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Resources for Theological Training


Not everyone has the time, money, or desire for formal theological education. However, it is important to study God’s Word and better understand Him through His Word. As with all things that are not the Bible, there is the possibility of fallibility, thus you must assess all information against the Word of God, even within these resources. However, it can be useful to glean information from people who have dedicated their life to studying God and His Word. We owe much to them even if we don’t think about it, as we are thankfully able to read God’s Word in our native tongue rather than the original Hebrew (and a small portion of Aramaic) and Greek. In addition to language experts aiding our study of God’s Word, archeology and science continue to uncover more that time and again prove the accuracy of the Bible.

With all these things in mind, I have compiled some resources for free online biblical lectures and courses, as well as my favorite YouTube series, Real Truth. Real Quick. I hope that these resources will be beneficial to you, whether they are your first foray into more in-depth study, or you are well-versed in diving deep. Without further ado, the resources are listed below with short summaries of what they offer. Blessings!

Biblical Training (https://www.biblicaltraining.org/)
Free audio and/or video lectures to better your understanding of the Bible, your own spiritual formation, church leadership and counseling, as well as courses on other religions. Recording quality has been excellent in my experience so far.

Certificates are also available for a fee in the following subjects:
·         Biblical Studies
·         Theological Studies
·         Biblical Leadership
·         Christ-centered Leadership
·         Christians in the Marketplace

I have been utilizing this resource for a couple of years now. I like to listen to the lectures while I exercise at the YMCA. Some of the lecturers are people I recognize from my formal schooling, such as Bill Mounce, who has authored many works on Biblical Greek which are often used in college courses. Douglas Moo, a renowned New Testament commentator, also has offerings, and Gerry Breshears, who is on staff at Western Seminary.

Biblical Training also has an app available for utilizing these valuable lectures on the go. You can choose to download the audio or stream the audio or video (if available). There are sometimes additional resources beyond the audio and/or video, such as the Student’s Guide, “Life is a Journey,” that is available for free download to accompany the lecture series of the same name by Bill Mounce. These additional resources can be found on the website, but are not available on the app.

Dallas Theological Seminary (https://courses.dts.edu/)
Video courses featuring videos of actual classroom lectures, accompanied by PowerPoint presentations. These courses also feature lecture notes, discussion questions, quizzes, and additional resource lists for further study.

Covenant Theological Seminary (https://www.covenantseminary.edu/resources/)
Free audio lectures on a variety of subjects from The Life of J. R. R. Tolkien to the Protestant Reformation. Course lectures are available for download, and in theory there are occasionally transcripts and/or study guides available as well, though I have yet to find a course that has valid links to these resources.

Gordon Cornwell Dimension (https://my.gordonconwell.edu/dimensions/)
A very limited selection of courses available, but the information is helpful and the audio quality is better than a couple of the other options. A study guide is included with these lectures. These lectures can also be found on iTunes U and they even offer quizzes to test your retention and understanding.

It is also possible to apply for a “Dimensions of the Faith” certificate after completing all the online courses offered by Gordon Cornwell. It is not a recognized certificate; therefore, it would be primarily for your own use, and certainly presents itself as a challenge to test your learning based on the requirements needed to apply for it.

Our Daily Bread Christian University (https://christianuniversity.org/)
Some of these videos feel more like an old (pre-HD) History Channel production, but you can often download the transcript as well. Some of the transcripts are helpful, depending on your current level of knowledge, and are certainly much easier to glean helpful information from than the dull audio and video available. The course on World Religions for instance (http://bit.ly/2oqDQJw) offers quick and useful information on the five major religions in the world.

This resource is probably best utilized after checking to see if the topic you are seeking is available elsewhere first.

Real Truth. Real Quick (https://www.youtube.com/user/realtruthrealquick)
One of my favorite resources. This video series is produced and led by Watermark Community Church of Dallas, TX. The biblical knowledge shown by Todd Wagner is amazing and he does a good job of thoroughly, yet quickly addressing questions sent in.



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