Research Articles: All posts by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

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An Army of Straw Men: Responding to Ronald Hendel 8/16/2010 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

In the July/August 2010 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, a disturbing and highly prejudicial column was published, entitled: "Farewell to SBL: Faith and Reason in Biblical Studies." This article was written by Ronald S. Hendel, Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of California, Berkeley. Hendel's article is partially intended to critique certain conflicts taking place currently within the Society for Biblical Literature (SBL). But the main thrust of his article aims directly and antagonistically at Christian scholars who hold to any form of orthodoxy that challenges the unstated, man-centered, humanistic, a priori assumptions held by the vast majority of biblical scholars and archaeologists today. His article, sadly, betrays nothing less than an anti-Christian bias, humanistic fideism and the continued irrational acceptance of the general tenets and anti-supernatural assumptions of the JEDP hypothesis...

Interrupting Ehrman: Critiquing His Latest Polemic Against the Faith 2/4/2010 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The indefatigible skeptic is at it again...His most recent polemic is entitled: Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them). Easily identified and refuted by committed Christian scholars and apologists who take Biblical authority seriously, this book targets the unsuspecting layman in the pew. And THAT makes it worth critiquing...

Biblical Reflections on the Earthquake in Haiti 1/15/2010 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The mission of the Associates for Biblical Research is primarily geared toward the defense of the reliability, authority and inerrancy of God's Word, the Holy Scriptures. A deeply tragic natural disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti is a time of serious reflection for all who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is a time of thoughtful prayer, action to help those in need, and a time to think rightly about the condition of the world.

40th Anniversary Issue of Bible and Spade 10/29/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Dr. David Livingston has devoted his life to teaching the Word of God and upholding and defending the Bible. He has been an inspiration to laymen and scholars alike and to all those who love the Bible, the Word of the living God...

Carbon 14 Dating Controversy in the Iron Age Period 6/16/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Carbon-14 dating is the center of debate as it pertains to dating from the Iron Age period. The date of the transition from the archaeological period known as Iron Age I to Iron Age IIa is a particularly hotly disputed topic...

Ken Ham at the ABR Banquet 5/18/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

On Thursday May 14, 2009, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis Ministries spoke at the Associates for Biblical Research annual fundraising banquet...

The Jesus Tomb Unmasked 3/29/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

See the 'Jesus Family Tomb' debunked in this new cutting edge video from Sourceflix.

Easter Readings 3/29/2009 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

It is hoped that during this Easter Season, these articles will edify you and help you evangelize to people who do not know the unfathomable mercy and grace of the Son of God...

Christmas Readings 12/27/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

This holiday season, as you celebrate the birth of our glorious God and Savior, Jesus Christ, feel free to peruse through a variety of Christmas related articles posted here online by the ministry of ABR...

Incomprehensible 12/7/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

As the pages of redemptive history unfold, they reach a culmination in the early pages of the Gospels, at the birth of Jesus Christ, the mysterious incarnation of the Lord of Glory...

Encouraged by Ozark 10/7/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Many of us are gravely concerned about the overly experientially oriented and anti-intellectual tendencies of the modern church, which often avoids dealing with difficult issues, in-depth theology, and apologetics. Seeing students being trained with a respect for the Word of God encouraged myself and the rest of the ABR staff...

Biblical Illiteracy 9/9/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

One of the most serious problems facing the Church in the 21st century is the problem of Biblical illiteracy. Simply put, most professing Christians do not possess a sound and coherent understanding of the Bible...

The Genesis Flood: An Interpretive Key to the Past 7/30/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

For centuries, the Biblical Flood described in chapters 6–8 in the book of Genesis was considered global, cataclysmic and historical. Since the late 18th century, however, the historicity of the Flood has come under constant attack, and is now rejected as a fable by most people in Western societies...

Cosmic and Universal Death From Adam's Fall 5/15/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Paul’s theological treatise in the epistle to the Romans clearly teaches that the animal kingdom and the entire universe experienced a universal death sentence at the time of Adam’s fall in Genesis 3...

Love God with All Your Mind! 1/28/2008 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

One of the most troubling characteristics of today’s Western Christian church is the susceptibility of its members to emotional manipulation by charismatic leaders and to secular arguments and ideas...

The Ash Heap of History 9/5/2007 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Apologetic ministries like ABR must work hard to demonstrate that unbiblical theories about the Bible need to be refuted and placed on the ash heap of history.

Three Woes! 8/15/2007 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The center of Jesus' Galilean ministry was an area now called the "evangelical triangle." At the points of this triangle were the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum...

Why Do We Need ABR? 4/4/2007 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Throughout the history of the Church, Christian apologists have worked diligently to respond to heresies within the Church and attacks from outside the Church... Apologists such as Aquinas, C.S. Lewis and van Til developed arguments and systems to respond to the issues of their day...

It Feels Like 1960! 11/11/2006 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The staff of ABR stands with only a few in defending the Biblical record with archaeological research and fieldwork. Will the church go on the offensive, taking back the history of the Bible and refuting claims that undermine its accuracy...

Biblical Archaeology: Eternal Implications 4/26/2006 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The absolute authority of the Bible as God’s Word is being undermined as never before. The world’s need for a Savior is grounded in history. Undermine and destroy that history, and you make the Gospel an ultimately meaningless invention of mankind...

The Doctrine of God and the Philosophical Problem of Evil 2/20/2006 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

The problem of evil has been debated over the long centuries, and the debate still rages on today. I have found what I believe to be a consistent error in writings related to the problem of evil. This error is related to the doctrine of God, and particularly, the doctrines of omnipotence and omniscience...

The Moral Argument for the God of the Bible 1/23/2006 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Where does the authority of the absolute moral principle come from?…The question concerns the authority of that principle: why should we give to it the enormous respect which we indeed do give to it? Ultimately, only two kinds of answers are possible: the source of absolute moral authority is either personal or impersonal. Consider first the latter possibility...

Noah's Ark: The True Story? 11/7/2005 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

Aired on TLC on 12/23/04, and many times subsequently, Noah's Ark: The True Story is fairly typical of television programs that depict the Noachian Deluge. The Biblical account is reduced to a local flood in Mesopotamia, while Noah is depicted not as the righteous man of God, but a Sumerian beer trader earning a living on the Euphrates River...

What is a Worldview? 11/3/2005 - by Henry B. Smith Jr. MA

A worldview consists of a series of assumptions/presuppositions that a person holds about reality. A worldview, consciously or subconsciously, affects the way a person evaluates every aspect of reality. Every person adheres to some sort of worldview...

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Divided Kingdom: The Cyrus Cylinder is one of the most important discoveries in biblical archaeology. She was aroused...
Contemporary Issues, General Apologetics: In the July/August 2010 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, a disturbing and highly prejudicial column...
Exodus-Conquest: This summer was the 21th season of the Hazor archaeological excavation. It was conducted from June 20...
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