The following IBRI publications are available as Kindle eBooks and may be purchased from Amazon.com. The titles below link to the corresponding Kindle web page which has the full abstract and includes sample pages. Complete books are $2.99 and other papers and reports are $0.99 each. Some "Occasional Papers" are individual articles from Interpretation and History, Understanding the Bible, and other compilations. All eBooks are © Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute.
| Category |
Pub# |
Author |
Title (click to access Amazon title) |
Abstract (See Amazon for full abstract) |
Date |
| Book | ##### | Chinn, Douglas S. & Chinn, Virginia F. |
Post-Trib Alternative to the Pre-Trib Rapture | Will Christians who are alive at the time go through the great tribulation, or will they be snatched away to heaven and escape this fearful period? The seven major points of conflict between the pre-tribulational and post-tribulational models of the rapture are here considered. Both alternatives are examined, and how each handles the various biblical passages. It is suggested that the post-tribulational model best fits the biblical data. | 1991 |
| Book | ## | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Understanding the Bible | A number of essays in theology and apologetics (defense of the faith). These sixteen papers deal with a wide range of subjects, ranging from tongue-speaking to the Trinity, from evolution to eschatology (teaching about the end-times). | 2000 |
| Book | ## | Harris, Quek & Vannoy | Interpretation & History | A volume of essays written and presented to Dr. Allan A. MacRae by his former pupils on the occasion of his eighty-fourth birthday. The book concerns vital issues affecting the interpretation of the Bible and the understanding of certain historical problems. It comprises contributions by seventeen scholars (besides a few others) | 1986 |
| Book | ## | Hoover, David P. | The Defeasible Pumpkin | A critique of presuppositionalism of the sort advocated by Cornelius Van Til. This is presented (for popular consumption) in the form of a reunion of the now middle-aged characters from the comic strip Peanuts. Charlie Brown is an evangelical Christian and Linus a believer in the Great Pumpkin, but both are presuppositionalists in their advocacy and defense of their respective faiths. How can Charlie help Linus to see that Christianity really is the truth? A more technical philosophical presentation is given in a separate section for those who are so inclined. | 1997 |
| Book | ## | MacRae, Allan A. |
Biblical Christianity | A collection of over 100 letters written by Prof Allan A MacRae, responding in some detail to the many questions he was asked over his long career as teacher on the faculties of Westminster, Faith, and Biblical Theological Seminaries. Topics include languages, Bible texts and versions, biblical interpretation and reliability, the JEDP theory, biblical numerics, creation, baptism, eschatology, education, communism, dispensationalism, and a number of other subjects. | 1994 |
| Book | ## | MacRae, Allan A. | Gospel of Isaiah | For most people, Isaiah chapters 40-56 seems like a long collection of isolated verses. Though it contains many beautiful gems such as those immortalized in Handel’s Messiah, these are separated by passages that often seem comparatively meaningless. Here the author shows that this whole section has a wonderful unity which sometimes lies hidden below the surface. Reading this book, you will be able to see the passage in a new light, to understand how its parts fit together, and to relive the gradual process of thought that reaches its great climax in the moving account of the sufferings of Jesus, and the glory that will follow. | 1977 |
| Book | ## | MacRae, Allan A. | JEDP: Lectures on the Higher Criticism of the Pentateuch | Seminary-level lectures on the liberal theories that Moses did not write the first five books of the Bible, but that they were assembled from several conflicting documents written hundreds of years after his time. These lectures trace the history of the various early documentary theories. The author critiques the several arguments for dividing the Pentateuch into documents. He concludes by responding to claims that the alleged documents show the development of Israel's religious ideas. | 1994 |
| Book | ## | MacRae, Allan A. | Studies in Isaiah | A section-by-section study of the prophet's message, showing how each passage is clarified as a result of seeing how it fits into the flow of the book as a whole, and into the historical situation of Isaiah and his contemporaries. This survey of Isaiah has been acclaimed by many as especially helpful for understanding Isaiah’s message. | 1995 |
| Book | ## | MacRae, Allan A. | The Prophecies of Daniel | An examination of the major predictive passages in the book of Daniel, providing “seasoned and responsible exegesis of passages containing some of the most difficult interpretive problems in the Bible … in a style that is accessible to lay readers as well as those trained in Biblical studies. | 1991 |
| Book | ## | Newman, Robert C. | The Biblical Firmament: Vault or Vapor? | Some think the Bible teaches that the sky is a huge metal dome, "the firmament." Others say the Bible is referring to our atmosphere when it uses this word. Who is right? In this book we take a look at the biblical data, both the original words and the contexts in which they occur, and seek to constructa model that is consistent with this data and with the Bible's own claims to be a revelation from the Creator of the universe. | 2000 |
| Book | ## | Newman, Robert C. (Author, Editor), Bloom, John A. (Author), Frederick A. Aston (Author), Samuel H. Kellogg (Author), Eugenie Johnston (Author), Robert W. Manweiler (Author), Perry G. Phillips (Author), Calvin E. Stowe (Author), Elaine A. Phillips (Author) | Evidence of Prophecy | One of the most powerful evidences for the truth of biblical Christianity is the fulfillment of predictions made in Scripture. Here, nine authors discuss prophecies made centuries in advance about Israel, her neighbors, and her Messiah. Specific attempts to explain these away as vague, misinterpreted, or written after the event are countered. If you have ever wondered whether or not there is objective evidence to answer the ultimate questions, you should read this book. | 1988 |
| Book | ## | Newman, Robert C. | Lectures on the Synoptic Gospels | An edited transcription of lectures given for a number of years at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, as videotaped and recorded in June of 2012. Lectures cover the Historical Jesus, Miracles, Intertestament Background, Introduction to Exegesis, Authorship and Date of the Synoptics, Their Characteristics, Introduction to and Exegesis of Parables, Literary Approach to the Gospels, the Synoptic Problem, Geography of Palestine and Jerusalem, Exegesis of Miracle Accounts, Biblical Theology of the Synoptics, Exegesis of Controversy Accounts, Form Criticism, and Redaction Criticism. | 2014 |
| Book | ## | Newman, Robert C., Phillips, Eckelmann | Genesis One & the Origin of the Earth | How did the world begin? How long did creation take? What is the age of the earth? Both science and the Bible have something to say about these questions, but sometimes the two seem to conflict. Do they really conflict? The authors propose that these and other questions of origins can only be resolved by carefully considering both the data of Scripture and the data of science. Newman and Phillips both have doctorates in astrophysics and advanced degrees in biblical studies. | 2007 (Rev.) |
| Book | ## | Newman, Neil | Muhammad, Qur’an & Islam | An attempt is made to integrate information from the Sira traditions, Qur’anic research and many other sources to obtain a better understanding of the origins and development of Islam. | 1996 |
| Book | ## | Newquist, David |
Natural Science & Christian Faith | This book is written for Christians and non-Christians, for scientists and non-scientists, who seek answers about how science and the Christian faith fit together. The focus is on basic issues and "conflicts" that se.em to arise as sincere men and women contemplate matters of science, faith and philosophy. Chinese Version : 自 然科學與信仰 (2009) | 2002 |
| Book | ## | Pun, Pattle T. |
Evolution: Nature & Scripture in Conflict? | Evolution: Nature and Scripture in Conflict? Examines the historical development, the philosophical and biblical implications, and the scientific bases of the theory of evolution. It gives a critical evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the theory. This book also evaluates all forms of the contemporary dialogue among evangelical scholars on the issues of creation and evolution and should help the read make an intelligent decision in the current debate on the teaching of creation and evolution in the public school | 2002 |
| Book | ## | Wiester | Genesis Connection | The creation-evolution controversy is something of a culture
war, being waged today in the classrooms, courts and press. Advocates
on both sides often do more to escalate the war than they do to
understand each other. The author of this unique study compares the
entire creation account of Genesis 1 with the latest scientific
evidence, presenting the major events in the history of the cosmos,
planet Earth, and life upon it. |
1983 |
| Book | ## | Wonderly, Daniel E. | God’s Time-Records in Ancient Sediments | How old is the earth? This question is a matter of great controversy among conservative Christians, as many of them believe that the Bible requires a young earth only some few thousands of years old. Here the author gives a detailed presentation of geological evidences for an old earth, most of which are unrelated to radioactive-decay dating techniques. Wonderly, a Bible-believer himself, discusses the basis for our knowledge of God and His world, and he reviews various responses by Christians to geologic evidences. | 1977 |
| Book | ## | Wonderly, Daniel E. |
Neglect of Geologic Data | This book evaluates problematic statements made by young-earth creationist authors in the light of well-established data and principles of sedimentary geology. Subjects discussed include ancient erosion surfaces, great thicknesses of strata, rock formation processes, absent strata, rapid burials, fossil distribution, ecological zoning, evaporites, and cyclic strata. This work also attempts to enlist creationists in a serious study of the actual characteristics of the earth's sedimentary strata. | 1987 |
| Research Report | RR 1 | Newman, Robert C. | The Historicity of the Biblical Narratives of Easter Week | This is the positive presentation of a debate on the
resurrection, which took place at Cornell University in the spring of
1980. We respond to standard arguments against the miraculous. We
compare the New Testament documents with other ancient histories. The
details of Easter week are sketched, noting the overlap and uniqueness
of the four Gospel accounts. |
1980 |
| Research Report | RR 2 | Newman, Robert C. | The Synoptic Problem: Handling both Internal & External Evidence | Matthew and Luke are often thought to have copied much of their material from Mark, even though this solution involves rejecting the early traditions regarding their origins. But how can these traditions square with the internal evidence on which the dominant two-document theory was built? Here we suggest a solution which does justice to both the internal and external evidence. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 3 | Chinn & Newman, Robert C. | Demystifying the Controversy over the TR & the KJV | The main arguments used by proponents of the Textus Receptus and/or the King James Version as the only acceptable Bible are examined and seen to be fallacious. The KJV and the TR suffer from the same "problems" as the Alexandrian text and its modern translations. Some suggestions are made regarding what appear to be the real reasons lying behind the heated advocacy of the TR and KJV. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 4 | Marchant | The Census of Quirinius | Critics have objected to every statement of fact in the census account of Luke 2:1-5. Here the critical view is analyzed with special attention to Quirinius' association with this census. A false correlation by critics between Luke's narrative and a later census described by Josephus seems to be the error involved. Although as yet no independent confirmation of Luke's census has turned up, similar events from the same period and locale substantiate every statement of his account. | 1980 |
| Research Report | RR 5 | Dunzweiler | Are the Bibles in Our Possession Inspired? | Various views of the nature of biblical inspiration are sketched, and the Bible is seen to support the organic view. How does inspiration apply to copies beyond the autographs? A quality which we may call "inspiredness," which is a result of inspiration, is present in the copies to the extent that they approximate the autographs. Thus, one can properly claim to preach the Word of God today. | 1981 |
