Your final paper consists of the following two parts.

Part 1

Compare and contrast an idea from your Lexical Study (Learning Activity: Session 3) and an idea Genre & Context (Learning Activity: Session 4) with the material contained in the commentary you selected in Session 1 in addition to two other commentaries (online and/or library). Address the following questions:

How do ideas from your previous studies of your definitive text contrast with the material found in the commentaries?
What do you do with these contrasting ideas (i.e. synthesize them, choose between them)? Why?
How are you challenged by the interpretive differences between your work and the work you researched? How did your research protect you from you?
Part 1 of you paper needs to be 2 pages in length and must use cited support from the three commentaries that you have selected. Be sure to include these commentaries in your reference page.

Part 2

For the second part of your final, you must take what you have learned about the issue and definitive text (1 passage) you selected in Session 1 and use it to clearly express the intent of the Biblical author of the text and how it pertains to your selected issue. Use the research you have been doing each week to assist in developing your paper and integrate conclusions from Part 1 of your final paper into Part 2. Place yourself in the role of mentor, teacher, pastor, or simply a stranger in a coffee shop. Image that someone asks you to explain what the Bible says about the topic you selected at the beginning of the course (ethical social media use, environmental stewardship, gay marriage, abortion, legalization of marijuana, alcohol use, adoption, animal rights, war & terrorism, depression, adultery, overeating, self discipline, prayer, or missional living). Consider this paper a response to that person.

You should at least provide pertinent information on authorship, context of the verse within the surrounding verses, and the rest of the book of the Bible, and comments on any significant words. As a result of this study, determine what the Scripture says on the issue and draw from this research principles that one may use in life and counseling.

Part 2 of your paper needs to be 3 pages in length and must reference and cite the various resources with which you have become familiar namely, your Hebrew-Greek study Bible, Bible dictionary/encyclopedia, lexicon, concordance, online resources, etc. Remember, this is not your opinion, but what the Word of God says in relation to your topic it is the Word that carries the authority, not you. This part of your final paper should contain a minimum of 5 additional sources, three of which being non-web sources (e-books and library databases are not considered web sources). These sources can be the same as those that you used in previous assignments.

Submission Requirements

Compile both parts into a single paper and use headings in your paper to distinguish Part 1 from Part 2. Both parts combined will be 5 pages in length, not including the cover and reference page. References for both parts (minimum of eight sources) should be in a single reference page. Format your paper and citations according to APA guidelines. Submit your completed paper by the posted due date.