The Bible is the most influential text ever written. it is a fascinating book full of wisdom, and should be studied by everyone, even those who do not identify themselves as Christians. however, being a Christian would make your studies much more interesting for you. after all, you’re studying the text that started it all.
why choose an online course to study something like the bible? online courses are great because they respect your time. you don’t have to physically attend classes, and you don’t have set times to learn.
Maybe you have a full-time job, or maybe you can’t get away from home because you’re caring for a loved one. other people just don’t like traveling to and from their university that often, as it includes a lot of downtime.
Online courses solve all these problems. simply connect to the course website and start viewing the lectures remotely. you can freely pause and rewind videos, in case you miss important information.
multiple colleges offer the possibility of following bible courses online for free. Many of these colleges will also provide a certificate as proof of your attendance, although some will charge you for your transcripts.
Naturally, the courses are not just about learning what is written in the Bible. they give you the tools you need to fully read and understand writing. You will gain a greater understanding of the philosophy of religion and what makes religion so important to humans as a species.
Keep reading to find a list of free online Bible courses with certificate of completion.
what can you do with a Bible course certificate?
If all you have is a Bible course certificate, not much in the official sense. It’s not like a full degree that will open many career doors that were previously closed. however, you will gain valuable skills that can be easily transferred to many jobs.
For example, studying the Bible requires a lot of writing and reading, so you can succeed as a writer/editor if you strive to excel at your craft.
Private Christian schools don’t particularly care about typical degrees. You may be allowed to teach even with just a couple of courses under your belt, as long as it’s a good fit for your needs.
but studying the bible is not about advantages in the physical world. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. studying the bible will give you a much better perspective of the spiritual world and will strengthen your relationship with god.
Spiritual wealth is much better than its physical counterpart. embarking on a bible study trip will be extremely rewarding.
You will learn what created Western Civilization as we know it and how Christian philosophy still influences our society after more than 2000 years.
how to choose the right course
We considered many factors when compiling this list.
the curriculum
Some institutes offer a comprehensive Bible education for free, while others only offer smaller courses. which one to choose depends on what you want to do.
smaller courses can be an excellent introduction to biblical studies. maybe you’re just trying to understand the bible and christianity more, and want to read the bible for yourself.
other people are actively seeking to become ministers or continue their education in religious subjects. comprehensive courses are better for them.
certificate/transcript price
yes, we know. the title includes “free online bible courses” but listen to me. sometimes you will have to spend some money to get your certificate.
editor’s note: the courses themselves are all free, money is only needed if you want your certificate/transcript. not all courses require you to pay to get your course.
accessibility
These free online Bible courses are made specifically for people who want to know more about the Bible and Christianity in general. If you plan to become a missionary or minister, the courses offer a solid foundation for further theological study.
The people who benefit most from Bible courses are those with full-time jobs or limited time and/or travel. Going to class takes time, and you also have to be there at the right time.
All courses in this article are 100% online. you can follow them whenever and however you want.
top 8 free online bible courses
There are dozens of free Bible courses online. some are more complete than others. we rounded up the best in this list.
1. courses of the institute of christian leaders
This is by far the best online Bible course you can attend. It’s completely free, including your transcripts, as long as you pass the Christian Leader Basics introductory class (which is also free).
Whether you want to refresh your theological knowledge or become a minister of the faith, this course is for you. completing it will provide you with training to become a certified minister. how cool is that?
The university is accredited, so you know you’re in good hands. offers a real curriculum with high-quality education, all for free.
is an excellent choice if you are an active Christian or a minister, whether volunteer, part-time or full-time. there is a course for everyone. Let’s say you wanted to become a Christian wedding officiant. there is a certificate course for you.
the institute for christian leaders offers more than 100 free courses dedicated to learning more about god and christianity.
Take some time to review the institute’s incredible offerings, and then enroll in the courses that interest you most. there are no time limits, and the courses are free. find out what interests you most, then dive in.
2. international seminar for distance education courses
isdet is an institute that promotes online education at a very low cost for everyone. you just pay a small registration fee when you sign up, and then you’re done.
All you need to enroll in this course is have enough schooling to be eligible to apply to any other undergraduate program. but even that isn’t necessary, as the school might make an exception for you if you’re over 21.
The three degree programs available to students are:
- bth (bachelor’s degree in biblical theology)
- bmin (bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry)
- bre (bachelor’s degree in biblical religious education)
The school provides all materials for free and there is no tuition. You will pay a small registration fee and then another small fee when you graduate for the printing and mailing of the certificates. that’s all.
3. world bible school courses
World Bible School is an institute that offers a plethora of courses on Christianity, including, of course, the Bible.
In fact, the bible has the most complete course with 10 different topics, discussing the scriptures, the path of faith, the good news and everything you need to read and understand the sacred text for yourself.
