Question: I wondered if you could point me in the right direction with regards to the geneology in Luke which mentions Nathan and not Solomon.  Forgive my ignorance, but what is the significance in your view? I read it was related to a King Jeconiah.    I understood that messianic lineage goes by the father, so Mary’s lineage […]

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Question: According to the Apologetics Bible, and other sources I have read/heard, physical death hadn’t occurred until Adam/Eve sinned.  I disagree because of the fossils that would have existed prior to Adam as well as Genesis 3:22; And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. […]

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Question: Does the term: "God of gods" used in Deuteronomy 10:17, Psalms 136:2, Daniel 2:47,  and Daniel 11:36 show that there are other gods?   1 Corinthians 8:5 states there are many gods and Psalms 82:1 says God gives judgment "among the gods."  Of course there’s one true God, the Almighty but would this support the belief […]

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Question: I’m aware that the KJV was written around 1611 but I am curious as to when the Bible was first translated from ancient Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic into English? Belinda: The Old and New Testaments were first translated into English (actually Middle English) by the priest/scholar Wyclyffe in the 1380s.  However, this translation was from […]

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Question: 1.  I’m not sure what 1 Cor. 3:15 means.  This verse comes from a passage about God testing the quality of our work.  And this verse appears to be saying that even if our work and lives as Christians do not measure up to God’s standards, we can still be saved.  Yet this verse […]

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Question: I recently had someone tell me that Jesus spent his "lost years" studying other religions.  I am aware that there are unproven theories that Jesus travelled to India and Gladstonbury but no mention about whether he studied other religions.  I want to be fully informed before I answer this person. Answer: This is one […]

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Question: I have been studying out the idea of selfish ambition because I can be a selfish  person from time to time!  I noticed that in the NASB version it says "disputes" instead  of "selfish ambition"……..why the difference?   Answer:  I assume you are talking about Galatians 5:21.   A good rule of thumb is that when you […]

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Question: I am part of the Dubai inter-cultural fellowship here in Dubai. Some of my co-workers who are Muslim ask me how can I explain that their religion is the last & final one.  They say Jesus is already passed.  They say Islam is the last & final religion.  How can you answer this claim?  I told them that […]

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Question:  Could you please help enlighten me – I am trying to research what happened to Joseph. He assumed loco parentis during his early childhood, his geneology was respectfully referred to as if he were blood related , which in itself confuses me, as we don’t suppose he was his father. I can see no […]

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Question: How can historians be sure about specific years in history?  For example, how did you find the decree of Artaxerxes (the king to issue first instruction to rebuild Jerusalem) to have taken place in 458 BC specifically?  I don’t think the Bible mentions these dates. Is there a special way or a tool for this? Answer: There are some […]

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Question:   It seems to me that there is a fairly big contradiction in whether or not God allowed the Israelites to intermarry.  How does one explain this?  "Now kill all the boys.  And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man" […]

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Question:  I believe that God transcends time and by nature is timeless.  However, AFTER Creation, did God enter into time and is now time bound?  Many philosophers argue that God must be "in time" subsequent to creation if libertarian freedom is possible.  How can God interact relationally with us if not in time and everything to […]

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Question:  Can you please explain the Gabriel stone?  How will this affect Christianity?   Answer:   This is a good question.  The "Gabriel Stone" has now been around for a while and it is a good time to begin thinking about its significance.  I have learned from experience that when a new find comes out it is […]

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Question: How do we show those that think Jesus is Michael that he is not? How might you use Jesus’ prehuman existence to bring this out?  Answer: I do not think that "we" need to show that Jesus is not Michael the Archangel.  I believe that surely the burden of proof is on those who try to teach […]

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Question: Can you comment on the material about the "historical Jesus" at commonsenseatheism.com?  The featured video clips claim that many of the messianic prophesies were taken out of context to apply to Jesus.  Can you respond to particularly the claim that Psalm 22:16 is mistranslated particularly the word "pierced"?  Also, Matthew 27:9-10, a prophesy from […]

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Question: If someone leaves the church what can he or she do to return?  Another question:  Does a person who leaves the church lose thier salvation? Answer:  The Bible does not prescribe a fixed means by which those who have chosen to leave the church should be returned to the fellowship.   We could look to 1 Corinthians 5 […]

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Question:  If God understands my humanity and sin nature better than I do, why does He still hold me accountable for what I cannot help doing? Answer:  This is a very good question.  This gets to the heart of the question.  Is God truly fair and is he truly just to judge us for our […]

