Online Bible Institute | Jeff | Activity

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:21:42 -0500

I love reading the Bible in light of Genesis 3:15. The first promise of a savior, a redeemer. Everything after Genesis 3:15 is just the unfolding narrative on how God narrows down who that seed will be and the absolute need for a savior outside of mans own capability.

In reply to - Ilrick posted an update Lesson 1

This lesson reminded me that the entire Bible is centered on Jesus Christ and God’s plan of redemption. From Genesis to Revelation, every book reveals a different aspect of who […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:18:36 -0500

Well thought out summary. God gave us the gift and means of communication. Oral or written communication. The original inspired communication given to a specific people group in a specific historical timeframe who spoke a specific dialect does not have any bearing of the fact that the inspired communication is for all ages and dialects.

Word…

In reply to - Darren posted an update

Course History and Authenticity of the Bible

Lesson 14 Difficulties of Inspiration part 2

The inspiration of Scripture is concerned with the accuracy and reliability of God’s Word. The […]

Jeff posted an update: One thing among many that I have come to love about […]

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:10:43 -0500

One thing among many that I have come to love about these courses, especially the Bible Project courses from Dr. Mackie, is that they always leave you with concepts to research outside of the intended lesson. How the study of two passages in completely different books of the Bible link intertextually and bring forth so many more possible…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:26:47 -0500

What course is this?

Glad you found some personal convictions in the lesson.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update This session has helped me reflect on the importance of trusting God’s wisdom rather than relying on my own understanding of what is good and evil. The tree of the knowledge of […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:24:53 -0500

This course just keeps getting better and better. It builds on itself and teaches so much on how to read and study the Bible to get the most out of it. Enjoy the course.

In reply to - Christian posted an update

What really caught my attention was the unity of the word not just the fact that the bible Old and New Testament are based on Jesus and his coming and what he would do for us but to […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 10 begins (pun intended) with Dr. Mackie […]

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:22:36 -0500

Session 10 begins (pun intended) with Dr. Mackie giving Biblical examples of how the word for beginning in the Hebrew (reshit) is used in other Biblical narratives.

In Job, reshit (beginning) is used to separate Job’s life prior to the start of the story of the trials put on him from Satan. Another use is Jeremiah 28:1, “In the fifth month of…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 23:14:40 -0400

I am not as far as you in this course, but WOW, what an amazing course so far. I love Dr. Mackie’s explanation of things. They way he doesn’t say “this is the way it is”, but how he leads into the interpretation.

My reading of the Bible has definitely changed while taking this course.

In reply to - Noel posted an update

This session was a question and answer session. Early discussion noted that Moses was one of the first humans to go into heaven in an unexplainable (by human terms) way (Enoch in Genesis […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 23:10:51 -0400

What a powerful lesson. When we know that we have the power to pull down and cast, to gird ourselves against the enemies advances and have the power to advance into enemy territory, it makes our walk with Christ more meaningful and our evangelism command more efficacious.

In reply to - Carlos posted an update

Battles over Strategic territories – This chapter talks about the methods of attacks used by the enemy on the physical body, the family, finances, attacks through human personalities […]

Jeff posted an update: In session 18, Dr. Mackie switches from the Hebrew […]

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 23:07:10 -0400

In session 18, Dr. Mackie switches from the Hebrew Bible’s use of poetry to the use of narrative communication.

Dr. Mackie gives his definition of biblical narrative as “a highly stylized kind of literature that (1) recounts Israel’s history, while (2) at the same time offering a prophetic interpretation of that history.

A prophetic…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:44:20 -0400

Great course and great synopsis of the lesson. If someone can understand that Genesis 3:15 (the protoevangelium, or first gospel) is the beginning and central point of the rest of the Biblical narrative as it unfolds to show God’s redemptive plan, the rest of the Bible is unlocked all the more.

