# Gleason Archer Jr.

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American Christian theologian (1916 – 2004)

"Gleason Archer" redirects here. For his father, the founder of Suffolk University, see [Gleason Archer Sr.](/source/Gleason_Archer_Sr.)

Gleason Archer Jr. Born (1916-05-22)May 22, 1916 Norwell, Massachusetts, U.S. Died April 27, 2004(2004-04-27) (aged 87) Sterling, Kansas, U.S. Spouses Virginia Lillian (nee Atkinson) ​ ​ (m. 1939; died 1962)​ Sandra Paula (nee Larson)) ​ ​ (m. 1964; died 1999)​ Parent Gleason Archer Sr. (father) Academic background Education Harvard University (BA, MA, PhD) Suffolk University (LLB) Princeton Theological Seminary (BDiv) Thesis The Reception of Pindar in Germany during the Eighteenth Century (1944) Academic work Discipline Biblical studies Institutions Fuller Theological Seminary Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

**Gleason Leonard Archer Jr.** (May 22, 1916 – April 27, 2004) was an American [biblical](/source/Bible) scholar, theologian, [educator](/source/Education) and author. He is notable for his work on well-known Bible translations and for his defense of biblical inerrancy.

## Early life and education

Gleason Archer was born in [Norwell, Massachusetts](/source/Norwell%2C_Massachusetts), in 1916 and became a Christian at a young age through the influence of his mother, Elizabeth Archer. His maternal grandfather was a pastor. Archer's father was [Gleason Archer Sr.](/source/Gleason_Archer_Sr.), the first president of [Suffolk University](/source/Suffolk_University) and the founder of [Suffolk Law School](/source/Suffolk_Law_School).

Archer was raised in [Boston, Massachusetts](/source/Boston%2C_Massachusetts). After graduating from [Boston Latin School](/source/Boston_Latin_School), he was educated at [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University), where he received a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), *[summa cum laude](/source/Summa_cum_laude)*, in [classics](/source/Classics) in 1938. He then received a [Bachelor of Laws](/source/Bachelor_of_Laws) (LL.B.) from [Suffolk Law School](/source/Suffolk_University) in 1939, the same year he was admitted to the [Massachusetts Bar Association](/source/Massachusetts_Bar_Association).[1]

In 1940, Archer received a master's degree from Harvard and also earned a Ph.D. from the university in classics in 1944. In 1945, he received his [Bachelor of Divinity](/source/Bachelor_of_Divinity) (B.Div.) from [Princeton Theological Seminary](/source/Princeton_Theological_Seminary).[1]

## Career

Archer served as an assistant pastor at [Park Street Church](/source/Park_Street_Church) in Boston from 1945 to 1948. He then was a professor of Biblical languages at [Fuller Theological Seminary](/source/Fuller_Theological_Seminary) in [Pasadena, California](/source/Pasadena%2C_California), from 1948 to 1965.

From 1965 to 1986, Archer served as a professor of [Old Testament](/source/Old_Testament) and [semitics](/source/Semitic_languages) at [Trinity Evangelical Divinity School](/source/Trinity_Evangelical_Divinity_School) in [Deerfield, Illinois](/source/Deerfield%2C_Illinois). He became an [emeritus](/source/Emeritus) faculty member in 1989. The remainder of his life was spent researching, writing, and lecturing.

Archer served as one of the 50 original translators of the [NASB](/source/New_American_Standard_Bible) published in 1971. He also worked on the team which translated the [NIV](/source/New_International_Version) Bible published in 1978. His defense of the doctrine of [Biblical inerrancy](/source/Biblical_inerrancy) by proposing harmonizations and [exegesis](/source/Exegesis) regarding [inconsistencies in the Bible](/source/Inconsistencies_in_the_Bible) made Archer a well known [biblical inerrantist](/source/Biblical_inerrancy). He stated: "One cannot allow for error in history-science without also ending up with error in doctrine."[2] He was critical of the documentary hypothesis which denies the [Mosaic authorship](/source/Mosaic_authorship) of the [Pentateuch](/source/Torah). Archer also maintained that the prophet [Isaiah](/source/Isaiah) wrote the entire [book of Isaiah](/source/Book_of_Isaiah); he wrote regarding this issue: "There is not a shred of internal evidence to support the theory of a Second Isaiah, apart from a philosophical prejudice against the possibility of predictive prophecy."

In 1986 a *[Festschrift](/source/Festschrift)* was published in his honor. *A Tribute to Gleason Archer: Essays on the Old Testament* included contributions from [John J. Davis](/source/John_J._Davis_(theologian)), [Walter C. Kaiser](/source/Walter_C._Kaiser), [Meredith G. Kline](/source/Meredith_G._Kline), [John H. Sailhamer](/source/John_H._Sailhamer), [Bruce K. Waltke](/source/Bruce_K._Waltke), [Edwin M. Yamauchi](/source/Edwin_M._Yamauchi), and [Ronald F. Youngblood](/source/Ronald_F._Youngblood).

## Works

- [Christianity portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Christianity)

### Books

- Archer Jr., Gleason Leonard (1944). *The reception of Pindar in Germany during the eighteenth century* (Ph. D.). Harvard University.

- ——— (1957). *In the Shadow of the Cross*. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

- ——— (1957). *The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Study Manual*. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

- [Jerome, Saint](/source/Saint_Jerome) (1958). *Jerome's commentary on Daniel*. Translated by Archer, Gleason Leonard Jr. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

- ——— (1959). *The Epistle to the Romans: A Study Manual*. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

- ——— (1964). *A Survey of Old Testament Introduction*. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

- ———; [Harris, R. Laird](/source/R._Laird_Harris); [Waltke, Bruce K.](/source/Bruce_K._Waltke) (1980). [*Theological wordbook of the Old Testament*](https://archive.org/details/theologicalwordb01harr). Chicago, IL: Moody Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8024-8631-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8024-8631-2).

