Question: 1. I read more than a couple of your articles about Krishna a deity in Hinduism. You said that Krishna is a mythical figure demanding details like where did he live? Where was he born? When was he born? What did he look like? Who were his parents and where did they come from? These […]
Editor’s note: This is a series of two questions and two answers. Question #1: How do we demonstrate to non-Christians the Christian understanding of life after death – that we will either be sent to hell or go to heaven based on whether or not we have accepted God’s gift of eternal life in this […]
Question: My school friend told me: The Big Bang Theory arrived in 1931, but God declared 1,400 years ago by the mouth of an unschooled prophet in Sura 21:30 that “the heavens and the earth were joined together as one mass, then he clove them asunder.” God even said in Sura 51:47 that “he […]
Question: In what language did Moses write the Torah? Critics say that he couldn’t have written the Torah because Hebrew didn’t exist at that time.” Answer: A good question. I believe that all or nearly all conservative scholars will agree that the Pentateuch was originally written down in Hebrew. Consider the name given to God […]
Question: Is 2 Samuel 7:16 a failed prophecy? “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”” 2 Samuel 7:16 ESV..I saw a critic claims that this is a failed prophecy, because “houses” and kingdoms do not last forever. Answer: This is in fact a […]
Question: How would you respond to people who say “The Romans never conducted censuses in client kingdoms”? Answer: I am assuming this is in response to the fact that Luke tells us a census was taken, which was the reason Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem. I would say that this is incontrovertibly a false […]
Dr. John Oakes is now leading a church planting in Merced, California. Please join us 11:00 Sundays at 500 Buena Vista Ave., Merced or on zoom at 342-225-5971 pw 857096. Also, join us for midweek devotional Wed. 7:30 at UC Merced Rm GLCR 120 or the same zoom. Also, visit our website at www.mercedchurch.com. 10/16 […]
Question: The Koran said 1,400 years ago that God warned the Israelites that he would raise against them those who would afflict them till the day of Resurrection. Whatever is happening today in the Middle East, does it not provide evidence of the truth of this statement? How do Christians see this? Answer: If I […]
Question: Why do we consider God perfect and that God’s plan is perfect if we have the example of Noah’s ark? He claims to know that he has a plan for all of us but was it part of his plan to wipe out humanity in Noah’s ark? And if he knew that that would […]
Question: I have a question about Daniel. I believe that the book of Daniel was create in 6BC, but this is the most problematic passage. Is Daniel 11:40-45 a fail prophecy ? Read this. Verse 40 is generally regarded by the majority of critical scholars to mark the transition from ex eventu prophecy to a […]
Question: Are you a believer in Christian Universalism (restoration of ALL) Apocatastasis rather than Unitarian Universalism? I believe the Bible in the original writings support this. You mention in some of your writings you believe in heaven but don’t mention hell. Hell–meaning eternal, conscious torment for all who don’t believe in Christ. To me that […]
Questions: There are scriptures that seem to indicate that before we become Christians, it really doesn’t matter how much we sin–whether we sin much or little, we die spiritually, and become lost. For example: – Adam and Eve sinned only once and they died – Paul says in Eph 2:5 that “we were dead in […]
Questions: I am from India, which is the birthplace of Hinduism. I have some questions, Please kindly answer them 1. Hinduism says the incarnation of a human being in various forms occurs until he/she attains (moksha) heaven, Is not it a good idea, that it enables everyone to get into heaven? 2. What does the […]
Dr. John Oakes is giving a public lecture at UC Merced in Rm SSB 120 Friday 9/27 at 7:00 on the relationship between History, Archaeology and the Bible, showing the historical reliability of the Bible. If the Bible is reliable history, then the stories of Abraham, Moses and David are a record of how God […]
Question: What would be your response to a JW who uses Proverbs 8 to justify claiming that Jesus as a created being? Answer: First of all, I believe that this is one example of many in which Jehovah Witnesses do eisegesis–which means reading a meaning into the text, rather than from the text. This is […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a class on answering difficult questions for the West Coast School of Ministry Fall, 2024. Audio and Power Point are here: Answering Difficult Questions PPT Hard Questions Audio I Hard Questions Audio II Hard Questions Audio III Hard Questions Audio IV
Question: How long were the Israelites in Egypt? 430 or 215 years (Septuagint)? If they were in Egypt for 430 years, how do we reconcile this with Galatians 3:16-18? Answer: It is worth bearing in mind that the Near Eastern way of thinking about lengths of time and numbers in general is not as precise […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a series of classes at the Univ. of California, Merced for the campus group. The class will be on several consecutive Wednesdays, beginning 9/11 in Rm GLCR 120 and is available at 7:30 on zoom 342 225 5971 pw 857096 Notes, Power Point and audio will be made available here. […]