| Research Report | RR 6 | Newman, Robert C. | The New Testament Model of the Messiah | Various attempts were made in the centuries following the completion of the Old Testament to understand its prophecies regarding the coming Messiah -- by the rabbis, the Qumran community, the authors of the apocalyptic literature, and the writers of the New Testament. Here these attempts are compared with the Old Testament data to show the striking superiority of the New Testament model in fitting certain paradoxical features. | 1988 |
| Research Report | RR 7 | Hoover | The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer | Some strengths and weaknesses of Schaeffer's apologetic approach are analyzed. Various criticisms of Schaeffer are discussed. Though Schaeffer's diagnoses sometimes miss their targets, he brings us face-to-face with the need of working for a culturally-deep Christianity. | 1981 |
| Research Report | RR 8 | Grossman | The Rapture: Before or After the Tribulation? | A fresh study of (1) the relationship of dispensationalism to the rapture question, (2) the nature of the tribulation, (3) the doctrine of imminency, (4) the New Testament evidence of eschatological chronology, and (5) a post-tribulational proposal. | 1981 |
| Research Report | RR 9 | Newman, Robert C. | The Time of the Messiah | Historical sources from the first two centuries AD indicate that the Messiah was expected to appear somewhere around that time in fulfillment of some Old Testament prophecy. We suggest this prophecy was that found in Daniel 9, verses 24-27. By taking the "weeks" or "sevens" of this prophecy to be the Old Testament seven-year land use cycle, the result points to Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy. | 1981 |
| Research Report | RR 10 | Bossard, David C. |
Information & Order in the Universe | Secular models for the origin of life are probed. Some fundamental concepts of mathematical probability and information theory are reviewed. These are applied to recent findings in genetics. | 1982 |
| Research Report | RR 11 | Hoover | For the Sake of Argument (Van Til) | In this essay, one major school of apologetics -- Presuppositionalism -- is taken up by assessing its logical structure in the writings of its most well-known representative, Cornelius Van Til. The author's conclusion with regard to Van Til's presuppositionalism is that the Christian's apologetic task has been greatly frustrated, in effect, by the replacement of that task with an obscure philosophy about reason-giving. | 1982 |
| Research Report | RR 12 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Proposed Creationist Alternative | A series of four lectures which suggest a way in which both Biblical and scientific data concerning the nature of God's creative activity can be synthesized in a unified creationist view as an alternative to evolutionism. | 1983 |
| Research Report | RR 13 | Newman, Robert C. | Council of Jamnia & the OT Canon | A basic feature of most liberal theories of the Old Testament canon is an alleged council held at Jamnia about AD 90 which is supposed to have canonized, or at least finalized, the Writings or Hagiographa, the third division of the Hebrew Old Testament. In this paper -- a reprint of the article appearing in the Westminster Theological Journal 38 (Spring, 1976) -- the Talmudic evidence for such a council is surveyed. It is concluded that there is no real evidence for such a council nor for any binding canonical decisions at that time. Instead there appears to have existed a consensus on the content of the Old Testament in the first century AD which was already ancient at that time. | 1983 |
| Research Report | RR 14 | Bloom, John |
Hosea's Adulterous Wife | Hosea chapter 3 contains one of the most striking of all Biblical prophecies: The detailed prediction of six prominent sociological features which have characterized the Israelite people since their dispersion in 70 AD. While this prophecy is obscured by many translations and allegorical interpretations, or dismissed by higher critical analysis, its clarity becomes evident when the parallelisms between the Hosea-Gomer and God-Israel relationships are considered. As a part of this comparison, a historical survey of the prophecy's fulfillment to date is also presented. | 1982 |
| Research Report | RR 15 | Newman, Robert C. | Critical Examination of Modern Cosmological Theories | Basic scientific data on the nature of the universe are presented. These include: the structure and energy sources of stars, stellar distances, Olber's paradox, galaxies and their redshifts, cosmic distance scales, quasars, and the three degree blackbody radiation. Various cosmologies, both secular and Christian, are tested by this data. | 1982 |
| Research Report | RR 16 | Wonderly | Coral Reefs & Related Carbonate Structures | Evidence is abundant in the geologic literature that the earth is quite old, though this is typically overlooked or disregarded by young earth creationists. Many large, biologically built, in situ structures are found throughout the world in limestone and dolostone formations, such as modern and ancient coral atolls, the Grand Bahama Bank, and fossilized hardgrounds and stromatolites. | 1983 |
| Research Report | RR 17 | Neidhardt | Open-Endedness of Scientific Truth | An example from the history of science is given that illustrates how scientific truth is always found not to be closed but contingent and open. Arguments are given to support this position based upon: (a) the relevance of Gödel’s theorem to scientific theorizing. (b) the concreteness of nature, and (c) the fact that both cosmic and biological evolution lead to the emergence of new structures in nature that are characterized by greater complexity. | 1983 |
| Research Report | RR 18 | Neidhardt | Personal Knowledge | A popularized summary of Michael Polanyi's epistemology of
science is presented in conjunction with a number of
communication-oriented models of individual and group scientific
exploration. This material is used to provide a perspective in which
scientific knowledge is seen to have a personal component whose
structure it shares in common with other human activities such as art,
philosophy and religion. |
1983 |
| Research Report | RR 19 | Newman, Robert C. | Critique of Sagan's "Cosmos" | A slightly revised version of a talk given at Cornell University, November 13, 1981. A tape recording of the session, including the question and answer period following, is available as an mp3 from the IBRI website: www.ibri.org. Sagan's Cosmos is characterized as evangelism for secular humanism. His treatment of Christianity is examined. Weaknesses in his oscillating big-bang cosmology are noted, as well as problems faced by a naturalistic view of the origin of life. Evidence is given which allows us to make a rational choice between secular humanism and Christianity. | 1984 |
| Research Report | RR 20 | Neidhardt | Participatory Nature of Modern Science | Descartes and Galileo were instrumental in starting modern science by their commitment to a method of investigation in which the detached observer first observes and then manipulates physical reality. This paradigm of detachment has been the model for scientific objectivity despite its inability to function well when applied to the social sciences and the fact that the creative researcher in the physical sciences often ignores its rules by allowing himself (or herself) to be guided by non-detached intellectual passions, that is, personal and community (scientific) standards of rational beauty, unity and simplicity. But recent developments in the philosophy of science, quantum physics and cosmology have greatly weakened the validity of this paradigm, for the scientist is now believed to be always an active participator with the universe; indeed, human consciousness may even be a necessary condition for our universe’s existence. This newly emerging paradigm of active participation has a number of striking implications for and resonances with Judaic-Christian theism. These implications and resonances are explored. | 1984 |
| Research Report | RR 21 | Newman, Robert C. | Some Perspectives on the Image of God in Man | Using the various pictures the Bible provides to help us visualize God, we see that humanity in God's image is taught in many passages rather than just the few which use the words "image" or "likeness." A new and exciting approach for presenting doctinal theology to laity. | 1984 |
| Research Report | RR 22 | Hoover | Gordon Clark's Extraordinary View of Men & Things | Gordon Clark is an uncommon presuppositionalist. Dating roughly from the publication of his Wheaton Lectures in 1968, he has increasingly stressed the complete impossibility of empirically acquired knowledge. According to Clark, the Bible, and only the Bible, can be known. All observation based truth-claims and all inductive arguments are logically worthless for apologetic purposes. This essay attempts to follow the progression in Clark's thought which leads to such a thoroughgoing skepticism (with regard to a knowledge of the contemporary world). | 1984 |
| Research Report | RR 23 | Newman, Robert C. | Evolution-Religion & the Genesis Account | In the McLean vs Arkansas trial over teaching creation, leaders of the mainline denominations opposed teaching creation in the public schools. Why was this? We suggest that their opposition was theological rather than scientific, since these leaders advocate an evolution-religion known as theological liberalism. | 1984 |
| Research Report | RR 24 | Newman, Robert C. | The Return of Christ: Interpreting Revelation by Allusions | Revelation is the most difficult book in the New Testament, yet it is filled with Old Testament allusions which are especially helpful in understanding it. The use of such allusions for interpretation is illustrated in Rev 19:11-21. These allusions, plus other contextual considerations, support a premillennial eschatology. | 1985 |
| Research Report | RR 25 | Dunzweiler | Regeneration & Indwelling in the OT Period | Were Old Testament believers regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Recent opinion is examined. Tighter definitions of these ministries are proposed. Apparently all Old Testament believers did experience these ministries in some sense. | 1985 |
| Research Report | RR 26 | Bloom, John |
Finding Truth in Religion | Given the countless variety of religions being propagated today, is there any means to determine which one(s), if any, have any basis for adhering to them for other than cultural, philosophical or emotional grounds? Is there any external-to-the-believer, testable evidence that any religion is true? A simple test proposed by the God of the Bible allows the man-on-the-street to distinguish truth from error quickly and effectively, and gives an objective foundation for Biblical Christianity in contrast with other religious systems. | 1985 |
| Research Report | RR 27 | Cain, Dallas |
Creation & Capron's Explanatory Interpretation | Hugh Capron of England (c 1902) was a scientist whose analysis of Genesis One gave rise to a new scheme that is compatible with science. He portrays the record as teaching that the divine commands were not fulfilled instantaneously on the days on which they were issued, but instead were fulfilled over long periods of time. The work is in the commands, and the days relate to the commands, not to the fulfillments. | 1986 |
| Research Report | RR 28 | Neidhardt | Faith: The Unrecognized Partner of Science & Religion | This paper examines the nature of faith as an integral component of both scientific and religious understanding. The thesis is illustrated with examples taken from the history and practice of science. Its implications are discussed with respect to the interrelations of science, religion and society. Lastly, a communication model of human understanding is developed and schematically illustrated. | 1986 |
| Research Report | RR 29 | Ronning | Exodus 6:3 & Patriarchal Knowledge of the Name "YHWH" | Exodus 6:3 has often been read as though the patriarchs had no knowledge of the name YHWH before the time of Moses. This interpretation became one foundation for subdividing the first five books of the Bible into contradictory sources J, E, D, and P. Several alternative interpretations are examined. An early textual error seems to be the best explanation. | 1986 |
| Research Report | RR 30 | Hoover | Epistemic Bad Faith & Mere Knowledge | A major preoccupation in the history of western philosophy
has been the theory of knowledge. The epistemologist, during this
lengthy and desultory enterprise, has posed several important
questions: How does one know? If one cannot prove what one claims to
know, does one really know? Does knowing imply knowing that one knows?