- ——— (1982). [*Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties*](https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofbi00arch). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-310-43570-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-310-43570-6).

- ——— (1983). *The Book of Job: God's Answer to the Problem of Undeserved Suffering*. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

- ———; Chirichigno, Gregory (1983). *Old Testament quotations in the New Testament*. Chicago: Moody Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8024-0236-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8024-0236-4).

- ——— (1986). *A descriptive catalog of the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Biblical coin collection*. Deerfield, IL: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

- ———; [Kaiser, Walter C.](/source/Walter_C._Kaiser); [Youngblood, Ronald F.](/source/Ronald_F._Youngblood) (1986). *A Tribute to Gleason Archer*. Chicago, IL: Moody Pres. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8024-8780-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8024-8780-7).

- ———; Hill, Gary (1987). *The Discovery Bible. New American Standard, New Testament* (Reference ed.). Chicago, IL: Moody Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8024-4159-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8024-4159-9).

- ——— (1994). *A Survey of Old Testament Introduction* (Updated ed.). Chicago: Moody Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8024-8200-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8024-8200-7).

- ———; [Feinberg, Paul](/source/Paul_Feinberg); [Moo, Douglas](/source/Douglas_Moo) (1996). *Three Views on the Rapture*. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-310-21298-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-310-21298-7).

- ——— (2007). *A Survey of Old Testament Introduction* (Revised ed.). Chicago: Moody Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8024-8434-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8024-8434-5).

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-JETSMemorial_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-JETSMemorial_1-1) ["Memorial to Gleason Archer"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190804122533/https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/48/48-1/48-1-pp213-220_JETS.pdf) (PDF). *[Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society](/source/Journal_of_the_Evangelical_Theological_Society)*. **48** (1): 213–220. March 2005. Archived from [the original](http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/48/48-1/48-1-pp213-220_JETS.pdf) (PDF) on August 4, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Resurrection"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080522111719/http://www.frontlinemin.org/resurrection.asp). Frontline Ministries. Archived from [the original](http://www.frontlinemin.org/resurrection.asp) on May 22, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2005.; quoted without reference

## Reference works

- Robbins, David L. (1980). *Gleason L. Archer*. Suffolk University historical pamphlet series. Boston, MA: Suffolk University.

v t e Fuller Theological Seminary Founder Charles E. Fuller Presidents Harold Ockenga Edward John Carnell David Allan Hubbard Richard Mouw Mark Labberton David Emmanuel Goatley Faculty Founding Everett F. Harrison Carl F. H. Henry Harold Lindsell Wilbur M. Smith Former Leslie C. Allen Gleason Archer David Augsburger Justin L. Barrett Geoffrey W. Bromiley Oliver D. Crisp Richard J. Foster Daniel Fuller John Goldingay Donald Hagner Paul Hiebert Paul King Jewett Charles H. Kraft William Sanford La Sor George Eldon Ladd Ralph P. Martin James William McClendon Jr. Joy J. Moore Richard Muller J. Edwin Orr Robert N. Schaper Love L. Sechrest Lewis B. Smedes Glen Stassen Thomas Talbott Miroslav Volf C. Peter Wagner Neil Clark Warren Mel White John Wimber Ralph Winter Charles Woodbridge Present Warren S. Brown Scott Cormode William Dyrness John Goldingay Joel B. Green Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen Kirsteen Kim Sebastian Kim Seyoon Kim Nancey Murphy Richard Peace Soong-Chan Rah J. Dudley Woodberry Amos Yong

v t e Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Dean David W. Pao Faculty Founding Kenneth Kantzer Former James M. Arcadi Gleason Archer Richard E. Averbeck Barry J. Beitzel William Lane Craig Paul Feinberg Norman Geisler Wayne Grudem Michael W. Holmes S. Lewis Johnson Walter Kaiser Jr. Richard Longenecker David J. Luy Scot McKnight John Warwick Montgomery Douglas J. Moo Grant R. Osborne John N. Oswalt Clark Pinnock John H. Sailhamer Wilbur M. Smith Elmer L. Towns Bruce A. Ware David F. Wells Ronald F. Youngblood D. A. Carson John Feinberg Murray J. Harris James K. Hoffmeier Scott B. Rae Willem A. VanGemeren Keith Yandell K. Lawson Younger, Jr. Present Kimberley Kroll Fellipe do Vale Harold A. Netland Kevin J. Vanhoozer Scott M. Manetsch John D. Woodbridge Stephen P. Greggo Julie West Russo Luke M. Tillett Deborah A. Colwill Donald C. Guthrie David M. Gufstafson Craig Ott Manuel R. Rauchholz Tite Tiénou Steven M. Bryan Dana M. Harris Joshua Jipp Te-Li Lau David W. Pao Michelle E. Knight Dennis R. Magary John M. Monson Eric J. Tully John Simons Luis San Roman James E. Gruenewald Matthew Boutilier Magdelena L. Larson David Bryan John A. Carter Peter T. Cha Jonathan Kim Eric Rivera Matthew Eppinette Michael J. Sleasman Publications Trinity Journal Related Denominations Evangelical Free Church of America Institutions Trinity International University Trinity Law School

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gleason Archer Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleason_Archer_Jr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleason_Archer_Jr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.