Dr. John Oakes will be teaching an in-depth Christian Evidence class, sponsored by the Western US ICOC Teachers Service Committee, beginning Thursday 9/12, and running seven consecutive weeks. The class will be 7:30-9:00 Pacific Time on zoom at 342 225 5971 pw 857096. There will be no cost for the class. Once the class begins, […]
Question: Tacticus wrote almost nothing about Jesus – just one small passage. Tacitus only said that Christians in Rome believed such a thing. It does not prove that Jesus was crucified. Further, we do not find any mention of Jesus in Seneca’s (4 BCE – 65 CE) writings and the historian Pliny the Elder (23 […]
Question: Can you give me factual references to scriptures/books using which I can use to refute reincarnation theory? I was born in a Hindu family. However God blessed me and I found my true faith. My entire family is Hindu. I have read Bhagavad Gita and Bible. Both have strongly written verses and theories in […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a class at a recent teacher’s conference in Antelope Valley, California Jesus, the Master Teacher The class was titled the Humility of the Christian Teacher, in which he discussed the qualities necessary to the Christian teacher. This includes, of course, humility, but also passion, giftedness for teaching, training, an open-mindedness. patience for […]
Question: The editors of the Bible were not interested to preserve the history of Minor Prophets except Jonah. If editors mentioned the histories of Elijah and Elisha, then why were the Minor Prophets were left out? Answer: By “the editors” I assume you mean those who put together the historical books of the Bible. The […]
Comment: I have been questioning reformed theology for a few years. I have many books with historical evidence to show others why it’s heresy. I am in need of a deluxe Deep Bible study to combat this disease called reformed theology. Historically, I have traced back to Zwingli as one of the main culprits in […]
Question: I have an interesting question. What are your thoughts about the Bible Code? For example the Ivan Panin story: Ivan Panin, a Russian mathematician and linguist, noticed complex mathematical structures in the Bible, especially those based on the number 7. He believed that the biblical text contains a hidden, divine numerical code that confirms […]
Question: Adam’s sin was forgiven by God, according to the Koran (2:37), but Christianity says Jesus died for that sin. Does it mean Jesus’ sacrifice is meaningless? Answer: An interesting connection you have made! And a good question, I would say. Please understand that my answer is coming from a Christian, not a Muslim perspective. […]
Question: Can you give me factual references to scriptures/books which I can use to refute reincarnation theory? I was born in a Hindu family. However God blessed me and I found my true faith. My entire family is Hindu. I have read Bhagavad Gita and Bible. Both have strongly written verses and theories in supporting […]
Questions: 1. I believe there is good evidence for Christianity, but why do so many people not accept it if it’s true? Would a good answer to this question be that Jesus said most people would be condemned? (Matthew 7:13) 2. Does archaeology align well with the Bible? The New Testament is well supported by […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a multi-part class on the Book of Acts for the Merced Christian Church July and August, 2024. Notes, PPT and audio are included here. Acts Notes Whole Class Acts PPT Acts I Audio Acts Audio II Acts III Audio Acts Audio IV Acts V […]
Question; I have two questions that are troubling me. It concerns the passage from Deuteronomy 32:8-9. Please, answer if you can. 1. The ‘sons of God’—who are they in this passage? Are they divine beings, or are they Israelites? 2. Some critics say that this passage indicates that God El (the Most High in this […]
Question: God created humans and other living beings for nothing else but that they could serve him. He did not desire from them any provision or food. It was revealed to the Prophets to not associate any others with God in his Divinity. Didn’t Paul challenge OT teachings and make a mockery of them by […]
Question: NT writers contradicted the teachings of the Law & Prophets, and they have the nerve to say that they believe in Moses & Prophets. For e.g. NT directly contradicts with Deut. 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20. If Jesus’ sacrifice was pre-destined, then why did God say this before? Was God double-minded or did the NT […]
Question: David (Dowd – the Beloved) wrote Psalm 22 in first person because it is Dowd himself who would fulfill Passover Matsah and FirstFruits. He would have said “you” if he were speaking of someone else. YHWH calls Dowd His “Son, Messiah, Shepherd, Counselor, King, and Gibbor.” Isaiah 9 says that a child IS born– […]
