Question: Do we have to attend and become a member of the church to be accepted into heaven Answer: It is my experience that those who ask such a question are usually looking for a way to justify their lack of obedience to what is clearly a commandment of God. I really hope such is […]
Question: Please explain to me the meaning of the passage in Hebrews 10:26-31. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Answer: The Passage in Hebrews is talking about those who, once becoming a Christian, choose to return to willful sin over a continued time, making a mockery of […]
Question: I have read your Q&A’s about Armageddon and the end of times. I have noticed that you have stated that not all prophecy has been fulfilled, “Any passage which describes the coming again of Jesus or the final Judgment Day will clearly be fulfilled in the future”. I was wondering if you are stating […]
Question: I get confused sometimes with interpretation in general of the Bible. Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, etc. All have different forms of theolgical understandings of scripture that has resulted in various denominations. Why, and how do you decide which one to agree with more or less?? Answer: The particular false teachings you are […]
Question: I have been reading some articles on Wikipedia lately about different categories of sexual preference and gender identities. One interesting category is "intersexual people." These people are ones whose biological sex is ambiguous because they have both male and female anatomies. Many in the past and even today believe that such people cannot be […]
Many atheists seem to dismiss the belief in the "supernatural". Is the word supernatural in the Bible? Are Christians making assumptions, or portraying God in a way that is non-Biblical. I probably haven’t thought about this much, but saying "supernatural" means saying "magic" or "impossible" to a non-Believer. How can we explain this to a […]
I have a friend who is growingly convinced that Jesus has already returned (fall of the temple 70 AD). I have been seeking to understand his point of view and while it answers some questions it presents a myriad of others. Do you have any thoughts that you might be able to share? Answer: One […]
Question: Do you believe that those who believe in theistic evolution will be pleasing to God on judgement day? Why are Christians turning to the world views and compromising the basics of God being the Creator? Is it appalling to any other Christian Leaders in the fellowship of ICOC that leaders are encouraging this type of […]
A review by John Lang review_of_evolutionary_creation 366.63 Kb
Question: Who put all of the books of the Bible together in one book, and how do we know that they were right? Answer: The logic of the answer to this question is fairly simple, but the evidence is a bit involved. In order to give you a sufficient answer, I suggest you read the […]
Question: I don’t understand the whole "hardening your heart" idea in the Bible. For example in Hebrews 6:4-7, is the situation that the person can try to repent and cannot be restored or is it because their heart is hardened so they won’t repent or turn to God? The Bible says that He will always forgive us when we turn to […]
A message by Philip about the relationship between Hannukah and Christmas (with a little apologetics thrown in!) Messiah and the Lights of Hanukkah Hanukkah, the Jewish winter holiday also known as the "festival of Lights" derives its name from the idea of "rededication." It commemorates deeds of courage and faith among a Jewish army […]
Question: Could you kindly elaborate 2 Cor 6:14? Does that mean we cannot date/marry non Christians? Answer: Believe it or not, I have gotten virtually this exact question a number of times, which is really surprising given that this is a Christian evidences web site. Apparently a lot of people use this passage to teach […]
Question: Why does the God of the Old Testament seem so mean, and unmerciful, but God in the New Testament is gracious, loving, and merciful? Answer: Yours is a very common misconception of both the Old and the New Testament. There are two misconceptions here. First, it is common to view the portrayal of God […]
How did the Muslim religion get its start? Answer; The religion was started by Mohammed. He claims to have had a vision and a series of visitations by the angel Gabriel. He began his ministry in AD 610, at the age of 40. Mohammed created a religion fashioned after Judaism, about which he had a […]
Why does God not heal amputees? Answer: God can and even has healed people with disfigured limbs. There are a number of examples in the gospels of Jesus healing a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years (John 5:1-15), a crippled man who was let down through a roof to where Jesus […]
