Smithfield United Methodist Church

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This support site was created for the Old Testament History course in the RLAB class at Smithfield United Methodist Church (SUMC). The starting date for the class was January 20, 2008.

Various support materials and information for the course are provided on this site.

What is RLAB?

RLAB was organized and developed to meet the needs of those who want a historical and contextual setting of the Bible.

We have recently finished New Testament History by F. F. Bruce and started a class in Old Testament History on January 20, 2008. The only book that is required is the Bible. However, an optional book would be helpful, enjoyable and useful for some people.

The optional book is Old Testament Survey 2nd Edition copyright 2007 by Paul R. House and Eric Mitchell, which is published by B&H Publishing Group. The book is available at amazon.com, christianbook.com and other booksellers.

Terry Constant, a retired college professor who taught both Old Testament History and New Testament History, is leading the study.

The course emphasizes the history of the Old Testament era as told in the Bible. The history of God's doings in the Old Testament provides a foundation for understanding the full meaning of what Jesus accomplished and what God is doing.

When humankind failed, as told in the creation account, God implemented a plan. The Old Testament tells about the plan and describes the first phase. The New Testament tells about the second phase.

Where do we fit in? Knowing Old Testament History is very important to understand our place in God's history.