Question/Comment: The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) do not prove the inerrancy or historical accuracy of the Bible. The writings in DSS show a hugely different history than in the Bible. The Genesis Apocryphon is noticeably different from the Bible’s Genesis. Exodus, 1-2 Samuel and Jeremiah are extremely different in the DSS than in the Bible. […]
Question: I’ve been struggling for a while now to read the Bible itself but very often read commentaries, articles etc. concerning Scripture. I want to read Scripture itself but feel like I get the information so much ‘quicker’ from books etc. Any words of advice please? Answer: First of all, you do not need to feel […]
Question: Qadianis (Ahmedis) believes that Jesus escaped persecution and went to Kashmir where he lived to old age. What are your thoughts on this? Answer: People believe all kinds of things which are patently untrue, and this is one of them. There is literally NO evidence that Jesus ever set foot in the subcontinent of […]
Question: What is your take on Saturday being the Christian Sabbath, as taught by some Christian churches? Answer: Two things are true, which is that Saturday (actually, Friday sundown until Saturday sundown) is the Jewish Sabbath. The command for its celebration is found as one of the ten commandments (Deuteronomy 5:12). It is also true […]
Question: if Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time right now in 2024 , do you mean for example that Jesus knows and does not know at the same time right now ? God knows everything but man does not know everything. If Jesus is fully God and fully human, do […]
Question: You preach everywhere regarding the means of Jesus’ death, but my Muslim friend said to me: “They are spreading lies which will lead them in Hell.” That would include you. What should be our response? Answer: Your Muslim friend is claiming that when we Christians teach that Jesus died on a cross in Jerusalem, […]
Question: I am studying the Scriptures. Now, following your guidance, I am using a biblical dictionary, interlineal Greek-English Bible, and two Bibles (Scofield RV-1960 and Peshitta). I have a question. What is the difference between grace (xaris) and mercy (eleos)? I read someone (Danilo Montero, is an evangelist singer) who said: “Grace means to get […]
We are traveling to Ireland and England, as well as visiting churches in Dublin, Belfast and London. I will be keeping a journal of our travels here. Journal for Ireland and England May, 2024 Ireland May 15-22 Jan and I arrive in Dublin Wednesday evening. While in Dublin we are staying at the Auld Dubliner, […]
Dr. John Oakes and his wife Jan are on an anniversary travel expedition to Ireland and England. The trip includes teaching for churches in the London area, so we will be posting notes, audio and power point from the lessons taught. If you are in the London area, you are invited. Information below. Lessons taught […]
Question: What is it called when someone believes that God manifested himself in the Father, the Son and the Spirit, but that they are not separate persons? Answer: The most common technical name for this theology is Modalism, or the more technical name, which is Monarchical Modalism. It is called this because the teaching is […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a lesson on the Book of Malachi for the Central Valley Church of Christ 6/8/2024 for a Deeper Bible Study day. Malachi Notes Malachi PPT Malachi Audio
Question: In the Gospel of Matthew 11:19, one version says wisdom is justified of her children(KJV) and another version says wisdom is justified by her deeds(ESV). Please explain this variant “children and deeds” Answer: This is a familiar example of a textual variant with a fairly well-understood explanation. The explanation of the textual variant is found […]
Question: I am a Christian living in Latin America. Thanks for sharing God’s truth all these years. I have a question: Should I biblically visit my dead parents or relatives or am I falling into idolatry, or waste of time? What could be the best approach to the correct understanding? Thanks. Answer: This is a […]
Question: According to the Koran (3:146-148), there were many Prophets who have done Jihad and large numbers of God-devoted men have fought alongside them. They did not surrender to the non-believers merely because of their numerical inferiority and lack of resources. Can you show me such Prophets in Biblical history who have done Jihad? Please […]
Question: The teachings of the Koran are not a new or strange thing. All former prophets and messengers have also taught the same, that real life is the life of the hereafter and no soul bears the burdens of another soul, and the same has been said in the former books, the books of Abraham […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a seven-week class on 2 Corinthians in Merced beginning 1/24/2024. Notes, power point and audio are posted here. 2 Corinthians Notes 2 Corinthians PPT 2 Cor Audio I 2 Cor Audio II 2 Cor III Audio 2 Cor Audio IV 2 Cor Audio V […]
Question: God promised paradise to those in the Torah and the Gospel who are killed in a holy war, or who kill others in a holy war as stated by the Koran (9:111), but paradise is missing from the OT (including the Torah) and holy wars are missing from the NT (including the Gospels). Have […]
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