In reply to - Roger posted an update

This chapter is stuffed with details on Bible prophecy. Prophecy means to speak forth and the first instance of prophecy is recorded in Genesis 3:15 concerning the serpent being […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:41:09 -0400

This sounds like a great course. If you have or ever get the chance to take the course “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible”, it helps to bolster the fact that the Bible is inspired by God in the ways that He guides the Biblical authors in their respective writings as they “hyperlink” to one another and the intertextuality shows a united common theme.

In reply to - Darren posted an update

Course History and Authenticity of the Bible

Lesson 12 Inspiration part 2

The inspiration of the Bible comes from God, not man. In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches that God’s Word is everlasting […]

Jeff posted an update: One third of the Bible is written in the style of […]

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:37:06 -0400

One third of the Bible is written in the style of poetry. Most of God’s speech to and through the prophets is almost always in a poetic form. These patterns of symmetry and repetition are densely woven together and forces the reader to participate in the discovery of meaning. It is a form of linguistic art.

Sometimes the poetry is in a…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:41:18 -0400

What a profound and culturally relevant topic. Theology and science, do they harmonize or oppose each other. Preconceived worldviews and trying to make the evidence/arguments fit ones agenda are often times the primary barrier to meaningful conversation and engagement in this realm.

In reply to - Sharine posted an update

I learned that science and theology do not have to enemies. When theologians/theology engage with science, it is important to keep an open mind, listen emphatically, and have a posture […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:36:55 -0400

Well phrased synapsis of the lesson. Remembering to go to the infallible written word for clarification on how to emotionally, mentally and ethically react to a worldly scenario is paramount to remaining in God’s will and as a good witness to the lost in society.

In reply to - Misael Elias posted an update

Lesson 7: The Situational Perspective: Revelation in Situation

Understanding the situational perspective reveals that God constructs every circumstance to function as part of […]

Jeff posted an update: In session 16, Dr. Mackie introduces us to Hebrew […]

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:32:48 -0400

In session 16, Dr. Mackie introduces us to Hebrew poetic parallelism. Poetry allows the author to break a single idea into multiple components. But the poetic form forces the reader to rebuild the multiple components back into a single idea in their mind.

Take for example Isaiah 44:3. “For I (Yahweh) will pour water on the thirsty land,…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:14:37 -0400

The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is such a vast and intriguing study. I often times don’t think we as Christians think enough about the deity of the Holy Spirit.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update -This lesson has deepened my understanding of the important role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers and the Church. I have learned that the Holy Spirit is not only […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:09:20 -0400

I am not that far in the Heaven and Earth course, I just completed session 9, so I can’t wait to get this far. I loved the earlier Jonah 2:17 (session 2, I believe) and the ascending, descending cosmology from Jonah’s point of view.

In reply to - Noel posted an update

This session began with consideration of Jonah 2:1-7, Jonah’s prayer while in the stomach of the fish. Jonah contrasts the ‘depth of Sheol’, where he is ‘expelled from (God’s) sight), […]

Jeff posted an update: This session took the same ideals about the relationship […]

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:01:02 -0400

This session took the same ideals about the relationship of Israel and Egyptian cosmology but from the comparative sides of Israel and Babylonian creation accounts.

Babylon, just like Egypt, relies on water sources. For Babylon it is the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Babylonian concept of creation is that two gods, Apsu, the goddess of the…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:28:45 -0400

I too was reading the Old Testament when I began to start this course. It definitely made me stop, reread, cross reference and make copious notes in the margins. The course just gets better and better. Enjoy.

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

The Hebrew Bible is like an aspen grove taught by Dr. Tim Mackie is another great insight and explanation of divine authority and intelligent design of the Word of God as the […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:25:25 -0400

Great lessons learned from the Exodus narrative. It always amazes me that we can (you in this instance) pull out numerous moral, ethical and theological concepts from one single story.

In reply to - Roscoe posted an update

What stands out most to me about Session 29 is how the book of Exodus reveals God’s desire to have a relationship with His people and how He calls them to represent Him through their […]

Jeff posted an update: This was a short lecture, but it began to unpack some […]

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:23:06 -0400

This was a short lecture, but it began to unpack some long concepts.

