Word Studies: Galatians

Class: Galatians

Week #5: February 27 - March 2
Professor: Pastor Ken Fillmore


Assignments: Read a portion of Galatians corresponding with the lessons every day starting on Monday.

Pastor Fillmore is a graduate of New Brunswick Bible Institute and has been a pastor for 24 years. Pastor Fillmore is currently serving as Senior Pastor at Peoples Church in Truro, Nova Scotia.

"The teacher was amazingly engaging and he brought life to the book of Galatians."
- John, Mount Forest

"Pastor Fillmore gave me a whole new understanding of Galatians. This class helped me understand the application that can be found in this amazing letter."
- Whitney,  Proton Station

Pastor Fillmore loves God, loves people and loves teaching. He wants the students to personally apply the text to each of their lives and to be different people at the end of the week for the glory of God. Galatians is Paul's treatise on the freedom we have in Christ. Paul begins the book with an interrogation of sorts of the churches in Galatia. He asks them why they have departed from what he himself taught them when he first preached the gospel to them. The Galatians had begun to pervert the gospel into a works-based salvation instead of the grace-based salvation Paul had originally taught. The core doctrine taught in Galatians is justification. The definition of justification is the following: the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner to be righteous in Jesus Christ. God does this out of His infinite love towards us and because of His amazing grace. The Galatians were trying to achieve righteousness by their own merit and works. Paul says, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"(Gal. 2:21). If the believer lives by his own works and not by the grace of God, he is throwing away Christ's sacrifice. As Paul states, this is foolishness (Gal. 3:3). Pastor Fillmore does not just teach the facts of the doctrine, he also teaches the effects this doctrine has on the believer's life. His purpose in teaching the class is for each student is to be able to live out the truths found in this portion of God's Word.

"It was a great week of getting deeper into the book of Galatians with Pastor Fillmore. I learned that its so important to remember that it is not by works like the Judaizers but of faith alone we are saved. What a promise and what a Saviour we have!"
- Lucas, Wyoming



Want to learn how to apply the Word of God?  Why not come to Campus Days here at the Bible Institute? Check out some classes and meet this year's students. Find out if the Word of Life Bible Institute is your next step.


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BW

Word Studies: II Peter/Jude

Class: 2 Peter/Jude

Week #6: October 17-21
Professor: Mr. Matthew Little
Assignments: The epistles of II Peter and Jude need to be read once before the classes start on Tuesday morning.
The sections of Be Alert (Warren Wiersbe) dealing with II Peter and Jude are to be read.

Mr. Little is a graduate of New Brunswick Bible Institute (NBBI). Completing four years of training in 1998, he served in pastoral ministries across Ontario and New Brunswick, along with his wife and three children. He is involved in hospital chaplaincy ministry and serves on the Canadian Board of Biblical Ministries Worldwide. In 2008, Mr. Little joined the NBBI faculty as a full-time staff member.


II Peter and Jude are two epistles which cannot be compared to any other books of the Bible. The intent of each book is to expose and condemn false teachers. When one reads these two books, they may seem extremely harsh and unforgiving. However, Peter and Jude are discussing teachers who deserve the condemnations found in these letters. They have no respect for the Word of God or even the Author Himself and teach doctrine directly adverse to what the Bible says. Because of this egregious assault on truth, Peter and Jude seek to warn believers about these false teachers and teach believers discernment and understanding in fighting for the standard of truth found in God's Word.

As Peter and Jude did in these small yet powerful epistles, Mr. Little also seeks to warn the students of false teachers and give them an understanding of truth versus falsehood.

The teacher and some students shared some thoughts on the subject.

"We have to be on guard against apostasy and be firmly grounded in the truth. We have to be proactive in teaching others."
- Mr. Little, New Brunswick

"I've always known the dangers of not being firmly established in the Word, but so far, all through II Peter it stresses how dangerous are the ways of the world and how we need to be aware of false teachers. The book is a giant call to be holy and to know God's truth. It just seems neat to me to be learning about reasons to study God's Word while at the BI."
- Cameron, Mt. Forest

"This week in the II Peter and Jude class, I am learning that we should know our faith well, so we will not be deceived by false teachers. Also, Jesus is coming and we should be prepared."
- Sophia, Waterloo

The year at the Bible Institute is an intense training session from opening weekend to Open Air Evangelism all the way through Word of Life Youth Camp for summer ministry. However, without studying the Word of God the students would be without the firm foundation they need to withstand "the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11). II Peter and Jude teach this principle of the study of truth. Without a knowledge of truth, how can one defend the truth? In today's world, believers need to know, trust and defend the truth of God's Word.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

- 1 Peter 3:15

BW

Learning the Word: 2 Peter and Jude

From WOLBRANOS

"2 Peter 1:5-10 has really stood out to me this week and is showing me that on top of faith in Christ we are supposed to act out our faith and bear fruit." -student (2010-11)

This week at WOLBI students are really enjoying 2 Peter and Jude with Matt Little.  Mr. Little graduated from New Brunswick Bible Institute in the spring of 1998 after completing four years of training. Along with his wife and three children, he has enjoyed ten years of pastoral ministry in the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick. He serves on the Canadian Board of Biblical Ministries Worldwide and has been involved in hospital chaplaincy ministry. After teaching in a part time capacity at NBBI the Littles joined the faculty full time in May 2008.

One student comments about an example that Mr. Little used in class:

"Charles Templeton is an excellent example of how we can know about God and still not have a saving faith."  Another said, "It has really stood out to me how I can know what's in the Bible and discern if what someone is teaching is false."  We can only get our facts from God's Word and take literally what He says.

Matt Little is also learning as he teaches:

"As I am nearing the end of my second year teaching at WOLBI, 2 Peter and Jude continue to take on a deeper meaning for me.  These small epistles form the bedrock of truth concerning apostasy, and are becoming that much more important as we edge closer to the return of Christ.  I have especially come to appreciate more the culmination of Peter's teaching on apostasy, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (3:18)."  Nothing shines the light on error any more then a whole lot of people that are living for Christ."