Overview…

Shalom!  Welcome!  I am excited to introduce
“Ariel College of the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies.”

This short overview is a great place to begin as you consider taking one course or an entire degree program with us.

May the God of Jacob guide your steps,

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, ThM, PhD

Founder

Ariel College of the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies

WHAT IS ARIEL COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE AND MESSIANIC JEWISH STUDIES?

MISSION STATEMENT:

“Ariel College of the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies (ACB-MJS) is an online Bible college that specializes in teaching the Bible and Theology from a Messianic Jewish perspective, for the glory of God and the good of His people.”

 

VISION STATEMENT:

“The vision of ACB-MJS is to be recognized as the best online Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies college in the world, in the eyes of God and His people.”

 

FOUNDING AND HISTORY OF ACB-MJS:

  • “For every house is built by someone; but He that built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4).  It is the Lord who founded this ministry, and it is the Lord who faithfully sustains it day by day, year by year.  Below is a summary of some of the ways that God directed the steps of His servants to establish ACB-MJS.

  • The Lord moved the heart of Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, ThM, PhD. to establish Ariel Ministries in 1977.  By God’s grace and empowerment, the ministry grew and prospered.  In 2016, one of the members of the Ariel Board of Directors suggested that Ariel Ministries launch a new division, “Ariel Online Courses,” to serve a four-fold purpose:
    • (1) To preserve and disseminate the teaching legacy of Dr. Fruchtenbaum by creating high-quality, closed-studio videos of his lectures for future generations.
    • (2) To incorporate these video lectures into college and seminary-level online courses and make them available to anyone, anywhere, at any time, at very affordable prices.
    • (3) To provide entire courses on individual books of the Bible, all taught from a Messianic Jewish perspective and geared towards life-long learning (not just a degree).
    • (4) To help ensure that through these courses, Ariel Ministries continues to teach sound doctrine framed upon Ariel’s rules of interpretation, normative (classic) dispensationalism, premillennial and pretribulational eschatology, Ariel’s Israelology, and other key doctrinal positions (e.g., complementarianism). 
  • Dr. Fruchtenbaum and the Ariel Board approved the plan, so one of the Board members stepped off the Board to launch and oversee this new division of Ariel named “Ariel Online Courses.”  God richly blessed this effort, and enrollment quickly grew.
  • In 2021, Dr. Adler and Dr. Storm proposed advancing the program into an online Bible college while retaining the four-fold purpose. Dr. Fruchtenbaum selected the name of the college, “Ariel College of the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies,” to help ensure that the focus always remains on the Bible and Messianic Jewish Studies.  
  • In 2024, Dr. Fruchtenbaum selected Dr. Tim M. Sigler to be the CEO of Ariel Ministries.  Dr. Sigler also serves as the President of ACB-MJS.  Dr. Fruchtenbaum continues writing Bible commentaries, teaching, preaching, and recording ACB-MJS online courses.  

CAN I JUST TAKE ONE OR TWO COURSES?

  • Yes!  You can take a course “a la carte” any time!
  • You will learn more about this in STEP 2, “CHOOSE A PLAN.”

 

DEGREES:

  • All degrees are in one major only, “Biblical and Messianic Jewish Studies.”
  • Completing 20 full-credit ACB-MJS courses earns students an associate degree, 40 courses a bachelor’s, and 60 courses a master’s. All courses are three credit hours each except for some of the Foundation courses (see “Foundations” in the “List of Courses” section below).
  • All students begin at the associate level regardless of prior training, courses, or degrees.  We do this because of our unique focus on the Messianic Jewish perspective in our courses and our theological and doctrinal positions.
  • Students pursuing a degree from us can select any Tier 1 or Tier 2 courses in any desired order.  However, those courses comprised of multiple parts (e.g., the four Life of Yeshua courses and the two Eschatology/Revelation courses) must be taken sequentially.
  • Students pursuing a degree must complete Interpretive Foundations (FND 104).  Three one-credit courses, FND 101, 102, and 103, will be required later in our program (they are not currently required for the associate degree).
  • We are a new college, and we will be adding new courses each year. 

 

COSTS AND FEES:

  • The tuition cost for non-credit (audit-only) courses ranges from $50 to $75.
  • The cost for full-credit courses ranges from $125 to $375. This is far below what most other colleges charge for online courses.  
  • We keep our prices extremely low because we do not want the costs to be a burden to any of our students.
  • We are only able to provide these courses at such low prices because of the sacrificial financial giving of believers who donate to this division of Ariel. 
  • You will see specific course prices in the “Catalog” item on the navigation bar.