In this paper the thesis advanced is that man has been epistemically
suited to the environment in which God has placed him. Man has been
given a finite but reliable noetic endowment. |
1986 |
| Research Report | RR 31 | Bossard, David C. | Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt | During the 1960's some computer scientists thought that it was just a matter of time before scientists understood the reasoning process of the human brain. Today, they are not so sure! This talk reviews some of the results from the field of artificial intelligence, and the reasons why the human reasoning process remains elusive. Some remarks will also be offered concerning the nature of proof as practiced in the Bible and in theology. | 1986 |
| Research Report | RR 32 | Kutilek | Erasmus: His Greek Text & His Theology | Veneration for Erasmus' Greek New Testament text seems to be proportional to one's ignorance of its history. Erasmus' work on his text is examined, and reasons are given for its needed revision. If Westcott & Hort's text is unreliable because of their theology, Erasmus' theology is less orthodox than theirs! | 1995 |
| Research Report | RR 33 | MacRae, Allan A. | Charles Darwin: The Man & the Myth | Darwin did not originate evolution, but he did give it scientific respectability. Its rapid acceptance was partly a pent-up reaction to the biblical worldview of the Great Awakening, partly the effective combination of Huxley as fighter and Darwin as quiet background thinker. | 1986 |
| Research Report | RR 34 | Bloom | Unleavened Bread & the Dedication of the Firstborn | When faced with a biblical passage which contains repetitive portions that are difficult to harmonize, source-critical methodology attributes the awkwardness to a blundering editor who was piecing together the fragments of scattered traditions, while the literary school "reads between the lines" seeking a profound stylistic reason for the problem. The author shows here, with a typical enigmatic passage, that such difficulties can be better resolved by noting that an economy of words was undoubtedly used to record the historical events described therein. | 1987 |
| Research Report | RR 35 | Newman, Robert C. | Synoptic Harmonization | Five sample passages in the Gospels are considered to point up the sorts of problems often raised against inerrancy in such materials. In response, some principles are noted from history and history writing regarding the complexity of history, the effect of differing viewpoints and emphases, and matters of ordering and compression in narrative. The phenomenon of parallel passages in the work of a single author, Luke, is also helpful in suggesting why and how we should harmonize such accounts. | 1987 |
| Research Report | RR 36 | Newman, Robert C. | Self-Reproducing Automata & the Origin of Life | The minimal complexity needed for life is examined by assuming that the simplest living thing is a self-reproducing automaton. The work of Von Neumann, Codd and Langton in designing mathematical models for such automata is briefly reviewed, and Langton's very simple self-reproducing automaton is described in detail. The complexity of Langton's automaton strongly suggests that life is designed rather than accidental. | 1987 |
| Research Report | RR 37 | Newman, Robert C. et al | The Status of Evolution as a Scientific Theory | Evolution is frequently called a fact by its proponents. Here, various standard definitions of "evolution" are considered. The evidential status of evolution according to each of these definitions is evaluated. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 38 | McLaughlin | Science, Logic & the Thinking Christian | This article is intended to make Christians stronger apologists and non-Christians re-examine their beliefs. Ten questions are addressed with classical logic; supplementary material has been relegated to the references so the reader can focus entirely on the critical arguments. This article is not a source of original thought; instead, it is a compendium of critical arguments uncluttered by supplementary material and excessive personal opinion. The reader must consciously refute these arguments in order to reach conclusions which differ from those given. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 39 | Newman, Robert C. | Jesus, The Testimony of Prophecy & History | Among the predictions found in the Old Testament, those concerning Israel's promised Messiah are especially important. The Messiah, according to the Bible, will one day come and rescue his people from their oppressors. He will bring in a golden age. Israel will become the chief nation and Jerusalem the world's capital. Mankind will be ruled with justice, and oppression will cease. All will live in safety on their own property and enjoy the fruits of their own labors. Here we examine a number of these prophecies. We suggest that the evidence of the prophecies themselves and of subsequent history so far indicate that: (1) If the Messiah has come, he is Jesus; and (2) The Messiah has come. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 40 | P. Phillips | Are the Days of Genesis Longer than 24 Hours? | Biblical evidence is presented that the "days" of the Genesis creation account were longer than 24 hours. This evidence includes (1) the usage of the words translated "day," "morning," and "evening"; and (2) the narrative of the activities taking place on the sixth day in Genesis 2. | 1991 |
| Research Report | RR 41 | Zaspel | Continuing Relevance of Divine Law | A study of the law of God as a rule of life. Biblical evidence is examined to show: (1) a distinction exists between the law of God, the law of Moses, and the law of Christ; (2) the law of Christ is binding for believers today. The author, Fred Zaspel holds a Ph.D. in historical theology from the Free University of Amsterdam. He is currently a pastor at the Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA | 1997 |
| Research Report | RR 42 | Bossard, David C. | God's Law, Creation Law | How do God's laws as set down in Scripture relate to the laws that govern his Creation? This report asserts that many of the laws and admonitions of Scripture, which are viewed by the world as optional or even arbitrary, and therefore candidates for social experimentation, reveal essential laws of human conduct that were laid down during Creation and are needed to maintain its stability and well-being. It is argued that these creation laws form a valid basis for Christian involvement in secular institutions that is consistent with the spirit of the constitutional separation of church and state. | 1995 |
| Research Report | RR 43 | Cain, Dallas |
Hindsight Translation of Genesis One | This is primarily a literature search on Creation in Genesis One. The results are a surprise. In hindsight, the time is right for a first-ever update to the science in our English translations of Genesis One. The problems needing update are localized in the four stages pertaining to our environment: light, sky, land-sea, and sun-moon-stars. There is no call for any change to the Hebrew text, but only for the translation. Changes are drawn from respectable literature on Genesis One, and are all within the latitude permitted by the Hebrew text. | 1996 |
| Research Report | RR 44 | Wonderly | Genesis 11 & Archaeological Evidence… | There are good reasons to see Genesis chapter 11 and archaeological data from Paleolithic peoples as compatible. Abundant evidences for such people inhabiting both the Americas and Europe more than ten thousand years ago are here surveyed. It is suggested that these people fit between the disastrous judgment of Babel and the birth of Abraham. Archaeological evidences for the true humanity of Neanderthal man are also presented. | 1996 |
| Research Report | RR 45 | Kutilek | Westcott & Hort vs Textus Receptus | What is a better text for the New Testament? Isn't it one which is closer to the original autographs? The texts of Westcott & Hort and the Textus Receptus are characterized and evaluated by various tests. | 1996 |
| Research Report | RR 46 | Bossard, David C. | Sharp Points: God's Conspiracy… | God loves the inquiring mind. Intellectual inquiry is the supreme activity that reflects the Image of God that he placed in humans at Creation. But the modern world of ideas is in turmoil. Recent book titles point to a crisis in modern intellectual thought. Are these crises self-inflicted by Twentieth Century intellectual hubris, or are they sharp points: goads "hard to kick against" (reminiscent of Paul's experience) placed by God in the way of "progress," to remind a doggedly secular world of his presence, his active interest in his Creation, and the truth of Biblical claims? Sharp point areas noted here include: evidence for intelligent design in Creation, the Image of God in humans, God's sustaining activity in Creation, the moral nature of humans, and the attempt to define a "secular" society. | 1990 |
| Research Report | RR 47 | McCullough | Meteorites & the Maker's Mortar | There is widespread scientific agreement (fitting Genesis 1:2) that the early Earth was covered by water. Some meteorites contain significant amounts of water, especially carbonaceous chondrites. When stony meteorites are subjected to extreme shock pressures and heating as would occur on impact, they give up their water and other volatiles. As a result the early Earth, which formed from an accretion process involving the impact of meteors, acquired a hydrous atmosphere and magma ocean. As the earth cooled off, the water condensed to form an ocean. Ultimately, this water was used in the formation of the earth beneath our feet. | 1999 |
| Research Report | RR 48 | Hoover | Hope, Language & the Brain | The worldviews of both eastern mysticism and western secular
humanism deny the meaningfulness of cosmic (or eschatological) hope. By
contrast, Christianity fundamentally refuses the normality of death as
extinguishing human existence. Death, it insists, is a curse. The
purpose of this essay is to explain the character of a hope that
addresses this curse. Along the way, linguistic competence (with its
architectural embodiment in the brain) is discussed as the amazing and
uniquely human ability to track personal historical meaning. |
1999 |
| Research Report | RR 49 | Bossard, David C. | A Physicist Looks at Creation Day One | A physicist looking at the Bible's description of Creation Day One can see a remarkable agreement with the modern physicist's story of how matter was created. This report describes that story, why physicists believe their creation story is close to correct, and where some secular physicists may differ from the Bible's statements about creation. | 2000 |
| Research Report | RR 50 | Bossard, David C. | Chemical Building Blocks of Life | The laws of physics and chemistry are so right that they seem to be designed to support life. Water, carbon, nitrogen and other elements have just the right properties. Subtle electronic forces are able to carry out the life functions spontaneously, given rightly configured molecules. The temperature is right. Creation is fit to support a living cell. Now on to the actual building of life. In this talk, we look at the construction plan for all living cells to see how it is done. Why is it done this way? Is another way possible? (yes!) How hard would it be to build another kind of life? By considering these matters, we can gain an appreciation of how complex the task of creating life is, and begin to face the problems inherent in the view that life is a random product of undirected natural causes. | 2001 |
| Research Report | RR 51 | Bossard, David C. | A Fit Place to Live: Creation of the Biosphere | The universe was designed to make a place for humans to live. In an earlier talk we saw that it took about 10 billion years after the creation of the universe to prepare the ingredients to form the sun and the earth, and that in this process there are many indications of careful design that anticipate human habitation. This talk picks up at that point and looks at the next 4 billion years, and how the earth was made ready for the arrival of complex life -- plants and animals -- about 600 million years ago. We will see how microbial life figured in this preparation, and discuss the problems that the fossil record of this early life pose to natural evolution | 2003 |