Question: 1. Why would an all knowing benevolent God give such ridiculous laws? Not using two different types of fibers? Cutting off the hand of a woman that grabs the private parts of the man that fights her husband? Not touching a woman for seven days after the beginning of her period? What is that???? The almighty […]
Question: I have a question about Jehovah Witness’ belief that it is a sin to have a blood transfusion. They cite scripture (Lev17, and Act 21:25) that says that it is not permitted to take in blood from an animal or bird. They say that it also includes people. What is the best way to […]
Question: What are the five miracles in the Old Testament? Answer; I have no idea. There are a LOT more than five miracles in the Old Testament. If you are interested, I have published a book on miracles which includes a chapter on Old Testament miracles. It is titled "That You May Believe." It is available […]
Questions: (several questions are followed by the answer to all of them below) 1. Does 1 Cor. 7:10-11 really say that divorced couples ought to remarry if they can? I thought Jesus taught that a divorce was final. I don’t think Paul is talking about a couple who merely separates because he says the woman […]
Como_Recibimos_la_Biblia 1.22 Mb
Question: Is Jesus really an acceptable sin sacrifice according to the Old Testament? The new covenant couldn’t have been active till after Jesus’ death and resurrection, right? So it would make sense to say the initiation of the new covenant shouldn’t violate the standards of the old. Does Jesus REALLY count as a sin sacrifice? […]
Question: Where does Jesus say he is God? I haven’t seen a verse in the Bible where Jesus says he is God. Also I am sure that you are aware that many people think that the Bible is corrupt, it this is not true, where are they getting this belief from? Answer: The answer is that Jesus […]
An article by John Oakes about recent archaeological discoveries in Edom and Israel. Two Recent Archaeological Discoveries Support Biblical History Add two to the "we’re not surprised" category of archaeological finds in Palestine. For reasons that are at times hard to understand, archaeologists have moved increasingly in the direction of skepticism toward biblical history, […]
Editor’s Note: The article below is written by Zack Ashmore. Zack is a high school student who is very interested in Christian Apologetics. If you want to contact Zack, let me know. The Implications of Evil on Our World The problem of evil is, historically, the oldest attack against Christianity. Sadly, it has […]
First in a series of articles on the Christian world view by John Oakes Apologetics and the Christian World View Part I World View Apologetics A number of years ago I wrote and published a book which I thought at the time covered all of the important basic topics relating to Christian Evidence […]
Question: Someone has mentioned this website to me that gives an argument that homosexuality is not a sin, that we think it’s a sin because we misunderstand what the biblical meaning of the word "homosexual" means. Here is the website: http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian I am sure something is wrong here, but I cannot see why. Can you […]
Question: Are there any examples of failed Prophecies in the Bible and scientific contradictions in the bible as claimed by some books? Answer: No, there are not. Of course, there are people who say that there are, and I have heard such claims. For example, in a debate held last June in Chicago, the claim […]
A Review by Phillip Lester of a debate held in NYC 11/15/08 between Dr. Douglas Jacoby and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on the topic, Judaism/ Christianity/Islam which is the true religion of Peace? A reaction to The Jacoby / Boteach Debate 11/15/08 "For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but […]
Question: Why didn’t God simply destroy Satan from the beginning? Answer: God did not tell us so this requires me speculating, so please take my answer for what it is worth/with a grain of salt. Why did God not destroy you when you sinned? Because he loves you and because he wants you to repent […]
Outline of a lesson on Freedom in Christ and the responsibility which comes with that freedom and a discussion of our responsibility to use our gifts as ministers. Freedom for what? What is the advantage of freedom? Illustration: Mel Gibson Braveheart Freedom!!!! What is so great about being free in America? What have we […]
daniel profeta a nacoes 1.16 Mb Daniel Prophet to the Nations (Portugese)
sombras_a_realidade 220.50 Kb Power Point in Portugese
