BethBC Students Successfully Finish their Seminars Under Lockdown

The city of Bethlehem was under lockdown because of the Coronavirus for almost 100 days. Bethlehem Bible College was closed as well, so students couldn’t come to the campus to finish their courses. This was a big challenge for our 4^th year students, who were working on their graduation seminar projects; they couldn’t come to the library, have one-on-one meetings with their supervisors in person, or even to finish their surveys. Yet they managed to make it happen with the help of our faculty members. Seven of our students managed to finish their seminar projects and presented them last week on our campus under strict health protection procedures.

A Look at the Concept of Mission in the Bible

Suhad Lolas chose this topic because mission is vital for us as Christians. Missionaries have made great efforts to spread Christianity around the globe. Christianity becoming a major religion has worked a significant transformation in the history of the world. Today the world is thirsting for missionaries, so every believer must become ready to serve within the great mission of God and to work with the message entrusted to us by the Lord, through guidance and research in the Bible.

Paul and Other Religions: The Gospel Encounter with Pagan Intellectuals

Damares Nawawra’s study was based on the text from Acts 16: 17-34 (Paul’s service in Athens). Her research relies on theological methodology, which assumes that the text is not only a historical text, but rather a theological text through which the author wrote his codification of past events to give theological education to the original reader or listener. The general question her paper attempts to answer is: What are the main theological ideas that Luke wanted to teach by describing Paul’s journey to Athens, and how can we apply his education to our reality today?

Christian Faith in the Face of Magic and Divination

In her research, student Balqees Musleh addressed these questions: Do magic and divination exist within the Christian belief system? What are they, and what forms do they take? Are they found in the Bible? What view of them is expressed in the Bible? Do we, as Christians, believe in these actions and do they have an impact on our lives? How do we protect ourselves from these matters? And if we are children of God, does magic work if directed toward us?

The Reality of Homosexuality from the Viewpoint of Palestinian Society and the Palestinian Church

Elham Nissan’s study aimed to identify the reality of homosexuality from the perspective of Palestinian society and the Palestinian Church. The study suggested that the reasons for homosexuals to turn away from the Church are their belief that they are sinning against God, that their practices are contrary to Biblical teachings, and that they will have sharp remorse. She then highlighted that the role of the ecclesiastical pastor is to accept these people by offering spiritual guidance, psychological support, and social encouragement.

Abortion from a Legal and Christian Perspective

Abortion is a very dangerous and complicated phenomenon which leads to the loss of many lives throughout the entire world daily, requiring much study to explain the causes. Many seek to find a solution to address these issues in light of different cultures and their impact on life, current values, ​​and the growth of awareness. Mais Jaraiseh discussed in her research about the seriousness of this phenomenon, what it is in general, how to deal with it, and what is being said about it in various regions and countries.

CEDAW Agreement from the Perspective of the Bible

Raneen Qumsieh studied CEDAW agreement (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) from a Christian point of view – what does the Bible have to say about such agreements? Do its principles correspond to the beliefs and teachings of the Bible? These questions were answered through her research to help Christian women live in a reality that does not contradict the principles of the Bible.

Baptism According to the Bible

Afeef Hanouneh’s project was about baptism, according to the Bible. He studied the topic of baptism from the view of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Christian baptism in the time of the disciples. He also presented the theology of baptism from the point of view of the three churches; Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran.

We are very proud of our students for working so hard on such unique and diverse topics, during a worldwide pandemic. We pray for their future as they are leaving us. May they be faithful workers laboring for the Lord!