| Research Report | RR 52 | Phillips, Elaine |
Re-Presentation of 'Are the Bibles…' | Following a descriptive definition of the doctrine of inspiration, the biblical bases for the doctrine are presented, and necessary qualifications proposed. The concept is then lodged within the wider framework of revelation, and the applicability of inspiration beyond the autographs (originals) is considered. It is proposed that a quality of inspiredness, the result of the act of inspiration, inheres in the apographs (copies) to the extent that they faithfully approximate the autographs. The practical consideration of the nature of the biblical text as we have it today is sketched by following the text through seven stages from God's revelation of the Word to its proclamation, noting possible sources of error. It is concluded that we may properly speak of proclaiming God's Word today. | 2004 |
| Research Report | RR 53 | Bossard, David C. | Geology Before Darwin | The Golden age of geology bloomed in the decades just prior to Darwin’s 1859 Origin of the Species. Geologists could read for the first time the details of how God created a place for mankind. Opposition came both from religious leaders and from secular opponents, who saw their cherished notions challenged. The opposition was answered by painstakingly careful argument, which by the time of Darwin was seen by some prominent geologists to give strong evidence of God’s hand at work. After Darwin, though, this evidence in favor of a creator largely vanished from mainstream geology. In this talk we will discuss the state of geology just prior to Darwin and then ask whether the conclusions reached at that time were valid and why they disappeared from the literature after 1859. | 2003 |
| Research Report | RR 54 | Marsh | Pre-Cambrian Carbon | Although geological evidence for green vegetation in the pre-Cambrian period is rare it does exist unequivocally in the form of anthracite, which is derived only from such vegetation. This indicates that green vegetation was present on the Earth's surface during this geological period. Other pre-Cambrian carbon deposits are also critically discussed. Some possible types of pre-Cambrian green vegetation are then described and the whole linked with the Genesis one account. | 2004 |
| Research Report | RR 55 | Bossard, David C. | Rise & Fall of Scientific Naturalism | Scientific naturalism is the view that our world is wholly a result of natural processes that can be explained by ordinary science, without the need to postulate intervention by a Creator. There have always been those who held this view, but with Copernicus and the rise of modern science, it came to be the common view among scientists, and was dominant by 1900. However in recent years, science has uncovered ever stronger evidence of design embedded in the very fabric of the natural universe, in the geological record of Earth's history, and in the nature of life itself. This talk summarizes the evidence that led to the rise of scientific naturalism, and how discoveries of science have challenged that view in recent years and decades. | 2005 |
| Research Report | RR 56 | Newman, Robert C. | Rumors of Angels | Most discussions of God's action in nature since about 1900 have ignored angelic activity, perhaps in reaction to Andrew Dickson White's History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom. Here we take another look at the biblical data on angels, and then consider what scientific data might be relevant in the light of recent interest in intelligent design. | 2005 |
| Research Report | RR 57 | Bossard, David C. | The Stones Cry Out | The development of modern geology in the early 1800s challenged traditional Biblical interpretation in a way that no other advance in science had. Over the centuries, there had been many philosophical challenges to Biblical revelation -- the nascent higher criticism of the Biblical text, and many Christian and secular world views as (then) recent examples -- but these are all based on philosophical particulars that cannot be refuted objectively. Never before had such an extensive, sustained and comprehensive assault on tradition been fortified with such an abundance of irrefutable factual data, which could be tested and affirmed by all, even those with radically clashing world views. How, then, did devout Christians process this challenge? This paper describes the responses of a number of contemporary writers who held firmly to the divine inspiration of the Biblical text -- including prominent British and American geologists and theologians of the period. | 2006 |
| Research Report | RR 58 | Gauch | Recent Transitions in Natural Theology | Natural theology pursues knowledge of God based on public
evidence accessible to all persons by virtue of our shared human
endowments of reason and sense perception. For millennia, natural
theology has supported merely generic theism. However, five new
projects in natural theology are more ambitious, pursuing distinctively
Christian theism. They concern church witness, Bible prophecy, Bible
narrative, Trinitarian metaphysics, and Christ's resurrection. These
projects can be combined in a strong cumulative case, although it is
also important to have individual projects that singly carry great
evidential weight. The case for reported miracles, which are so
essential in the Biblical worldview, is strategically strengthened by
empirical evidence for testable miracles. Several open questions are
discussed that merit further exploration. |
2006 |
| Research Report | RR 59 | Eckelmann & Phillips | When is the Resurrection of the Just? | Will Christians go through the period known as the Great Tribulation? If so, predictions to that effect in the Scriptures will serve to warn us to be prepared and will provide that we may be strengthened by the knowledge that this is part of the detailed plan of our Lord. If Christians will not go through the Great Tribulation, it will be comforting to know it. Surely, the Lord has permitted His people to suffer at times in the past, and we have no right to suppose ourselves any better than they. We can only know what is in store for the Lord's people, therefore, by specific revelation on this subject. It is our prayer that the Lord will bless this effort to understand the Scriptures pertinent to this question. | 2007 |
| Occasional Paper | OP 1 | Newman, Robert C. | Anthological Exegesis in the New Testament | Liberal commentators on the New Testament have often suggested that some of its writers have occasionally engaged in interpretation of the Old Testament that is very far-fetched. Indeed, there are a number of passages in which New Testament exegesis of the Old is rather surprising and puzzling. Here we use a phenomenon often found in Jewish writings of the period -- which Andre Robert and Daniel Patte call "anthological style" -- to suggest a solution. We propose that the writers in these cases are interpreting one passage in the light of one or more other passages, and noting how each passage casts light on the other(s). | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 2 | Newman, Robert C. | Evangelicals and Crackpot Science | Because of the tension which has developed between the scientific and the evangelical communities in the past century and a half, Bible believers are often (rightly or wrongly) suspicious of the discoveries and theorizing of modern science. This has led to a rather widespread attraction to theories viewed as crackpot by scientists and other educated people. Some examples are discussed and strategies proposed to protect Christians from looking unnecessarily foolish before the watching world. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 3 | Newman, Robert C. | The Star of Bethlehem: A Natural-Supernatural Hybrid? | What was the star of Bethlehem mentioned in Matthew's account
of the birth of Jesus? Many suggestions have been made over the
centuries, ranging from various astronomical objects such as a nova, a
supernova, a comet, or a planetary conjunction, to some sort of
supernatural object like the Shekinah glory, or even totally imaginary
-- the invention of the Gospel writer. Here we suggest that the
phenomenon was real, but that it was a hybrid, featuring both natural
and supernatural elements -- a combination of a very striking and rare
conjunction of planets, together with a supernatural guiding object
something like the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the
wilderness. Note: See also the Bethlehem
Star lecture. |
Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 4 | Newman, Robert C. | Cracking The Bible Code | For some years now, several Israeli mathematicians and rabbis
have been investigating the idea that the Bible contains "code words"
hidden in its text. Obviously, God is capable of doing something of
this sort should He choose to. The question is, do we have any good
evidence that He has chosen to do so? Here, we look at the popular
presentation of this idea by Michael Drosnin, in his Bible Code,
sketching what he has done, and asking ourselves, Are there any
Biblical problems with this? |
Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 5 | Newman, Robert C. | How Human Sexuality Reveals God | An investigation of the Biblical warrant for the idea that human sexuality was designed by God to picture the sort of intimate relation which He wishes to have with human beings. We suggest that this is pictured most clearly in a very good marriage, and explore how this is distorted in the various forms of sexual activity which fall short of this. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 6 | Newman, Robert C. | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis' Use of Mooreeffoc | C. S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles are a nice example of the use of Mooreeffoc in novels – here in a series written for children. What is mooreeffoc? Some smaller examples are given, following the plot of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Then several overarching examples are discussed, which occur throughout the Narnia series. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 7 | Granville & Newman, Robert C. | The Fourth Dimension & the Bible | What is the fourth dimension? Does a fourth spatial dimension really exist? A look at multi-dimensional geometry, time as a fourth dimension in special relativity, a possibility of extra dimensions in modern physics, and extra dimensions as a suggested explanation for the phenomena of the unseen world in various Biblical passages. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 8 | Newman, Robert C. | The Kingdom Parables in Matthew, Prophetic Sketch...? | The seven parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13 are here assumed to have been delivered by Jesus on one particular occasion, rather than assembled by Matthew from Jesus' teaching at various times. Only the first, second and last of these parables are interpreted by Jesus, so we are left to speculate about the significance of parables 3, 4 and 5, 6. These are, however, obviously in pairs. The internal structure of the seven suggests a chronological sequence. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 9 | Newman, Robert C. | Perspective Transformation by Means of Parables | A study of Jesus' parables as they function to make contact with his audience, to capture their attention, and seek to influence his listeners' perspective on what life is all about and what attitudes we should have in order that we may be a blessing rather than a curse to those around us. We look at Jesus' techniques for presenting a different perspective than that of his audience in both his analog parables and his example parables, how he criticizes people's perspective both explicitly and implicitly, and how he uses absurdity, surprise and mystery to engage with them. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 10 | Newman, Robert C. | Exegeting Nature and Scripture | There are significant parallels between the two activities of interpreting nature and interpreting the Bible, and both are influenced by one's theology (even if we think we do not have a theology!). Here we sketch various diverse approaches to these matters, especially the theories and practices of interpretation espoused by the more orthodox Christian scientists and theologians. What are God's intentions both in nature and Scripture? Can theology squelch research? We make some suggestions for how we think interpretation of both nature and Scripture should proceed. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 11 | Newman, Robert C. | Birth Pains of the Messiah | The concept of birth pains as a figure for eschatological troubles is investigated in the New Testament, the Old Testament and rabbinic literature, especially as this may relate to Jesus' comment in Matthew 24:8. Why is this figure of birth pains used? Does it have any connection with the phenomenology of birth contractions? Do we have any biblical warrant for when these troubles might begin? How do they function as signs of the end? Is there any reason from current disaster phenomena to think that the end is near? | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP12 | Newman, Robert C. | Is the Bible Scientifically Reliable? | An article intended for a book directed to Jewish intellectuals ─ in this case, doctors ─ suggesting that we have very good evidence for the scientific reliability of the Bible. We first discuss the matter of what we mean by “scientific,” then look at evidence from cosmology, design of the universe and earth’s cosmic environment, the age of the earth and universe, a suggested correlation between Genesis chapter one and planetology, and the matter of evolution, including human evolution. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP13 | Newman, Robert C. | Public Theology and Evidence for God | ?? AMAZON LINK INCORRECT?? |
Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 14 | Harris, R. Laird |
Prophecy, Illustration & Typology | How does the New Testament interpret the Old Testament? Can its use of the Old Testament be justified? It is important to determine as far as possible what that OT section meant to its original readers and how the NT used the passage in its explanation. The subject is a formidable one for brief treatment because the NT uses the OT in a variety of ways. In this paper, we suggest that various usages of the NT should be identified. There is a place for the recognition of direct prophecy and fulfillment. Also the OT worship did include types not fully explained except by a future reference. Besides these items, we would claim there are numerous instances where the OT is quoted as illustrative and the value of the illustration would not be apparent to the OT author, but only to us who have seen the NT teaching. Some examples of these various categories are given. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 15 | Vannoy, J. Robert |
Divine Revelation & History in the OT | There is perhaps no issue in contemporary biblical and theological studies that is more important than a correct understanding of the relation between divine revelation and history, or the relation between faith and history. The rise of anti-supernaturalism in recent centuries has led many to reject objective forms of revelation in favor of subjective ones, thus denying the historical accuracy of much biblical narrative. Here we examine these problems by a brief survey of trends in Old Testament studies over the past century, focusing on three men who have been most influential in Old Testament criticism, Julius Wellhausen, Hermann Gunkel and Gerhard von Rad. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 16 | Longacre | Who Sold Joseph into Egypt? | Critical scholars have regularly divided up the Genesis 37 narrative of Joseph being sold as a slave into Egypt. They claim that variations, tensions and contradictions in the story point to an account which has been assembled from at least two divergent sources, J and E. They see here a Reuben story and a Judah story, disagreement on whether the slave traders were Ishmaelites or Midianites, and the use of variant names Israel and Jacob for the father of Joseph and his brothers. Here we suggest -- using discourse analysis -- that these features can be demonstrated to fall within the range of effective narrative style by a single author. If the author used sources, these are completely irrecoverable and probably bore no resemblance to the traditional JEDP of source criticism. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 17 | Gilchrist | Towards a Covenantal Definition of Tôrâ | The Hebrew word tôrâ has traditionally been translated into English as "law." This is not totally satisfactory, as it also regularly has a connotation of "instruction." Considerable attention has been devoted to its possible etymology, but no clear consensus has been reached. Here we look at the use of the word in a variety of biblical contexts, taking the traditional position on authorship and date rather than that of modern form-critical views. Tôrâ is investigated in covenantal, priestly, wisdom, juridical, and prophetic contexts to construct a biblical definition of the word. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 18 | Schultz | Sacrifice in the God-Man Relationship in the Pentateuch | The significance and importance of bringing an offering to God is gradually unfolded as God makes himself known to the human race. What motivated god-fearing people before the time of Moses to bring an offering to God? What significance did their offerings have for them individually in their relationship with God? Rather than reading in the fuller revelation of subsequent centuries, we here let the text and context of the earlier passages determine these matters. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 19 | Smick | Israel's Struggle with the Religions of Canaan | Until about a century ago, most of our information on Canaanite religion came from the Bible. The discovery of the cuneiform tablets from Ras Shamra (Ugarit) opened doors of understanding that had long been closed. These texts provided an important mythological literature that gave the names and functions of the Canaanite gods and also much information on Canaanite society. Here we sketch some of this material and how the Israelites responded to it. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 20 | Peterson | Christ's Death as an Example in the New Testament | The biblical writers used a variety of images to convey the meaning of the work of Christ. Jesus is pictured as the great high priest in Hebrews, as the second Adam in Romans, as the victor who defeats Satan in 1 Corinthians, and as the legal substitute in Galatians. One motif which has been overplayed by some and neglected by others is Christ’s death as an example, Here over a dozen passages are sketched in which this theme occurs. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 21 | Mare | The Work Ethic of the Gospels and Acts | The 20th century has seen a continuing shift away from the work ethic that held prominence for some centuries, which Daniel Yankelovich characterized as "a determining force in Western history." In recent decades this has been replaced by a "psychology of affluence," which includes (1) an "expect more-of-everything" outlook; (2) assuming having more is an entitlement; (3) taking for granted a bountiful economy; and (4) a concept of duty to self at the cost of moral obligations to others. Here we examine what Jesus and the early disciples taught on these matters. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 22 | Grounds | The Bible and the Modern Mind | Is the modern mind unable to accept the biblical view of reality even with "the best will in the world"? How valid a concept is the "modern mind"? When did it arise? We suggest that in some sense the modern mind goes back to human rebellion at the beginning, and is what the New Testament calls the "carnal mind." To be genuinely modern, one must think and live biblically. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 23 | Lewis | Three Sides to Every Story: Relating the Absolutes of General and Special Revelation to Relativists | In spite of the pervasive relativism in our world, I propose that there are two basic ways to recognize truths valid for all people of all times, all places, and all possible cultural backgrounds. First, by analysis of meaningful knowledge and of responsible moral conduct, people discover absolutes of general revelation. Second, by verification and disverification, people discover and interpret the absolutes of special revelation. Here I seek to interpret and apply Edward John Carnell’s hypothesis-verification approach to the problem of relativism, answering the view that people cannot know any objectively valid truth. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 24 | Paul | Time and Historical Significance | The special focus on "time" in history is twofold. Communities attribute direction to the time process: "chosen people", "salvation history", expectation of a Kingdom of God or a classless society, or faith in social and technological progress. A study of traditions also reveals a variety of ways in which man has understood his temporal nature and the process of time of which he is a part. Three contrasting traditions -- African, Hindu and Christian -- will be reviewed to reveal the conceptual-set concerning time and significance which is presupposed by each. The paper concludes with a theoretical model of a modern historically conscious group which, I hope, will aid the historian in the study of the conceptual system of specific groups. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 25 | Wallis | Reflections on the History of Premillennial Thought | In the present essay I present some of my reasons, both historical and exegetical, for believing that the futurist premillennial doctrine is emerging from neglect and misrepresentation to prove itself the most stable form of Biblical eschatology, providing a satisfactory answer to a recurring historical and exegetical problem. I refer to the prevailing practice, at least up to the early nineteenth century, in both postmillennialism and premillennialism, of calculating the times and setting the date for the end of the age. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 26 | Taylor | Church History Revisited | This is an appreciative essay of the methods and applications of Allan A. MacRae as a teacher of church history. We here discuss his treatment of the content of history: (1) objective realities, (2) subjective assessments, and (3) providential arrangements; his approach to history: (1) attitude, (2) appreciation, (3) animation, and (4) insight; and his application of history to the life of the church: (1) general principles, (2) problematic situations, and (3) redirection of attention. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 27 | Harding | An Examination of Passages Cited by the Jehovah's Witnesses to Deny Jesus Is God | Despite the clear teaching of the Bible that Jesus is God, Jehovah's Witnesses deny this doctrine and cite Bible passages which they say contradict this doctrine. Here we examine six of these passages which, if properly understood, can be adduced to support the view that Jesus is God. These are Revelation 3:14, Colossians 1:15, Proverbs 8:22, John 14:28, 1 Corinthians 15:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:3. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 28 | Young | Cross Cultural Witness, Conflict and Accommodation | The subject of cross cultural witness, and the matters of conflict and accommodation, are addressed from the premise that the Christian faith was supernaturally revealed in the inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; and that this Word of God reveals to us the flow of redemptive history, from the creation of man to the first century's establishment of the new covenant church, as God unfolds his will for his people in various covenant arrangements in successive eras. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 29 | Newman, Robert C. | The Blood Moon Prophecies | Recently there has been much excitement regarding a series of upcoming eclipses of the moon, which are being called “blood moons.” Various interpreters claim that these point to the catching away of the church before the return of Christ, which catching away (or rapture) is predicted to occur in September of 2015. Here we examine some of the assumptions that lie behind these predictions. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 30 | MacRae, Allan A. | The Higher Critical Assault on the Scriptures | Some of the effects of the Wellhausen (or JEDP) theory on individuals, seminaries, denominations, mission agencies and western society are sketched. The various documentary theories of the 19th century culminated in that of Graf and Wellhausen. It was based on a history of theorizing about documents from which the Pentateuch was allegedly assembled, plus an evolutionary theory about Israel’s religious history. The theory claims to be able to identify the various sources by their diverse use of names, particularly the divine names; by various distinct styles; by duplications and contradictions in the narratives. The author here outlines his responses to these claims, which he develops in considerably more detail in his book JEDP: Lectures on the Higher Criticism of the Pentateuch. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 31 | Newman, Robert C. | Jesus’ Self-Understanding According to the So-Called Q-Material | New Testament scholars of the 20th century have often claimed that one of the sources used by Matthew and Luke was a lost document (usually labeled Q) which is therefore earlier and provides more reliable information about Jesus. Here we look at the materials in Matthew and Luke typically assigned to Q to see what they tell us about how Jesus viewed himself. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 32 | Newman, Robert C. | Apologetic Motivation, Its Influences on Biblical Interpretation | In defending the faith, it is possible in our zeal to distort the evidence; but we may also uncover that which would otherwise have been missed. Here we consider the various effects that apologetic motivation has actually had in the history of biblical interpretation. We will provide a brief tour of biblical exegesis, divided into early Jewish, early Christian, post-Nicene, medieval, reformation and modern, looking at materials which are explicitly apologetic. A list of effects which such motivation has produced to date will be attempted in the end. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 33 | Newman, Robert C. | Greco-Roman Symbolism in the Book of Revelation | The New Testament Book of Revelation is notable in having no direct quotations from the Old Testament, but very many allusions to the same. It appears that Revelation also has a number of allusions to the Greco-Roman culture in which the churches to whom it was originally addressed were living. A number of these have been pointed out in the past, especially by R. H. Charles in his commentary on Revelation in the International Critical Commentary, with the implication that the author was no recipient of a vision from God, but that the book is a literary production made up by the author. Here we suggest that indeed the book has such allusions, even a couple that refer to Greco-Roman pagan mythology, but that the ultimate author (God) is communicating with the original audience of Christians, most of whom were raised in pagan backgrounds. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 34 | Newman, Robert C. | Sons of God & Daughters of Men: Ancient Interpretations of Genesis 6 | The exegesis of Gen 6:2, 4 in ancient times is surveyed among extant sources, both Jewish and Christian. These interpretations are categorized as either “supernatural” or “nonsupernatural” depending upon the identification of the “sons of God.” It is observed that the interpretation of “sons of God” as angels and “Nephilim” as giants dominates. This interpretation also seems to be that of the NT, almost certainly in Jude 6 and 2 Pet 2:4, and probably in 1 Cor 11:10 and Matt 22:30. Some suggestions regarding the source of this interpretation and its validity are made. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 35 | Edersheim | Messianic Passages in the OT | An edited version of Appendix IX from Alfred Edersheim's Life
and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Here Edersheim has collected an
extensive list of passages from the Hebrew Bible which were seen as
referring to the Messiah in one or more of the works of the ancient
rabbinic literature. In this edited version, the only change from
Edersheim's original work is to print out the biblical references in
full, so that the reader can immediately see what each passage says. In
this Kindle edition, foreign words have been transliterated and
italicized. |
Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 36 | Newman, Robert C. | Unfulfilled Prophecy: How Near is the End? | This is a transcription of a talk apparently given at Ithaca College, probably about 1988. We walk through some of the major biblical passages on the end of the age, noting both the emphasis on how it will take most people by surprise, and yet how it will be preceded by certain signs of the end. The passages examined include Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, Paul's supplements in 1 Timothy 3 and 2 Thessalonians 2, and the passages in Revelation 13 on the two beasts. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 37 | Newman, Robert C. | Jewish Polemic against Christianity | Jewish arguments against the truth of Christianity that are documented in the second century CE are here catalogued. These have been compiled from Jewish, Christian, and Pagan sources. They are sorted into those that are very well-attested, those that are less well-attested, and those that are only slightly attested. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 38 | Newman, Robert C. | Presenting the Gospel to Those Who Reject Scripture | Presenting the Gospel is fairly straightforward when your audience consists of those who know and accept Scripture, but even in the U.S. many do not fall into this category. Some who accept (but don't know) Scripture won't believe your message without careful study on their own, and even then they may well be inclined to reject the testimony of Scripture rather than believe what it says about themselves. But Paul has left us an example of being all things to all men that he might by all means save some. When he spoke to those who knew Scripture, he used Scripture. When he spoke to those who did not, he didn't use Scripture. How can we present the Gospel in a believable way to those who do not view the Bible as God's Word? | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 39 | Newman, Robert C. | Where is Heaven? | We examine the question, "Where is heaven?" Here we look at the biblical data regarding various meanings of the term "heaven," followed by the data for the location of that heaven which is pictured as God's dwelling place. We consider four models of the location of heaven, which we label the attic model, the way-out model, the interaction model and the dimensional model. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 40 | Newman, Robert C. | David Wilkerson's Vision and Deuteronomy 18 | A paper first published in 1976 attempting to test the predictions of David Wilkerson's book The Vision (1974) against the biblical criteria for a true prophet. We consider the tests for a true prophet according to Deuteronomy 13 and 18, some short-range predictions in The Vision, and the economic situation in the few years following April 1973. A note has been added looking at Wilkerson's predictions as of November 2008. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 41 | Newman, Robert C. | Some Comments on Healing | What does the Bible have to say about healing? Some groups tell us that healing is always God's will; that it is a sin to go to medical doctors for healing; and that we will always be healed if we ask God for healing, provided that we have enough faith. Here we examine the biblical teaching on healing in response to such claims. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 42 | Newman, Robert C. | Prophecies about the Coming Messiah | An important line of evidence for the truth of Christianity for many centuries has been the fulfillment of prophecies about the coming Messiah in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. With the rise of naturalism and theological liberalism, many of these prophecies have been dismissed by claiming that early Christians invented material in the Gospels to make it look like these prophecies were fulfilled when they really weren't. Here we respond to these claims by selecting prophecies the fulfillment of which could hardly have been invented. This include the "light to the Gentiles" prophecy of Isaiah 42 and 49, the "seventy weeks" prophecy of Daniel 9, the "suffering servant" prophecy of Isaiah 53, and the "pierced one" prophecy of Psalm 22. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 43 | Newman, Robert C. | Pacifism & Biblical Interpretation | In this paper we sketch the history of pacifism in Christendom to date. Then we shall examine three important forms of such pacifism, considering each view and the arguments used to support it. We shall call these views Historic Pacifism, Liberal Pacifism, and Neo-Orthodox Pacifism. Finally we shall attempt a brief critique of each view. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 44 | Newman, Robert C. | Testing the Truth Claims of the Charismatic Movement | The charismatic movement is typically characterized by the claims that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit given in the early church are still available and should be sought by serious Christians, and that believers after their conversion should seek a second blessing, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three of the most notable such gifts are prophecy, healing, and tongue-speaking. In this paper, we attempt to test the modern manifestation of these three gifts, moving from the most testable (prophecy) to the least testable (tongues). | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 45 | Newman, Robert C. | Scriptural Evidence for an Old Earth | Although it is commonly assumed that the Bible teaches a recent creation of the earth just a few thousand years ago, we argue here that the Scripture is open to a much earlier creation; that this is consistent with current estimates of the age of the earth from science. We consider the nature of general and special revelation; how Bible-believers typically harmonize parallel passages within Scripture; biblical evidence for an old earth; and biblical evidence for a long creative period. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 46 | Newman, Robert C. | Intimations from Order of a Mind behind the Universe | This paper was written up from the notes of a talk given to the physics colloquium at the University of Delaware in 1984. How does one distinguish an artifact from an object that has been randomly formed? Is life an artifact or an accident? Here we consider the organization in living systems. Is the universe an artifact or an accident? Next we consider the organization found in various features of nuclei, molecules, the earth-sun system, and the basic known forces in the universe. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 47 | Newman, Robert C. | The Creation-Evolution Controversy | A series of four lectures prepared for delivery in the spring of 1990 at Pinebrook Junior College, but never given. The four lectures are: Evolution and its Arguments; Scientific Problems of Evolution; the Origin of Life; and a Biblical Alternative to Evolution. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 48 | Newman, Robert C. | Psalms 1 to 50 in Meter | Singing Psalms goes back to the very beginning of the church, carrying on a tradition from the earlier Jewish worship. Following the Reformation, rhymed metrical versions of the Psalms in English became the standard hymns for some centuries in Presbyterian and Reformed circles. Here the first fifty Psalms of the Old Testament are given in a new versification according to the common meter — that is, -/ -/ -/ -/, -/ -/ -/ — a line of Iambic tetrameter and another of Iambic trimeter, repeated to give four lines. In metrical indices, this is noted as 8.6.8.6. This common meter, as its name suggests, was the most used metrical scheme. In The Hymnbook (1955) published by the Presbyterian Church of the United States, the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Reformed Church in America, of the nearly 600 hymns included, over 90 are in the common meter. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 49 | Newman, Robert C. | Psalms 51 to 100 in Meter | The second of three projected papers. Here the second fifty Psalms of the Old Testament are given in a new versification according to the common meter — that is, -/ -/ -/ -/, -/ -/ -/ — a line of Iambic tetrameter and another of Iambic trimeter, repeated to give four lines. The second and fourth lines are rhymed. In metrical indices, this is noted as 8.6.8.6. This common meter, as its name suggests, was the most used metrical scheme. In The Hymnbook (1955) published by the Presbyterian Church of the United States, the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Reformed Church in America, of the nearly 600 hymns included, over 90 are in the common meter. | Date |