Induction, Deduction, Revelation: Notes on a class on how to interpret the Bible and to determine what is best to do, suggesting that we need to take into account first, revelation, which is the direct teaching of the Bible, second Bible principles and third, experience as a source of wisdom. Induction, Deduction and Revelation How […]
Notes on how to maintain a dynamic personal relationship with God. Class presented by Dr. John Oakes in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thoughts on how to have a great personal Bible Study experience. Example in Numbers 11:4-6. We never see anything but this manna! Has the food you eat become somewhat bland to you? (when I […]
what_is_truth 576.00 KbNotes and Power Point for a lesson taught at San Diego State University 11/14/2008 What is Truth? Is Anything True Any more? John 18:37-38 Jesus: "I came to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Pilate: "What is truth?" Now that is a good question. This […]
Review by Dr. John Oakes of a debate 11/13/08 between Rabbi David Wolpe and Richard Hitchins Debate Between Rabbi David Wolpe and Christopher Hitchens A Review On Thursday Nov 13, 2008 a debate was held between Rabbi Wolpe and Christopher Hitchins on the question Does Faith Matter at the Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, California. Rabbi […]
Question: I have heard a lot of people who argue that Christianity is false, say that the Gospels were written to conform with the political views of the time, and each author wrote to get his political views accross. What do you say about this? Answer: This is a very good question. I have not […]
Question: Have you had any success talking to Mormons? I have a Mormon friend who is trying to convert me! My experience is that when I try to talk sensibly with Mormons they start shaking and literally sweating. My friend asked me why I do not believe in the Book of Mormon. When I explained, […]
Question: Is it possible after a few moments of Bible study and a profound prayer to be accepted by God? I am asking this question because here in Cameroon I have sometimes seen and heard evangelists preaching that if you confess Jesus with your mouth and if you believe that Jesus is the Lord, then it […]
Question: Could you please explain what man’s righteous anger looks like. I see Jesus’ reaction in Mt.21:12 and Moses in Ex.32:19, but how can righteous anger be understood in a Christian life dealing with the sin of another Christian? What would that look like? Answer: I think that in order to know what righteous anger might look like, we […]
Recording of the Hebrews class of 11/1, 11/8, 11/15 and 11/22 by John Oakes and Robert Carrillo in San Diego, CA hebrews_part_1 6.39 Mb hebrews_part_2 7.60 Mb hebrews_part_3 14.19 Mb hebrews part4 5.31 Mb hebrews_part 5 14.88 Mb hebrews_part_6 14.94 Mb hebrews_part_seven 14.98 Mb hebrews_viii_mp3 14.70 Mb
See below for notes on the twelve "Minor Prophets" from a series of classes taught by John Oakes in San Diego. Introduction to "The Twelve" In the Hebrew Bible, they formed one book and were not the last books in the canon. The Prophets: 2 Peter 1:19-21 Prophet = spokesperson, one who speaks for […]
Question: Everybody is foreknown, because God knows everyone before they are born, so everyone is predestined "For those God foreknew he also predestined", and therefore everybody is called in their life time "those he predestined he also called". Therefore everybody is judged on the extent of their calling, and even if you are not baptised […]
Question: 1.Can you tell me the name of the twelve tribes of the Israel? 2.What kind of Bible do you use? why? The Bible has a lot of types; which one is the best one? and which ones are very bad? Answer: For the twelve tribes of Israel, just go to Genesis 35:23-26. I use a number of versions of the Bible. I believe […]
Question: If Jesus is God, why does he pray to God throughout the new Testament, and encourage us to worship God? And why did Jesus call out "My God my God why have you forsaken me" if he is God? Answer: In discussing what is sometimes referred to as the doctine of the "trinity" I will […]
Below is a review by Jeff Chacon of a debate held Monday 10/27/2008 at the University of Florida. The topic was “Science, Man, God: A Creationism vs. Evolution Debate.” Latest Debate a Smashing Success! by Jeff Chacon 10/29/08 The large ballroom at the University of Florida was buzzing with excitement and packed to overflowing […]
Question: In reference to the question of whether or not Jesus actually used the word synagogue rather than church, it is highly unlikely in my humble opinion for two reasons. First of all, my copy of Lamsa’s translation from the Aramaic of the Peshitta says "church." Secondly, the word "ekklesia" is a combination of 2 […]
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