New Testament Orientation

Below you will see an outline for a research paper for a New Testament Orientation class. Paper Masters custom writes all projects for courses that examine the Bible. Our Theology writers will focus your orientation paper in any direction you need. You will see several excellent topics listed below.

GUIDELINES FOR New Testament Orientation Research Paper/Project: The goal of a Research Paper is not merely to report about your readings or to piece together a string a quotations (or paraphrases) related to the topic your chose. Instead a Research Paper must aim to create "new knowledge" while recognizing the established scholars who helped you in that endeavor. Research Papers must attempt to prove a point (thesis). They are not "surveys" of material. They must be thoroughly documented (your opinion is not asked for until the conclusion unless otherwise specified).

1. You will need to use scholarly resources (the Bible-especially study Bibles, Bible dictionaries/encyclopedias, and concordances will not be counted as part of your six scholarly resources!). If you have questions about your sources, please contact the instructor.
   
2. The paper must be in depth but not more than twenty full pages in length, typed, double-spaced, and reasonable margins.
   
3. You may want to use Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (sixth edition) as your style guide. Any other style must be approved by the professor first. For examples on proper style, see the information provided on Blackboard.
4. You will be graded on the basis of clarity, content, style, and how well you incorporate your resources and scripturally support your conclusions. Spelling, grammar and overall neatness will also be taken into account for the grade.
   
5. Keep a copy of your paper in the event something happens to the one you send in.
   

This assignment consists of a research paper on one of the following topics for a New Testament Orientation Course:

1. A paper considering how Jesus is presented in one of the four Gospel books. For example, possible topics may be Jesus Christ as the King in the Book of Matthew, Jesus Christ and the Word in the Book of John, and so on.
2. A paper giving a brief history of the Intertestamental Period, beginning with the period of Alexander the Great and continuing through the reign of Herod's sons. Where appropriate, be sure to address how various events, individuals, and groups impacted the Jews and land of Palestine leading up to and during the time of Christ. In addition, pick one significant event, person, or group (e.g., the Hasmoneans, Maccabees, Pharisees, or Antiochus Epiphanes) and highlight in more detail how this particular event, person, or group affected the first century world of the New Testament. Be sure to keep this expanded material in the proper chronology of the period.
3. A paper offering a brief overview of the Synoptic Problem. Give a history of the investigation into the relationship between the Synoptic Gospels. Be sure to describe the general similarities and differences between these Gospels. Define the four most popular proposed solutions to the Synoptic Problem and then pick one solution to defend.
4. Topics not listed above must be approved by the course manager before the student can pursue research on it.

Items Included in New Testament Orientation Research Paper:

1. The paper must include a table of contents
2. An introduction
3. Main body
4. A conclusion
5. Bibliography
6. You must interact with at least 6 scholarly source, meaning journal articles, books, and commentaries.
7. You are advised to stay away from general, devotional, and sermonic sources (e.g. Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, popular preachers' sermons, etc.).
8. Works by devotional writers including Ironside, Wiersbe, McGee, and others are not acceptable for the purpose of this paper. Full text versions of many scholarly journal articles are available at Liberty's online source at www.liberty.edu/library . (Any article in the ATLA database is acceptable for your journal citations.)
9. It is especially important that you secure permission from the course manager before you use Internet sources other than those found on Liberty's library service.
   

Your New Testament Orientation Term Paper should include the following:

• Thesis Statement: It is a sentence or two that captures the focus of your research and informs your reader about the purpose of the paper and previews its main ideas
• Introduction: A strong paragraph that introduces your topic and clearly reveals what you intend to show to the reader (should include the substance of your thesis statement)
• Section Headings: Underline or Bold
• Body: A structured development that mirrors your paper's outline. This section is where you prove your point while honestly interacting with opposing views and major objections
• Transitional Sentences: Clear transitions to insure a flow and sense of unity from paragraph to paragraph
• Conclusion: It should not be a mere the restatement of your thesis. Instead, your conclusion should be a synthesis of the information presented in the body. It should bring the reader to the full level of understanding of your topic that you have yourself reached
• Footnotes
• Bibliography-Include if more than one source is used in your paper