be presented. This is a basic, primer, introductory
Class 10: 4 Nov 26 Guest Speaker - Pending
Class 11: 11 Nov 26
Ecclesiological History – Faith History
This class teaches Ecclesiological History, more commonly known as “church” history”. Content is formation of major historical Councils, historical Creeds, historical Confessions, church formation, and personal statements of faith. Significant content will be devoted to the Reformation, with a contrast between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Beyond ecclesiological (church) history, we will delve into personal faith journeys, theological, and historical development.
Class 12: 18 Nov 26 Denominations – Historical Formations
This class introduces Denominationalism, or how churches came to be so different and so many. Liturgy will be explained, and how churches differ from highly liturgical to less liturgical. Various Protestant churches, such as Independent, Anabaptist, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Evangelical, Non-Denominational, Reformed, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Anglican, will be compared. The major distinctions of the three major categories: Orthodox, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism will be contrasted. Historical church “schisms” (particularly the Great Schism of AD 1054) will provide historical context clarifying major church differences.
Class 13: 2 Dec 26
Judaism – Understanding Israel Past and Present
This class teaches the Judaist foundations of Christianity. We will clarify past and present sects within Judaism today. A significant amount of time will be given to Judaism and the Temple in Jerusalem in the first century, at the time of Jesus. The Abrahamic lineage will be described, and the 12 tribes will be explained. Historical context will be provided, from Egypt to the Tabernacle, to Solomon’s Temple, to the Second Temple. Various Jewish holidays will be explained, providing an understanding of Messianic Judaism. The destruction of the 1st Temple in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II and the destruction of the 2nd Temple in AD 70 will be compared. The change from Temple worship to Rabbinic Judaism today will be explained.
Class 14: 9 Dec 26
Christian / Non-Christian Beliefs – Discipling all the Nations
This class teaches the uniqueness of Christianity compared to non-Christian beliefs and practices. This is not a class on apologetics, but a primer on apologetics will be provided. Various Monotheistic (theistic) faiths will be contrasted with Polytheistic faiths. Evangelism and discipling will be contrasted. Basics of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sufism, Shintoism, Agnosticism, and Atheism, along with their numerous sects, will be provided.
Class 15: 16 Dec 26
Content Review and Examination Option
Celebratory review, discussion, and content assessment from previous 14 classes.
2025 WINTER BREAK
We gather again April 2025
