Love of God Course Workbook

This course is offered for free for two main reasons—simply because the love of God is freely offered to everyone and because MSI desires that everyone has the opportunity to see what an MSI course is like at no cost. It is the author’s intent that this workbook be used in conjunction with the course videos (mjsi.org/p/love) and supplemented with both private and group study of the materials.

What is Biblical love? Biblical love is much more about action than emotion, though it involves both. It is far more outward, action-oriented, & practical than the concept of love that has come to dominate contemporary Western culture. We will discover how God could command love for Himself in Deuteronomy 6:5 and for ‘neighbor’ in Leviticus 19:18b—which Yeshua (Jesus) refers to as the greatest commandments.

Finally, we will discover that Biblical love is the wondrous, privileged obligation to act in covenant fidelity (faithfulness), servanthood (service and instrumental help), and obedience (the responsive carrying out of one’s covenantal promises and responsibilities) out of gratitude for being in covenant relationship. In short, love is the action of letting covenant character flow forth in the nitty-gritty of our everyday lives.

We are humbly confident that our courses will help empower you to be transformed by the rich Jewish heritage and essence of the faith. MSI’s dynamic curriculum unlocks the Biblical languages, Scripture in its continuity from Genesis to Revelation, and the Messianic Jewish worldview important to understanding and knowing the one true living God and Yeshua the Messiah. 

For this reason, MSI uses “restorative terminology.” For example, sometimes we use the personal name of God, abbreviated as ‘YHWH’, and other times the term ‘LORD’ (all caps), or ‘ADONAI’. We also use the term ‘Yeshua’ instead of ‘Jesus’, ‘Messiah’ instead of ‘Christ’, ‘Tanakh’ instead of ‘Old Testament’, and ‘B’rit Hadashah Scriptures’ or ‘New Covenant Scriptures’ instead of ‘New Testament’. This restorative nomenclature is all part of empowering you to be transformed by the Jewish heritage and essence of the faith.

Henri’s primary interests include the Biblical languages (specializing in Biblical Greek), the study of the New Covenant Scriptures from the "Within Second Temple Judaism Perspective", hermeneutics, the Jewish-Greco-Roman milieu of the New Covenant Scriptures, Paul's theologizing, the kingship of God, ancient rhetoric, conceptual metaphor, and the Jewish Pseudepigrapha. He is a member of the SBL and has served as an Adjunct Instructor of Biblical Greek and NT at Ashland Seminary. Henri currently serves as the Executive Director and Academic Dean of MSI, as well as the Education Coordinator of Beth Messiah Congregation.

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Cape Town, Biblical Studies, 2017; S.T.M., Trinity Seminary, Biblical Studies, 2007; M.A., Ashland Theological Seminary, Biblical Studies, 2003; B.S., The Ohio State University, Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1984.

Other Courses Taught

Greek I-V, Intermediate Greek, Philippians in Greek, Keys to Bible Study I & II (Hermeneutics), Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of John, Worthy Living: Philippians, Hebrews, James, Jude, Revelation, Jewish Heritage and Essence of the Faith, Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, One God-One Book-One Story, Introducing Women of the Bible, The Love of God, The Kingship of God, Experiencing the Glory of God, Early Hymns to Yeshua the Messiah, God's Election of Israel, Slaves of God & Messiah, Melchizedek: King of Shalem