Dr. Mackie makes the statement that Biblical literature is not a one and done reading. It is built for a lifetime of understanding and unpacking. Just like the Torah tells the Israelites to meditate on the laws day and night until the anointed one arrives.

When reading Genesis…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:05:52 -0400

Welcome to the wonderful world of Biblical hermeneutics. Literary context, hermeneutics and proper exegesis all play a synchronistic role in knowing God’s voice in the way the Biblical authors’s intended, being guided by the Holy Spirit.

In reply to - Roger posted an update

In chapter 14 we come to the all important knowledge that this Word must be studied in it’s context. That each verse can be manipulated to say whatever the human brain can concoct. The […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:01:24 -0400

What great insight you gained from this lesson.

Think of all the times the apostles, and Jewish peoples, wanted Jesus to “become their king”. They were trying to directly oppose the church/state union of the Roman Empire. The religion( cult) is the state and the state is the religion (cult). We see the same thing in Roman Catholicism and…

In reply to - Don posted an update

What I found most interesting about this material is the fact that the Imperial Cult was so widespread in the Roman province of Asia and had such a tremendous impact on the church. I […]

Jeff posted an update: What a jam packed session. The Genesis narrative tells […]

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:53:20 -0400

What a jam packed session. The Genesis narrative tells of the creation story. The darkness and waters are chaotic and the Spirit of God was hovering over them. God said, “let there be light”, and these was light (Genesis 1:3).

Now the question is raised during this session as to where that light came from or what that light is, because the sun…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:10:09 -0400

As this course builds upon itself, it also seems to stay the same. Several of the upcoming analysis types have the same principles, just with slight variations. It drives home the importance of following the steps properly before entering a new environment with the Gospel.

In reply to - Ade posted an update

This lesson is about analysing the location we are looking to minister in. Much like the lesson on analysing people it covers the ever important social, spiritual, geographical, […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:06:37 -0400

There are many wonderful lessons concerning God’s character and will in this story. Just like Abraham, Sarah, Haggai and Ishmael, when they were not patient for God’s timing and took things into their own hands, God still worked out his will even though humankind intervened.

In reply to - Jeff posted an update God had a plan for Jacob and Esau. Before they were born, God said that the older son would serve the younger. However, Isaac loved Esau more and wanted to give him the blessing. Rebekah […]

Jeff posted an update: Dr. Mackie continues to unpack the poetic literary form […]

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:02:21 -0400

Dr. Mackie continues to unpack the poetic literary form of Psalm 29. The poetic, rhythmic repetition throughout the Psalm invites us to match the message meaning to the poetic form.

The “what” that the author is intending to communicate is directly connected to the “how” of the poetic form of communication. This forces the reader to use…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:24:59 -0400

Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Or a good base camp. The enemy wants to take ground from the believer, just as we want to advance into the spiritual enemies domain. Holding our walls strong allows us to regroup, replenish and reenter the battlefield.

In reply to - Carlos posted an update

The Battle over the Walls – It’s no secret that the enemy wants us destroyed. Satan wants us to be ineffective and unable to do what God has told us to do. It’s also no secret that when […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:22:01 -0400

I really like the steering the individual around their “felt needs and struggles” description. So powerful when someone who is struggling can look and see past the struggle and realize it is only temporary and not the end all be all. Then guiding them to Christian, Biblical principals.

In reply to - Misael Elias posted an update

Lesson 3: Counseling and Discipleship

This lesson bridges the practice of counseling directly with the overarching call of Christian discipleship found in the Great […]

Jeff posted an update: In session 14, Dr. Mackie unpacks probably one of the […]

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:18:37 -0400

In session 14, Dr. Mackie unpacks probably one of the first communication methods that lead to the actual writings of the Hebrew Bible. Poetry.

Poetry as a communication device for the retelling of the actual events that inspired the writings. People, especially in Hebrew culture, learned and passed down important information via memorization…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:12:23 -0400

Their great purpose came with great responsibility. They are and we (speaking mostly for myself) often times do not handle that responsibility the way could intended. The journey Israel takes after their exodus from Egypt and their encounter with God on Mt. Sinai is something that plays out throughout the rest of the Biblical narrative.

