Robert C. Newman is Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary, Hatfield, Pennsylvania, and Director of the Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute.  His doctorate is in theoretical astrophysics from Cornell University, and he has a M.Div. from Faith Theological Seminary, and an S.T.M. in Old Testament from Biblical Theological Seminary.  He has done additional graduate work in cosmic gas dynamics at the University of Wisconsin, in religious thought at the University of Pennsylvania, in hermeneutics and biblical interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary, and in biblical geography at the Institute for Holy Land Studies (now Jerusalem University College).

He is a past President of the Evangelical Theological Society, a professional society of nearly 3000 theologians.  He has done scientific research for the U.S. Weather Bureau and the Franklin Institute.  He is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, a society of some 2500 Christians in the sciences, a member of the editorial board of its journal Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, and was formerly Chairman of its Commission on Creation.

He is coauthor of Genesis One and the Origin of the Earth (InterVarsity Press, 1977, 2007), editor of The Evidence of Prophecy (IBRI, 1988), and a contributor to Youngblood, The Genesis Debate (Nelson, 1986); Kantzer and Henry, Evangelical Affirmations (Zondervan, 1990); Montgomery, Evidence for Faith (Probe/Word, 1991); Bauman, Hall, and Newman, Evangelical Apologetics (Christian Publications, 1996); Habermas and Geivett, In Defense of Miracles (InterVarsity Press, 1997); van Gemeren, New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (Zondervan, 1997); Dembski, Mere Creation:  Faith, Science and Intelligent Design (InterVarsity Press, 1998); Evans and Porter, Dictionary of New Testament Background (InterVarsity Press, 2000); Newman, Wiester, Moneymaker and Moneymaker, What’s Darwin Got to Do with It? (InterVarsity Press, 2000); and Brasher, Encyclopedia of Fundamentalism (Routledge, 2001).  He is also author of The BiblicalFirmament: Vault or Vapor? (IBRI, 2000) and of articles in The Astrophysical Journal, Planetary and Space Science, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, The Westminster Theological Journal, Grace Theological Journal, Concordia Journal, Presbyterion, The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Philosophia Christi.

He is a frequent speaker at churches and colleges on evidences for the truth of Christianity and on the interaction between science and the Bible.  He has been on TV on several occasions, including guest appear¬ances on the programs "700 Club," "100 Huntley Street" and the A&E network program "Mysteries of the Bible."

Dr. Newman is a native of Arlington, Virginia, and a resi¬dent of North Garden, Virginia.

The positive side of a debate at Cornell University (the whole debate is here: part 1 part 2 ). Arguments against the miraculous examined; NT documents compared with other ancient histories; corroboration with pagan and Jewish authors. (1980)

Chinese Translation (Traditional)
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
French Translation Les Récits Bibliques d e la Semaine de Pâques: Sont-ils Fiables?

German Translation Die Biblischen Erzählungen Der Osterwoche: Sind Sie Glaubwürdig?
Russian Translation

The positive side of a debate at Cornell University (whole debate is on cassette #IRN-02). Arguments against the miraculous examined; NT documents compared with other ancient histories; corroboration with pagan and Jewish authors. (1990 rev.)

The main arguments used by TR-KJV proponents are seen to be fallacious; the KJV and TR suffer from the same "problems'' as the Alexandrian text and its modern translations. Some factors lying behind the heated advocacy of the TR-KJV are suggested. (1990 rev.)

Various attempts were made in the centuries following the completion of the Old Testament to understand its teachings regarding the coming Messiah. Models constructed by the rabbis, the sect at Qumran, the writers of the apocalyptic literature and the New Testament are here compared with the Old Testament data to show the striking superiority of the NT model in fitting certain paradoxical features. (1988 rev.)

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Note: The htm is jpeg images and does not require a Chinese font.
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Microsoft Word Version.

  Traduit de l'americain par Sophie Thiery.

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
<<semaines>> sont interprétées comme étant en fait des cycles d'années sabbatiques.

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.

Liberal critics theorize that a council held about AD 90 completed the canonization of the Old Testament. Talmudic evidence is surveyed, and no evidence is found for such a council or for binding canonical decisions then. Rather a consensus on the content of the OT existed in the first century AD which was already ancient. (1983)

Basic scientific data on the nature of the universe are presented: 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)

In McLean vs Arkansas leaders of several mainline denominations opposed teaching creation in public schools. We suggest this opposition was theological since these leaders advocate an evolu tion-religion known as theological liberalism. Liberalism's treatment of the Genesis account is sketched, as are evidences this approach is mistaken.

Revelation is the most difficult book in the NT, yet it is filled with OT 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.

Problems in harmonizing parallel passages are often raised against inerrancy in Scripture. Here, principles from history and history writing, and parallel passages in a single author suggest why and how we should harmonize. (1987)

The minimal complexity for life is considered, assuming that living things are merely self-reproducing automata. Mathematical models for such automata are briefly reviewed, and Langton's very simple model is described in detail. The complexity of his automaton suggests that life is designed rather than accidental. (1987)

Unter der Annahme, daß das einfachste Lebewesen ein sich selbst reproduzierendes Automaton darstellt, wird die kleinste Komplexi tät 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 zufäl lig entstanden ist, sondern vielmehr einem Plan entspringt.

Most discussions of God's action in nature since about 1900 have ignored angelic activity, perhaps in reaction to 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).

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