 

ACCREDITATION:

We are a new school and are not currently seeking accreditation.  Our focus now is to develop our courses and program in ways well-pleasing to God so that we are fully aligned with His Word and His will.  If at some point the Lord wants us to seek accreditation then of course we will do that.  If you need a degree from an accredited college for work/employment, or for ordination from a denomination, or to transfer credits to another college, or to apply to another college/seminary, then you would need a degree from an accredited college, so ACB-MJS would not be the right choice in such cases.   

LIST OF ACB-MJS COURSES:
CURRENT AND PLANNED

Click the arrows to the left of each of the eight headings below (A-H) for the listings of the courses under each discipline. 

  1. Doctrinal Foundations: Essential Doctrines, Getting the Gospel Right, and ACB-MJS Distinctives (1Credit) (FND 101)*
  2. Personal Foundations: Spiritual, Physical, Mental, Emotional, Financial, Relational, Marital, Social, and Vocational Health (1 Credit) (FND 102)*
  3. Academic Foundations: Introduction to college-level writing skills, academic/theological reading and research methods, evaluating arguments and truth claims, and use of Messianic Jewish terminology (1 credit) (FND 103)*
  4. Interpretive Foundations: Introduction to Hermeneutics and Bible Study Methods (FND 104)*
  5. Bachelors and Masters Graduation Capstone – Paper/Presentation (0 Credits) (FND 105)*
  6. Mastering Logos Bible Software (1 credit) (FND 201)
  7. Advanced Topics in Biblical Hermeneutics (FND 202)
  8. Advanced Topics in Dispensationalism (FND 203)

FND 104 is required of all Tier 1-2 students.  FND 101, 102, and 103 are not currently required but will be after they are developed.