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Other courses offered by the institute include courses on the prophets, meeting Jesus, life, and family. all topics of great interest to someone who seeks to be trained in Christianity.
all courses offered by the world bible school are completely free, certificate included.
You can easily attend web-based lessons or, if you prefer, you can get printed handouts by mail. Courses are available in four different languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
World Bible School’s biggest disadvantage is not being an accredited school. you cannot get a diploma or a degree. The institute’s mission is to teach people the ways of God for free, it is not in the business of typical education.
You still get a certificate showing you completed the coursework, but don’t assume people will take it seriously at face value, especially if they don’t know about the World Bible School.
4. harvard course on religious literacy
This is an excellent introductory course on religion. It doesn’t focus on Christianity or the Bible, but if you’re looking to expand your knowledge on the subject of religion, it’s a great first step.
What I like about this course is its teaching on the pros and cons of learning about religions through their scriptures, which is extremely relevant to reading and interpreting the bible.
This is a great course for people who feel like they don’t really understand religion and want to know more about it without committing to a specific one.
The course audit itself is free, but if you want the certificate of completion, you’ll need to pay $99. however, the certificate itself is useless in this case, as you are only here to learn more about the religions, what they mean, and how they shaped our history.
5. bold christian university degree programs
bold christian university is a strange case. calls itself a university and offers degree programs, but is not an accredited school. I don’t mind as I don’t think a government should have the power to tell religious institutes what to do, but this fact is important to know.
The institute offers three different degree programs:
- bachelor’s degree in Christian evangelism
- master’s degree in Christian evangelism
- doctorate in Christian evangelism
You will learn everything about Christianity: literature, sociology, evangelism and many other topics. If you’re looking for a degree program that’s completely free and will give you a comprehensive understanding of Christianity and its history, look no further. bold christian university has you covered.
As the name suggests, it is a bold university. sure you won’t miss it. You can tell that a lot of passion and religious fervor went into making the website and all the materials. I suggest you attend this one if you are already convinced of your path to Christianity. otherwise, look for other, more neutral programs.
6. trinity international theological seminary
trinity international theological seminary offers a whopping 13 courses on the bible. These courses are designed for everyone from new Christians to experienced group Bible study leaders.
These are the topics of the courses:
- jesus christ
- salvation
- god
- man
- prayer
- the church
- evangelization
- the holy spirit
- judgment
- the second coming of christ
- prophets and prophecies
- sin from a biblical perspective
- god’s recipe for a happy home
You can request a certificate of completion for any of these courses by submitting one-page essays summarizing your learnings for each course.
if you earn six certificates of achievement, you will be awarded a certificate in bible studies. if you earn twelve certificates, you will earn the seminary diploma in biblical studies.
Editor’s Note: Courses are completely free, but each Certificate of Achievement will cost you $20. so if you want to get the seminary diploma in biblical studies, you need to pay $240 for all twelve certificates.
7. open yale courses in religious studies
yale is an ivy league school that offers many online courses to the public completely free of charge. I know they don’t exactly fit this list, as they don’t offer a certificate upon completion, but they are offered by such a high-quality university that not including them felt wrong.
There are 2 courses available through the Yale Open Courses platform:
- introduction to the old testament (hebrew bible)
- introduction to the history and literature of the new testament
Even if you’re looking for a course that comes with a certificate, I suggest you check out these two courses that Yale offers. they are an excellent introduction to religious studies and will make your study path much easier in the future.
⚠Warning: These courses do not come with any certificates. they are purely available to learn more about the bible itself.
8. dallas theological seminary courses
the university of dallas offers many free online bible courses, including:
- evangelization
- exodus
- thessalonians
- names and attributes of god
- corinthians
- james
- daniel
and many more. you can find all the courses on the linked page. If you are looking for a course that explains the scriptures in depth, you will be hard pressed to find a better one than this one.
Completing these courses will take a long time. many of these courses last several weeks and there are 20 of them. Finishing the seminar will make you a Bible expert, but don’t expect it to be easy.
Editor’s note: The website doesn’t mention if you get a certificate when you complete a course.
conclusion
There you have it, a list of the best online Bible courses. making the list was difficult. there is a lot to talk about in religion, and it is a touchy subject for many people. In addition, the Bible is a universe in itself, so it is difficult to find high-quality courses on it.
By attending any of the courses on this list, you will gain a much deeper understanding of religion, scripture, and how humans interact with religion.
You will be armed with the knowledge to read the Bible for yourself and make sense of it. you will even be able to spread the good news to the people around you. spiritual awakening is one of the most intense experiences you can have in life, and these Bible courses are a great first step towards it.
what are you waiting for? Enroll in one of the courses I mentioned in this article and become a Bible expert to guide your friends/neighbors/community to their spiritual awakening.
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