In reply to - Roscoe posted an update

What excites me most about Session 15 is how God gives Israel a new identity and purpose when they arrive at Mount Sinai. After being enslaved in Egypt, the Israelites needed to […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:08:13 -0400

What a great lesson and course this was. Bible knowledge is important, but Bible application is what Jesus gave us in the Great Commission. Go!

In reply to - Alyssa posted an update

In this lesson, we were shown how to do a devotional Bible study and the six steps that are involved in completing this form of study. The devotional method of study emphasizes […]

Jeff posted an update: Dr. Mackie begins to make the swing in his sessions from […]

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:00:21 -0400

Dr. Mackie begins to make the swing in his sessions from how the Hebrew Bible was written and complied to how to read the Hebrew Bible.

He presents two new “revolutionary ideas”. Idea #1 is that the Old Testament is an ancient text. Idea #2 is that a text is an act or intentional literary communication, every phrase, word or idea placement…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:50:58 -0400

Eschatology is one of my favorite Biblical topics. Can’t wait to take this course and lesson.

The realization that the second coming of Christ is a real event on our horizon is fascinating and at the same time humbling and sublime.

In reply to - Andrew posted an update

My earliest memory of someone talking about the secong coming was during the 1985 American League Championship Series. My Toronto Blue Jays were in the process of losing to the Kansas […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:47:18 -0400

What a perfect synopsis of the lesson defined in our key takeaway! Coming to the realization that Jesus was not just a historical figure, by God Himself entering humanity and redeeming us to himself leaves me awestruck.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update

The Divine Christ – Session 05

This session has deepened my understanding of the divinity of Jesus Christ and His unique place in God’s plan of salvation. I have learned that the […]

Jeff posted an update: This session Dr. Mackie helps us to understand terms or […]

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:42:32 -0400

This session Dr. Mackie helps us to understand terms or word origins and meanings to unfold a broader concept behind the Genesis creation account. As we have seen in previous sessions in the “Heaven and Earth” course, the words have meanings, but more importantly, the image or meaning behind the words that the author is trying to relay is…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:31:26 -0400

All of these sessions with Dr. Mackie are so eye opening. I also like that in session 9 he continues the concept that all the prophets keep on the same narrative through the hyperlinks he showed in earlier sessions. How Joshua starts off with a hyperlink back to the Torah, but also looks forwards to the “prophet like Moses to come”. Or…

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

What the prophets say about the Bible’s origin taught by Dr. Tim Mackie is a look at how the prophets were not as most people suppose. He shows how the prophets were marginalized […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:23:05 -0400

Accepting my spiritual gifts for most of my Christian life has always made me feel conceited or at some times awkward. I have just recently (while taking these classes) begun to accept and be lead to use my spiritual gift.

According to everything I can ascertain about how to discover what ones spiritual gift is, mine is teaching. Once I…

In reply to - Olivia Rose posted an update

All of God’s gifts, including exhortation, come by grace and not because we are worthy. Chuck Smith explains that we can block ourselves from receiving God’s gifts by thinking we […]

Jeff posted an update: Dr. Mackie takes session 12 in Intro to the Hebrew Bible […]

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:06:38 -0400

Dr. Mackie takes session 12 in Intro to the Hebrew Bible to describe the “intertextuality” of the connecting pieces of the Hebrew Bible to that of an Aspen Grove.

Prior to his description of an Aspen Grove, I had never really understood how they form. When we look at an Aspen Grove, we see above the ground, the standing trees. What we do not…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:28:42 -0400

What a great post in regards to you becoming more faithful to recognizing the deity of Jesus as the Christ in the New Testament narrative. Having this understanding and the ability to articulate it is often times key when you speak to someone who thinks that Jesus is “just a historical figure” or they deny the deity of Jesus such as the…

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update
Reflection on Session 1: Divine Christ Session 1 of Divine Christ gave me a deeper understanding of the person and nature of Jesus Christ. The lesson challenged me to look […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:24:08 -0400

I just completed this course a few weeks ago. Get ready for an amazing ride! It has already strengthened my Biblical reading comprehension and word study. There is a complementary course by Dr. Mackie entitled, “Heaven and Earth” that I am taking now, they link so well together.

