.: aaallllll done :.

As of 11:57 AM today, I am done for the Winter term at Regent! (insert Hallejulah chorus)

This morning, I took what could easily be the hardest test so far of my seminary career... and even worse, it was only for my New Testament Foundations class. I studied the most that I have ever studied in my lifetime (elementary years on up through college) for what was going to be 40% of my grade. Yes, yes... it could have been worse. But there is only so much stuff a brain can process and retain. I had to know...

* How we came into possession of the NT text
* The "criteria of canonicity" (in relation to the formation of the NT canon)
* The purpose of Synoptic source criticism
* The Two-Document Hypothesis
* Reasons for positing the "Q" source
* The cultural and social worlds of the NT
* Sources for and features of the "Judaisms" of the intertestamental period
* Interactions with certain pericopes in the Synoptic Gospels (dealing with Matthew's redaction of Mark)
* The main themes of the Synoptic Gospels and John
* The quest of the Historical Jesus scholars
* Pseudonymity in relation to the NT letters
* The Old vs. New Perspective on the Apostle Paul
* The main themes, occasions, and situations of the letters of Paul
* The main themes, occasions, and situations of the "General Letters"

We had to have a running knowledge of all of that stuff, which makes for a much more difficult final. One thing I realized... I am such a better "multiple choice / guess" guy than I am a "2-3 page essay" guy! I have been studying nonstop since last Thursday out of fear that the prof would ask something that I happen to pass over during my 12 weeks in his class. But praise God... it is all over! I have a couple more days up here in Vancouver and than I head home to begin my summer job at WA, and then off to CA in June. I can't believe another semester has come and gone, but it is sooo nice to finally be done with this term. Please accept this post as my thanks for all of you who prayed me through all of the "ups and downs" of this past year.

Here's to a great summer and much, much harder classes next year!