| Occasional Paper | OP 50 | Newman, Robert C. | Psalms 101 to 150 in Meter | The third of three papers. Here the last fifty Psalms of the Old Testament are given in a new versification according to the common meter — that is, -/ -/ -/ -/, -/ -/ -/ — a line of Iambic tetrameter and another of Iambic trimeter, repeated to give four lines. The second and fourth lines are rhymed. In metrical indices, this is noted as 8.6.8.6. This common meter, as its name suggests, was the most used metrical scheme. In The Hymnbook (1955) published by the Presbyterian Church of the United States, the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Reformed Church in America, of the nearly 600 hymns included, over 90 are in the common meter. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 1 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Evolution & Special Creation | A semester-length course taught on the seminary level, first at Faith Theological Seminary and then at Biblical Seminary, between the 1960s and the 1990s. Using copious quotations from respected scholars, Prof. Dunzweiler helps us see for ourselves what the arguments and evidence for evolution look like, and at each point suggests how Christians should respond. Prof. Dunzweiler's own view of the matter is that of old-earth special creation. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 2 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Systematic Theology 1 | The first of a series of four courses in systematic theology taught for many years by the author at Biblical Theological Seminary. Here systematic theology organizes the teaching of the Bible topically. This first section of systematic theology covers two major topics: Prolegomena and Theology Proper. Prolegomena discusses introductory matters: what theology is and how it functions. Theology Proper discusses the specific topic of God, his knowability and character. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 3 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Systematic Theology 2 | The second of a series of four courses in systematic theology taught for many years by the author at Biblical Theological Seminary. Here systematic theology organizes the teaching of the Bible topically. This second section of systematic theology covers three major topics: the works of God, anthropology, and objective soteriology. The works of God include His decrees, creation, providence, and miracles. Anthropology includes the constitutional nature of mankind, the origin of the soul-spirit in the individual, the original state of mankind, the covenant of works, the nature of sin, the origin of sin and the fall of mankind, and the results of the fall. Objective soteriology includes the plan of salvation, predestination, the covenant of grace, and the person of Christ. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 4 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Systematic Theology 3 | The third of a series of four courses in systematic theology taught for many years by the author at Biblical Theological Seminary. Here systematic theology organizes the teaching of the Bible topically. This third section of systematic theology covers four major topics: objective soteriology (continued), the person and saving work of the Holy Spirit, a theological exposition of Romans chapters 1-8, and the application of salvation. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 5 | Dunzweiler, Robert J. | Systematic Theology 4 | The last in a series of four courses in systematic theology taught for many years by the author at Biblical Theological Seminary. Here systematic theology organizes the teaching of the Bible topically. This fourth section of systematic theology covers three major topics: spiritual gifts, the church and its ordinances (ecclesiology), and future things (eschatology). | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 6 | Newman, Robert C. | Synoptic Gospels | A semester-length course taught at Biblical Seminary up to the fall of 2005. The historical Jesus; Jewish background to the New Testament; Introduction to exegesis and exegeting a narrative passage; Authorship and date of the synoptic Gospels; Exegeting parables; The Gospels as literary works; The synoptic problem; Geography of Jerusalem and Palestine; Exegeting miracle accounts; Theology of the synoptics; Exegeting controversy accounts; Form criticism and redaction criticism. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 7 | Newman, Robert C. | Johannine Literature & General Epistles | A semester-length course taught at Biblical Seminary. The Gospel of John; the Letters of John (1, 2 and 3 John); the Letters of Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude; the Book of Revelation; the Canon of the New Testament. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 8 | Newman, Robert C. | Acts & Pauline Epistles | A semester-length course taught at Biblical Seminary. Mediterranean geography; chronology of the New Testament; introduction to Acts; exegesis of historical passages; Paul's early epistles and eschatology; exegesis of theological passages; Gentile background to the New Testament; Paul's middle epistles and soteriology; exegesis of controversy passages; Paul's prison epistles and Christology; exegesis of exhortation passages; the pastoral epistles and the last days of Paul. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 9 | Newman, Robert C. | Revelation | This is a semester-length seminary course looking at the background and contents of the last book in the Bible. The syllabus begins with introductory matters such as varieties of interpretation, authorship and date. We then proceed chapter by chapter through the book of Revelation, noting in each chapter its location in the flow of the book, its background in the Old Testament and other sources, Greek language notes, the basic picture in the chapter, and various indications which may help us in interpreting the passage or the book as a whole. We take the book as a genuine revelation from God and proceed through the book section by section, noting various features without pontificating on just when and how these were or are fulfilled, leaving it to the students to satisfy themselves on these subjects. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 10 | Newman, Robert C. | Hebrews | The Letter to the Hebrews is one of the most striking books of the New Testament. It deals with tensions faced by first-century Jewish Christians at a time when it looked dangerous to follow Jesus and safe to lay low in Judaism. The author seeks to show his readers that this strategy would be a serious and tragic mistake, a disaster of eternal proportions. In this semester course taught several times at Biblical Seminary, we seek to understand something of the background of this letter, including its authorship, date and recipients. We will then go through the book section-by-section, seeking to understand the author's arguments and the very important Christological and salvation history teachings. We will also suggest some lessons for believers today, in situations that are rather different | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 11 | Newman, Robert C. | Evidence for the Christian Faith | Is there really enough evidence out there to make a reasonable choice of what worldview to believe? We suggest there is, and that worldview is biblical Christianity. These are the class notes for a semester-length course taught for many years at Biblical Seminary. The major topics covered are: evidence from general revelation, evidence from special revelation, and evidence from redemption. Some of the particular subtopics discussed are the origin of the universe, design in the universe, life, pre-knowledge of science in the Bible, fulfilled prophecy, Jesus, redeemed individuals, and redeemed societies. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 12 | Newman, Robert C. | The Miraculous & the Miracles of Jesus | Course notes from a semester-length course taught at Biblical Seminary. The first part of the course deals with the miraculous: What are miracles? A survey of Old and New Testament miracles; miracle accounts in the NT Apocrypha; some post-Apostolic and medieval miracle accounts; science and the rise of theological liberalism; responding to liberal objections to miracles. The second part of the course discusses the miracles of Jesus, subdivided into miracles over the natural realm; miracles over the human realm; and miracles over the spirit realm. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 13 | Newman, Robert C. | Jewish Backgrounds to the New Testament | A survey of the primary Jewish literature of the Intertestament and early Christian era, with particular emphasis on how it helps us better to understand the New Testament. Following a quick survey of Jewish history from 750 BC to 550 AD, the various materials are introduced and correlated with the New Testament: (1) the Targums, (2) the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, (3) the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, (4) the Qumran literature, (5) Philo, (6) Josephus, and finally, (7) the Rabbinic literature: Talmud and Midrash. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 14 | Newman, Robert C. | New Testament Introduction | A seminary-level course taught for many years at Biblical Seminary. The course is not a survey of the contents of the New Testament (NT Survey), nor an introduction to each of the books of the New Testament (Special Introduction), but rather what is traditionally known as General Introduction. The course begins with a sketch of the Greek language: its linguistic context and history, from pre-Classical to modern times; how NT Greek fits into this; and how this may affect interpretation of the NT. The main section of the course looks at the text of the NT: our ancient sources and modern printed editions, the history of the text before and since printing began, and the practice of textual criticism. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 15 | Newman, Robert C. | New Testament Backgrounds | A semester-length course taught for many years at Biblical Seminary. Beginning with a brief history of the Intertestament period (roughly 550 BC to 150 AD), we continue with an overview of the geography of Palestine, Jerusalem, and the Mediterranean. This is followed by a sketch of the chronology of the New Testament period. Finally we look at New Testament culture, including money, the home, and society. We conclude with a brief introduction to New Testament archaeology. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 16 | Newman, Robert C. | Gospel of Luke | This is a semester-length, seminary level course on the Gospel of Luke. We begin with introductory matters: the authorship and date of the Gospel, the Synoptic Problem, Redaction Criticism, the content and outline of Luke. Then we proceed to a verse-by-verse discussion of Luke. In this Kindle edition, foreign words will be transliterated and italicized. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 17 | Newman, Robert C. | Gospel of Matthew | This is a semester-length, seminary level course on the Gospel of Matthew. We begin with introductory matters: the authorship and date of the Gospel, Matthew the author, his audience, aim and structure of the Gospel, characteristic phrases, unique materials, and outline. Then we proceed to a verse-by-verse discussion of Matthew. In this Kindle edition, foreign words will be transliterated and italicized. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 18 | Newman, Robert C. | Jesus, Foundation of the NT | Jesus is the foundation of New Testament history and theology. Here we survey a number of key passages, along the way responding to modern criticism. After looking at Old Testament foundation passages, we consider the liberal Jesus, and then sketch Jesus' pre-existence and incarnation, his birth, his message, his works, his parables, his death, including Paul and Hebrews on Jesus' death, his resurrection, his ascension and his return. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 19 | Newman, Robert C. | The Parables of Jesus | This is an introduction to the parables of Jesus. We will consider how they function as analogies. We will look at the Old Testament background to parables, including various sorts of figurative stories and also some of the OT figures which are employed by Jesus in his parables. We will also consider the parables of the rabbis in the centuries surrounding the New Testament period. Then we will survey about twenty of Jesus' parables. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 20 | Newman, Robert C. | Colossians | Translation, analysis and exegesis of Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse in the light of the religious situation in the first century Mediterranean world, attempting to identify the particular heresy Paul addresses. We attempt some applications to the modern religious scene today. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 21 | MacRae, Allan A. | Post-Reformation Church History I | This is the first semester of a two-semester course in Reformation and Post-Reformation Church History. These lectures were transcribed from a sound-recording, and lightly edited, so they still have much of a spoken flavor. The lectures begin with the world into which the Reformation came, and continue with the Reformation, concentrating on Martin Luther and John Calvin, ending with the Reformation in England up to the career of Mary, Queen of Scots. The second semester, though sketched in the Contents and Outline at the beginning of these lectures, will be covered in another text. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 22 | MacRae, Allan A. | Post-Reformation Church History II | This is the second semester of a two-semester course in Reformation and Post-Reformation Church History. These lectures were transcribed from a sound-recording, and lightly edited, so they still have much of a spoken flavor. The lectures begin with the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of England as James I. This is followed by the Anabaptists of the 16th century; the Counter-Reformation; Europe during the first half of the 17th century; Great Britain during the same period; then Europe and Great Britain during the remainder of the 17th century; this is followed by the 18th century, first in Europe and then in the English-speaking world; the 19th and 20th centuries (to 1950) are treated more topically. The first semester, though sketched in the Contents and Outline at the beginning of these lectures, is covered in IBRI Syllabi #21. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 23 | MacRae, Allan A. | Pre-Reformation Church History I | This is the first semester of a two-semester course in Pre-Reformation Church History. These lectures were transcribed from a sound-recording and only lightly edited, so they still have much of a spoken flavor. They begin with introductory matters, followed by a presentation of the world into which Christianity came, including the Roman Empire, Hellenism and Judaism. Thereafter the course is divided into centuries, this first semester covering the first four centuries of the Christian era. Typical topics include Christian interaction with the Roman Empire, Christian leaders and writers, various heresies and theological developments. | Date |
| Syllabus | IS 24 | MacRae, Allan A. |
Pre-Reformation Church History II | This is the second semester of a two-semester course in Pre-Reformation Church History. These lectures were transcribed from a sound-recording and only lightly edited, so they still have much of a spoken flavor. The first semester material is found in IBRI Syllabi #23. This second semester begins in the latter part of the fourth century AD with the rise of monasticism, and it goes on to discuss the careers of Jerome and Augustine. Then the fifth century is sketched, along with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The thousand-year period from then to the Reformation is first given in overview, and later discussed in more detail. Each century (or two-century period) includes a sketch of the secular or political situation, the various doctrinal controversies, monastic movements, the papacy, and principal writers and leaders. The rise of Islam and the Crusades are sketched, along with various movements leading toward the Reformation. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 1F | Newman, Robert C. | The
Historicity of the Biblical Narratives of Easter Week (French) LES RÉCITS BIBLIQUES DE LA SEMAINE DE PÂQUES: SONT-ILS FIABLES? |
Ceci est l'exposé constructif qui fut fait lors d'un débat à l'université de Cornell en 1979, et revu en 1985. (L'enregistrement du débat entier est disponible, catalogue # IRN-02) On y examine les arguments qui nient les miracles. On compare les données du Nouveau Testament avec d'autres travaux historiques de l'Antiquité. On remarque que l'exposé des faits présentés dans le Nouveau Testament est confirmé par des auteurs païens et juifs. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 1G | Newman, Robert C. | The
Historicity of the Biblical Narratives of Easter Week (German) DIE BIBLISCHEN ERZÄHLUNGEN DER OSTERWOCHE: SIND SIE GLAUBWÜRDIG? |
Die befürwortende Darstellung einer Debatte von 1979 an der Cornell-Universität, 1985 überarbeitet (eine MP3 der vollständigen Debatte ist erhältlich, siehe www.ibri.org/MP3/IRN-02a.mp3 und IRN-02b.mp3). Argumente gegen Wunder werden untersucht. Die Dokumente des Neuen Testamentes werden mit anderen alten historischen Werken verglichen. Bestätigungen der neutestamentlichen Berichte durch heidnische und jüdische Verfasser werden angeführt. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 6F | Newman, Robert C. | The New
Testament Model of the Messiah (French) Le Modele du Messie Presente dans le Nouveau Testament |
Différentes tentatives ont été faites durant les siècles qui ont suivi l'achève¬ment de l'Ancien Testament pour comprendre ses enseignements au sujet de la venue du Messie. Les modèles construits par les rabbins, la secte de Qumran, les auteurs de littérature apocalyptique et le Nouveau Testa¬ment sont ici comparés aux données de l'Ancien Testament pour montrer la capacité frappante et la supériorité qu=a le modèle fourni par le Nouveau Testament pour correspondre à certaines caractéristiques paradoxales. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 6G | Newman, Robert C. | The New
Testament Model of the Messiah (German) DAS NEUTESTAMENTLICHE MODELL DES MESSIAS |
In den Jahrhunderten nach der Fertigstellung des Alten Testaments wurden verschiedene Versuche unternommen, dessen Lehren über den kommenden Messias zu verstehen. Modelle, die von den Rabbinern, der Qumran Gemeinschaft, den Schreibern der apokalyptischen Literatur und dem Neuen Testament aufgestellt wurden, werden hier mit dem Datenmaterial des Alten Testaments verglichen, um die auffallende Überlegenheit des neutestamentlichen Modells zu zeigen, das gewisse paradoxe Charakteristika auflöst. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 6S | Newman, Robert C. | The New
Testament Model of the Messiah (Spanish) El Modelo del Mesias en el Nuevo Testamento |
En los siglos cerca del inicio de la era cristiana, muchos judíos trataron de reconstruir las referencias dispersas del mesías en el Antiguo Testamento con el fin de averiguar quién era, lo que haría, cuándo vendría, y tales. La situación en ese tiempo era como la del cristianismo evangélico hoy, donde hay animados debates en torno al tiempo y la naturaleza de los eventos relativos a la segunda venida de Cristo, como se ilustran en el Nuevo Testamento.... | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 9F | Newman, Robert C. | The Time of
the Messiah (French) Le Temps du Messie |
Les sources historiques des deux premiers siècles de notre ère indiquent qu'à cette époque, l'attente du retour du Messie s'appuyait sur une prophétie de l'Ancien Testament, probablement Daniel 9:24 27. Le calcul classique de Sir Robert Anderson, qui s'appuie sur ce passage, soulève de sérieux problèmes. Mais il existe une alternative si les <> sont interprétées comme étant en fait des cycles d'années sabbatiques. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 9G | Newman, Robert C. | The Time of
the Messiah (German) Die Zeit des Messias |
Die historischen Quellen aus den ersten beiden Jahrhunderten
des christlichen Zeitalters weisen darauf hin, daß dies eine Zeit
war, in der man erwartete, daß der Messias in Erfüllung
einiger alttestamentlicher Prophetien, wahrscheinlich Daniel 9:24-27,
erscheinen würde. Die klassische Berechnung von Sir Robert
Anderson stößt jedoch auf einige ernsthafte Schwierigkeiten,
die aber dadurch gelöst werden können, daß man die
"Wochen" dieser Prophetie als die alttestamentlichen
siebenjährigen Zyklen der Landbestellung annimmt. Das Ergebnis
weist auf Jesus als die Erfüllung dieser Prophetie hin. |
Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 9S | Newman, Robert C. | The Time of
the Messiah (Spanish) La Era del Mesias |
Las fuentes historicas de los dos primeros siglos de la era
cristiana indican que este fué un período en el que se
anticipaba el cumplimiento de algunas profecías del Antiguo
Testamento, en particular la de Daniel 9:24-27. Los cálculos
clásicos de Sir Robert Anderson presentan dificultades serias,
pero estas pueden resolverse interpretando las "semanas" de esta
profecía como los siete años del ciclo sabático
del Antiguo Testamento. El resultado señala a Jesús como
el cumplimiento de esta profecía. |
Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 36G | Newman, Robert C. | Self-Reproducing
Automata & the Origin of Life (German) SICH SELBST-REPRODUZIERENDES AUTOMATON UND DER URSPRUNG DES LEBENS |
Unter der Annahme, daß das einfachste Lebewesen ein sich selbst reproduzierendes Automaton darstellt, wird die kleinste Komplexität untersucht, die für Leben notwendig ist. Es werden in kurzer Form die Arbeiten von von Neumann, Codd und Langton vorgestellt, wobei Langtons äußerst einfaches sich selbst-reproduzierendes Automaton im einzelnen beschrieben wird. Die Komplexität von Langtons Automaton weist stark darauf hin, daß Leben nicht zufällig entstanden ist, sondern vielmehr einem Plan entspringt. | Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 39S | Newman, Robert C. | Jesus, The
Testimony of Prophecy & History (Spanish) Jesus: El Testimonio de la Profecia y la Historia |
Entre las predicciones encontradas en el Antiguo Testamento,
aquellas concernientes al mesías prometido de Israel son
especialmente importantes. El Mesías, de acuerdo con la Biblia,
vendrá algún día y rescatará a su pueblo de
sus opresores. Él traerá una edad de oro. Israel se
convertirá en la nación principal y Jerusalén en
la capital del mundo. La humanidad será gobernada con justicia,
y la opresión cesará. Todos vivirán seguros en su
propiedad y disfrutarán los frutos de sus propias labores. A
pesar de la naturaleza atractiva de estas profecías, las
reacciones a ellas han sido variadas. De acuerdo con los cristianos, el
mesías ya vino, aunque no inaugurará esta edad de oro
hasta que regrese; él es Jesús de Nazaret. ... |
Date |
| Research Report (Translated) | RR 40S | Phillips, Perry |
Are the Days
of Genesis Longer than 24 Hours? (Spanish) SON LOS DÍAS DEL GÉNESIS DE MÁS DE 24 HORAS? LA BIBLIA DICE "SI" |
Hemos visto dos evidencias contundentes que los días del Génesis se pueden entender en forma figurativa. Primero, hemos investigado el uso de los terminos "día", "mañana" y "tarde" y hemos visto que estos palabras pueden ser usadas figurativamente. Segundo, hemos examinado que la terminología usada para describir las actividades del sexto día, y encontramos suficiente evidencia para afirmar que los eventos del sexto día no se pueden poner dentro de un periodo de 24 horas. Concluimos pues que las escrituras mismas afirman que los "días" del Génesis no tienen porque ser interpretados en forma literal. | Date |