In reply to - Daniel posted an update “What ideas or images come to mind when you hear the words “heavens” or “earth”?”

To me, its the just the vastness of it all. Sometimes when I start a project, I see how far I have to go […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 11 continues the revealing of the Hebrew […]

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:20:09 -0400

Session 11 continues the revealing of the Hebrew Bible’s compilation as a Mosaic. Dr. Mackie describes the Hebrew Bible as a collection of scrolls that has been arranged into a mosaic or composite unity.

They are all connected to tell the whole story. No one part of a mosaic, or think of a handmade quilt, can stand on its own. It has to be a…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:54:26 -0400

One amazing thing about reading the four Gospels is that each time you read them, they will reveal something new and different as it pertains to your current spiritual growth and what you are experiencing personally in your life.

In reply to - Kemar posted an update

This module helped me appreciate the Gospels in a deeper way because I now see them not simply as four books about Jesus, but as unique theological biographies that reveal different […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:51:41 -0400

You are going to love this course. Each lesson builds on top of the previous one. The overall understanding of each book builds a solid framework to understanding the order, placement, of each book and it’s major themes.

In reply to - Depree posted an update

Reviewing the books of the Bible and reading a short synopsis of each book, has first humbled me. There’s so much I didn’t know! It has helped me realize that from Genesis to Revelation […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 10 begins to explain how the actual Hebrew […]

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:41 -0400

Session 10 begins to explain how the actual Hebrew Bible text was brought into something we recognize today.

Dr. Mackie guides us through the initial stages of development. The first stage where the Biblical events themselves. Things like the creation story, the fall, the flood, the Exodus, the calling of Abraham and so forth. Then came the…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:58:54 -0400

I believe that your statement that the Second Coming of Christ is a “central biblical teaching” is spot on. The Hebrew Bible tells the story of the anointed representative to come as well as the ultimate restoration of Israel and all things (from a Genesis 3:15 starting point). They are one and the same individual. The New Testament was…

In reply to - Ilrick posted an update Course: Christology Lesson 13 Lesson 13 emphasizes the biblical promise of Christ’s Second Coming and the hope it gives believers. Jesus clearly promised, “I will come again,” and […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:49:55 -0400

This sounds like an extraordinary course. I love apologetics. Studying the “historical” life of Jesus, that he actually was a real person in history is one of the first apologetics concepts that I had to discuss with a non-believer. If they just hold to the “fact” that Jesus the human person never actually existed, then they can more easily…

In reply to - Kemar posted an update

One of the ideas that stood out to me from this module is that studying the historical Jesus can actually deepen our appreciation of who Christ is. I was especially encouraged by the […]

Jeff posted an update: In this session, Dr, Mackie again builds upon the ideas […]

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:38:29 -0400

In this session, Dr, Mackie again builds upon the ideas of not importing our modern understanding of cosmology onto the Biblical texts.

He give two “revolutionary facts” in support of how he intends to wrap up how we should read the Hebrew Bible.

Revolutionary Fact #1- the Bible is an ancient text, but some people don’t treat it like it when…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:46:37 -0400

That was a great reflection. God is not limited in his ability to bring about his will even when we “scheme” to circumvent his timing. Abraham and Sarah are a perfect example. They used Hagar to “expedite” the promise of a son but God still provided in his timeline.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update

Session 21 of the course Jacob has reminded me that God’s purposes are often worked out through ordinary people, imperfect circumstances, and difficult seasons. I have learned […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:43:07 -0400

What awesome parallels there are in some of these stories. I wonder if Joseph thought that when the Israelites would finally leave Israel, at that time God would also renew Eden, and Joseph wanted his bones brought to that place?

In reply to - Roscoe posted an update

Session 28 really stands out to me because it shows that Joseph’s final words are not simply about his death, but about hope for the future. I was especially excited by the connection […]