The gospels indicate that Jesus had a number of encounters with people before his large public ministry. In this class, we will look at four of these encounters: the calling of the first disciples, the miracle at Cana, the discussion with Nicodemus, and meeting the Samaritan woman. Each of these has a fascinating cultural context which unlocks their meaning. These stories are in the Gospel of John, so we will also link them to the larger purposes of the fourth gospel. 

Subject: biblical studies 

Gary M. Burge, Ph.D., is a recently retired professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. He has written extensively on both the New Testament and the intersection of theology and history in modern Israel. His specialty is exploring the cultural context of the gospels, particularly the fourth gospel, about which he has written four books.