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Question: I often read articles from Christians and other Creationists in which most of their time is spent on disproving arguments which are put forward by scientists against Creationism. For example, a great deal of time and effort is dedicated to raising issues inherent in the theory of evolution. In fact, most Creationists have gone […]

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Question: If the bible was written so long ago and interpreted in many different ways and has been re-written so many times how can we be sure the version we read today is not complete fiction? Answer: I have answered this question a number of times and in various ways at the web site.  I […]

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Question:  I have a friend who believes that Daniel 11 gets Antiochus’ death incorrect. Is this true? I tend to believe he is wrong however I don’t know the history all that well.  Here is what he gave me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_11  The second paragraph speaks about details of his death and how they do no match up with what […]

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I RECENTLY READ AN ARTICle WRITTEN BY A CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF 1PETER.3:10-13. I ALWAYS ThOUGHT THAT THIS PASSAGE HAD REFERENCE TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD AT ARMAGEDDON. HOWEVER, THE APOLOGIST WROTE THAT 1 PETER.3:10-13 HAD REFERENCE TO NOT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENTIRE PLANET, BUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE OLD […]

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Question: What do you think about the convictions of Charles Finney about the power of Holy Spirit today?  It´s possible pray to receive a miracle? Answer The biblical evidence is that the events at Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) and when Cornelius and his friends were baptized (Acts chapter 10) were unique.   The apostles certainly saw […]

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Question:  Were the Elohim the Anunnaki’s?  Answer:  Many people try to claim that the Jews borrowed their idea about Jehovah from the neighboring peoples: especially from the religions in Mesopotamia.   This is certainly not a new claim.   I will admit that there is at least some marginal parallel between some of the concepts the Jewish […]

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Question: I read "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" recently and was quite awestruck by the prophesies!  I’ve been reading online that the Christian persecution under Domitian was historically uncertain and debated. Although the early church fathers routinely mention Domitian, the persecution is seemingly absent from the writings of Tacitus and Suetonius (and other Roman historians).  […]

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Question:  I have a question about the idea of theistic evolution (I have been reading many of the articles under "creation" by you and John Laing).  This interpretation seems to resolve many questions such as: Why was Cain was afraid someone would kill him?  Who would be living in the city Cain built? etc… (Genesis 4:14-18) […]

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Question:  On the site http://bibleblunders.com, many claims are made based on failed prophecies and contradictions. Can you please address some of them, Dr. Oakes? Answer: Which ones do you want me to address?   I have already responded to most of these supposed contradiction at my web site.  If you go the question and answer section, then […]

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Question: I just read an article that puts forth some pretty convincing evidence that places the validity of Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius and a few other well known historians that many apologetics use to help confirm the existence of Chirst into question. Just wondering what the names of the other non-christian scholars are to […]

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Question: A couple of my buddies always ask about God in the Old Testament: especially about how harsh he can seem to be at times.  Have any advice or recommended reading about the topic?   Answer: Clearly this is a good question.  I have gotten one version or another many times.  If you do a […]

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Question:  I am not a Christian and had no kind of guided religious upbringing, though I have admittedly felt drawn towards Christianity at times.  I never really thought about my origins or the reason for my being.  However, lately I have been nearly consumed by those "big questions."  The idea that the universe and our […]

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Question: I have come across a statement which a 7th Day Adventist claims. They say Jesus and the Archangel Michael is one and the same person. Their reading is in Daniel and also revelation with the war in heaven, I think its chapter 12. I find this hard to believe.  What are your views in this? Answer: No, […]

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Question: I wonder just how much evidence some scholars need.  What reasoning is required to decide that these two men (Imhotep and Joseph) were not one and the same?  What are the odds that any two of the facts are about these two would be identical?  What about three, four or five? Well there are even […]

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Question: I’m a Christian but I’m finding it hard to rebutt some contradictions of the Bible I believe atheist are taking their questions from this website. http://humanknowledge.net/Philosophy/Metaphysics/Theology/Christianity.html Can the Bible challenge his theories? Answer: It is obviously not possible for me to respond to all the criticism of biblical Christianity at this web site.   However, […]

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Question:  If there is so much evidence supporting the validity of the Bible. Why do some Biblical scholars still remain so skeptical? Answer:  Those who do not accept the validity of the Bible ought to speak for themselves.  It is not my place to determine the motives of other people.  Obviously, the reasons people choose […]

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