  1. Introduction to the Messianic Jewish Faith: The Biblical Basis for the Messianic Jewish Distinctive, Historical Survey, Relationship to Modern Judaism and the State of Israel, Law of Moses/Law of Messiah and the Sabbath (JHC 101)
  2. Introduction to the Messianic Jewish Life: Evangelism (Sharing the Good News with the Jewish People), MJ Discipleship, Congregations, Customs, Practices, Organizations, and Controversies (JHC102)
  3. Introduction to Rabbinic Judaism: Basic Tenets, Historical Survey, Contemporary Landscape, Customs, and Practices (JHC 103)
  4. Messianic Prophecy and Jewish Outreach: A Study of Old Testament Prophecy Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah (JHC 104)
  5. The Feasts and Fasts of Israel (JHC 201)
  6. Messianic Jewish Apologetics I (JHC 202)
  7. Messianic Jewish Apologetics II (JHC 203)
  8. The Holocaust and the History of Antisemitism: A Historical and Theological Study (JHC 204)
  9. Survey of Rabbinic Literature and Rabbinic Interpretation: Past and Present (JHC 205)
  10. Messianic Jewish Leadership: Planning, Planting, Managing, Serving, and Leading a Messianic Jewish Congregation (JHC 301)
  11. Messianic Jewish Exposition: Preaching, Teaching, and Communication Skills (JHC 302)
  1. The Life of Yeshua from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, Part One: From Birth to the Public Proclamation of His Messiahship (BHD 101)
  2. The Life of Yeshua from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, Part Two: From the Beginning of His Public Ministry to the National Rejection of His Messiahship and His Journey to Jerusalem in Preparation for the Feasts of Tabernacles. (BHD 102)
  3. The Life of Yeshua from a Messianic Jewish Perspective Part Three: The last six-month period of the life of Messiah, from the Feast of Tabernacles to the agony of Gethsemane. (BHD103)
  4. The Life of Yeshua from a Messianic Jewish Perspective, Part Four: From the Arrest, Trials, and Crucifixion to His Resurrection and Ascension. (BHD 104)
  5. The Book of Acts (BHD 105)
  6. The Book of Romans (BHD 106)
  7. The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One: The Book of Hebrews (BHD 107)
  8. The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part Two: James, I & II Peter, and Jude (BHD 108)
  9. The Books of 1st and 2nd Corinthians (BHD 202)
  10. The Books of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (BHD 203)
  11. The Books of First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus, First, Second, and Third John (BHD 204)
  12. *The Book of Revelation is covered in MJT 204-205
  1. The Book of Genesis: Part 1 (TNK 101)
  2. The Book of Genesis: Part 2 (TNK 102)
  3. The Book of Exodus (TNK 103)
  4. The Book of Leviticus (TNK 104)
  5. The Book of Numbers (TNK 105)
  6. The Book of Deuteronomy (TNK 106)
  7. The Books of Joshua (TNK 201)
  8. The Books of Judges and Ruth (TNK 202)
  9. The Books of First and Second Samuel (TNK 203)
  10. The Books of First and Second Kings (TNK 204)
  11. The Books of First and Second Chronicles (TNK 205)
  12. The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (TNK 206)
  13. The Book of Job (TNK 301)
  14. The Book of Psalms (TNK 302)
  15. The Book of Proverbs (TNK 303)
  16. The Books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs (TNK 304)
  17. The Book of Isaiah (TNK 401)
  18. The Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations (TNK 402)
  19. The Book of Ezekiel (TNK 403)
  20. The Book of Daniel (TNK 404)
  21. The Books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah (TNK 501)
  22. The Books of Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (TNK 502)
  23. The Books of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (TNK 503)
  1. Introduction to Systematic Theology, Bibliology, and Dispensationalism (MJT 101)
  2. Theology Proper and the Triunity of God (MJT 102)
  3. Christology (The Doctrine of the Messiah) (MJT 103)
  4. Pneumatology (The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit) (MJT 104)
  5. Angelology, Demonology, Satanology (MJT 105)
  6. Biblical Anthropology & Hamartiology (MJT 106)
  7. Soteriology & Sanctification (MJT 107)
  8. A Dispensational Israelology  (MJT 108)
  9. The Israelology of Covenantalism and Supercessionism (MJT 201)
  10. Ecclessiology (MJT 202)
  11. Biblical Nomology: The Law of Moses and the Law of Messiah (MJT 203)
  12. Eschatology and the Book of Revelation, Part One (MJT 204)
  13. Eschatology and the Book of Revelation, Part Two (MJT 205)
  14. Personal Eschatology: The Doctrine of the Future of the Soul (MJT 206)
  15. The Theology of Rabbinic Judaism (MJT 301)
  1. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: Level One (HEB 101)
  2. Biblical Hebrew: Level Two (HEB 201)
  3. Biblical Hebrew: Level Three (HEB 202)
  4. Biblical Hebrew: Level Four (HEB 301)
  5. Biblical Hebrew: Level Five (HEB 302)
  6. Modern Hebrew: Level One (HEB 303)
  7. Modern Hebrew: Level Two (HEB 304)
  8. Introduction to Biblical Aramaic (ARM 305)
  1. Biblical Greek: Level One (GRK 201)
  2. Biblical Greek: Level Two (GRK 202)
  3. Biblical Greek: Level Three (GRK 301)
  4. Biblical Greek: Level Four (GRK 302)
  1. Zionism and the History of the State of Israel (IJT 201)
  2. Israel Today: Social, Political, Geographical, and Religious Overview (IJT 202)
  3. The Tabernacle, the Temple, and Jerusalem: Past and Present (IJT 203)
  4. Introduction to Biblical Archaeology in the Land of Israel (IJT 204)

WHO ARE THE LEADERS, FACULTY, AND STUDENTS?

LEADERSHIP:

  • Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Founder
  • Dr. Tim Sigler, President
  • Dr. Mark Adler, Vice President and Provost
  • The Board of Directors comprises men who meet the biblical requirements for eldership and are fully aligned with Ariel Ministries’ doctrinal statement.

FACULTY:

  • Dr. Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Sigler, Dr. Adler, and other gifted men of God who serve as adjunct professors.
  • All faculty and leadership must fully agree with the ACB-MJS doctrinal statement.  All those in leadership and all faculty are men, in obedience to the commands in 1 Timothy 2:11-14.  
  • We require all faculty to have at least a Master’s degree from a seminary; most faculty have terminal degrees (Th.D. or Ph.D.).

STUDENTS:

  • We have hundreds of students taking our courses from around the world. Most of our students are adult learners.
  • We maintain an open-enrollment policy and there are no entrance requirements for the Associate’s Degree program.
  • Students will need to pass a writing-proficiency requirement to earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from ACB-MJS.

 

Proceed to Step #2 “Choose a Plan”