To See Biblical Christianity Take Root in Johannesburg
Rosebank Union Church School of the Bible
The RUC School of the Bible aims to help Christians know, understand and apply the Scriptures to their daily lives.
This is no simple task! The Bible is a majestic collection of sixty-six divinely-inspired, yet humanly-authored books, spanning a millennium and a half, and comprising narrative, poetry, song, annals, genealogy, lament, law, letter, testament, wisdom, history, teaching and prophecy, all of which coheres around the storyline of Jesus the Messiah!
Continuous immersion in the Scriptures is therefore a thrilling exercise at the least, not to mention being the prescribed way that believers will grow in their faith.
The School of the Bible will assist believers at any stage of their Christian journey, whether you are building your foundation of faith, or building on it.
The outcome of these courses is therefore not for any formal accreditation or training in vocational ministry (there are other Bible and Theological Colleges that do that!), but rather to equip Christians in the context of their daily lives.
2025 courses
All classes will run from 19:00-21:00 on Monday evenings at RUC
Overview of the Bible
3 Feb – 27 Oct 2025
(with a break in April)
Accreditation: None, but voluntary exercises and assignments will be made available. Participation is highly encouraged!
Lecturer: Megan Braithwaite
Over the course of eight months students will gain an overview of every book of the Bible. The course starts with a three-week block exploring the over-arching narrative of Scripture and its key themes, as well as the historical and cultural settings of the Bible.
Thereafter the student will move sequentially through the canon of Scripture gaining insight into the general content, themes and contribution to the overall storyline.
Students can choose to participate only in certain sections of the course if need be (ie students don’t have to commit to the whole year, although that would be more beneficial)
Immersive study of Isaiah
3 Feb – 9 June**, Isaiah 1-12 or 14
Accreditation: None, but weekly self-study of the following weeks’ texts will be encouraged.
Lecturer: Michael Van Andel
Isaiah is the next major book that will be preached at RUC, though this course will explore the prophet in greater depth, and equip students to be better readers of biblical texts. In part, this will involve learning to see the structure and flow of passages and reflecting on how to apply the Hebrew Bible to our lives today. The goal of this is to know God more deeply by knowing his word, and to strive to live lives that are more pleasing in his eyes.
Along with working through the text carefully and unpacking major themes and emphases, we will consider how Isaiah prophecies events that stretch to the final days of this world, and beyond. Isaiah is one of the two books from the Hebrew Bible that the New Testament quotes most frequently, so we will look at how the New Testament uses Isaiah as well as explore various Messianic prophecies that stretch across both his first coming and his return.
**There is recess in April and the course schedule may not sync exactly with the sermon series.
Fundamentals of the Faith
5 May – 4 Aug 2025
Accreditation: None, but students will work through a participants guide, which will include written exercises.
Lecturer: Zwai Zulu
Fundamentals of the Faith is a 13-week course designed to ground you in the essential truths of Christianity. Through a blend of biblical teaching and practical application, this course covers topics such as the character of God, the person and work of Christ, and what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus.
Whether you are a new believer seeking to deepen your understanding or simply looking to revisit the foundations of your faith, this study provides a solid framework for spiritual growth. Classes are held every Monday evening, with groups meeting to explore these truths in a personal and interactive way.
Venue allocations will be according to class size, emails with details will be sent to all registered students
* The cost for all our courses is R400pm. This covers the costs of tuition, materials, facilities and refreshments.
Our lecturers may also recommend further reading, which will be at the student’s own expense.
Bursaries are available, so please contact us to apply. We don’t want any interested student not to have the opportunity to study due to financial constraints!
Faculty
Megan Braithwaite
Megan has a Masters of Theology and is currently completing her PhD in Bible Translation. Having lectured at the Baptist Theological College for 13 years, she is currently serving the global church through various organisations such as the Lausanne Movement, Re-Forma, and Wycliffe.
Michael Van Andel
Michael is a founder of Truthwalk - a biblical discipleship ministry that seeks to encourage the equipping and training of all believers, including leaders in both suburban and township contexts. Michael is passionate about helping people grow in their knowledge and application of God’s Word, irrespective of their starting points, so they can more effectively serve God where He has placed them. At present, Michael is furthering his studies in Biblical Greek and Classical Hebrew through the Polis Institute in Jerusalem.
Zwai Zulu
Zwai is the Pastor of Discipleship at Rosebank Union Church, where he has served as Pastor for five years. He has a bachelors degree in Theology, with special interest in teaching and discipleship. Zwai served as a Director of Campus Outreach for 9 years prior to joining the staff at RUC
ONLINE LEARNING
A similar overview of the Bible Course (called ‘Theology 101’) was presented by Dr Gerhard Venter, then Discipleship Pastor at RUC, under the banner of ‘Rosebank Bible College’.
These lectures are freely available here
REGISTER
To register for one of our courses please fill out the form below:
The cost for all our courses is R400pm. This covers the costs of tuition, materials, facilities and refreshments.
Our lecturers may also recommend further reading, which will be at the student’s own expense.
Bursaries are available, so please contact us here to apply. We don’t want any interested student not to have the opportunity to study due to financial constraints!
For any queries please contact us