Dr. John Oakes is giving a series of three lessons on the general topic of who is Jesus for the Metro Region of the Los Angeles International Church of Christ. Notes, PPT and audio are included. The first lesson, “Who is Jesus?” is about the claims of Jesus versus other world religious leaders and the […]
Question: I have a question I hope you can help me with. It’s probably one you’ve answered before but I didn’t see any like it posted on your site. With so many great scientists not believing in God it sometimes makes me doubt my faith. I read somewhere it’s 30/70 for belief/non belief for scientists. […]
Question: 2 Timothy 3:8 says : “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” How did Paul know the names of Jannes and Jambres while we can’t find them even in the Old Testament? Answer; A good question. Jannes and Jambres […]
Question: William Marrion Branham is considered by some to be an end-time prophet. They say that in order to be taken up by Jesus, every Christian must believe his end-time message. What do you think about ? Answer; I have come across the Branhamites in both West Africa and in Central Africa, especially the two […]
Question: How do I explain to someone who doesn’t believe in the inspiration of the gospels, how it is that John was able to write his gospel in Greek even though he was called “unschooled” Acts 4:13? “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they […]
John Oakes is now preaching regularly for the Bakersfield Church of Christ, so we will be posting all of his sermons here. 2/16 Mark Sermon IV Miracles Notes Mark Sermon IV PPT Mark IV Miracles 2/9 Mark III Notes Kingdom Parables Mark III PPT Mark III Kingdom Parables 2/2 Mark Sermon II […]
Dr. John Oakes, Gregg Marutzky and Brian Craig taught a 16 hour class on the Book of Romans for the Los Angeles School of Ministry and Missions Feb 6 & 7 in West Covina, California. We are posting powerpoint, notes and audio. Romans PPT Romans Notes Romans 1 Romans 4 Romans 5 […]
Question: I’ve been looking into commentaries regarding Matthew 21:28, the parable of the two sons. One commentary used this parable to explain how it does not necessarily matter the name an individual worships, as long as they are worshiping, connecting, and acting on the principles and power of universal love. As Christians, we happen to […]
Question: Is human nature good or evil? For the majority of my life, I have been told humans are born evil. Evil humanity must choose God so they will completely alter the core of their being to ‘good’. Humanity then lives the rest of their lives fighting the true self so God can continue to […]
We are excited to announce a brand new book by Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo. It will be available in two weeks, but can be pre-ordered now from Illumination Publishers, International. www.ipibooks.com Here is the link for purchasing the book. https://ipibooks.ecwid.com/#!/Hebrews—Living-By-Faith/p/168762906/category=18671191 See below for a brief excerpt from the introduction to the book. Hebrews: Living […]
Question: Please explain to me the introduction of Luke’s account? 1. Is Luke stating or implying that he checked facts with those first eye-witnesses to the Gospel and the words of Jesus Christ of Nazareth? 2. Or, was Luke just stating that those eye-witnesses just left accounts he referenced, like the Gospel/documents? 3. Did […]
Question: The ten Commandment speaks about worshiping only one God – “Almighty God. ” Also, in the Old Testament the Almighty God did not command us to worship his son Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Almighty God did not say to worship any another god and the Almighty God did not say to worship my […]
Question: This is my last semester in college and one the classes I’m taking is “Evolution and Systematics”. My professor is an outspoken atheist ( I had anticipated this) and regularly derides any belief in God ( sometimes adding foul language into the mix). During the first day of class, he asked us to “raise […]
Question: Should Christian Swear On Bible In Court? Answer: I cannot think of any biblical reason that a Christian cannot swear on the Bible if asked to in court. Now, it is true that Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-37 that we should not swear at all. However, we need to consider the context. In the […]
Question: I have three questions: 1. It is said by some who do a lot of research that Jesus Christ of Nazareth did not exist and all stories about Jesus Christ of Nazareth were retellings of older pagan myths by relatively well educated Greek-speaking (and writing) Christians during the 2nd half of the first century. […]
Question: Is human nature good or evil? For the majority of my life, I have been told humans are born evil. Evil humanity must choose God so they will completely alter the core of their being to ‘good’. Humanity then lives the rest of their lives fighting the true self so God can continue to […]
[Editor’s note: This is a rather long question, but the answer is below!] Question: This is on Daniel 9 and what Wiki has been saying about it. First of all, they say this has nothing to do with Jesus and the temple but it is about Jeremiah. As stated here: “The seventy weeks prophecy is […]
Question: Did God order that 6th commandment be broken when in 1 Samuel 15:3 He ordered the murder of the innocent children and infants (innocent in terms of them not having done the things the Amelikites did that forced God to order their killing). Or am I confusing the definition of murder? The reason I […]
Question: A friend of mine is adamant that discipling is unbiblical and is saying that the Holy Spirit alone is sufficient to teach us and people can lead us astray. He is using this scripture ( 1 John 2:27-28) to prove his point.. He is trying hard to negatively influence me about being in a […]
John Oakes is teaching a class on Hermeneutics in Bakersfield, California in February. This class focuses on the means to best interpret and understand the Bible. Classes are at 9:00 at 3010 Amber Canyon Place, Bakersfield (except 2/8 at 1:30). Notes, power point and audio are included. Hermeneutics Notes Hermeneutics PPT Hermeneutics Audio […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching an Old Testament Survey class in Bakersfield the next few weeks. PPT, Notes and audio are attached. Old-Testament-Survey-PPT OT-Survey-Notes OT Survey I
Question: Who are the magi that visited baby Jesus? Why are they important enough to be in the Bible? What would the people of Jesus’ era and culture have understood about them? Answer; Matthew does not identify the magi, but we know they come from the East. If one is in Bethlehem, to the east […]
Question: I am confused with omnipresence of God and the theophany in Old Testament. My question is how the omnipresent nature of God can be consistent with theophany? Hope this helps. A similar question goes for the incarnation and the second coming of Christ. If God is omnipresent how then can theophany or incarnation makes […]
Quetion: I saw this comment online that reads : “Why do we teach that a person must continue to ask for forgiveness for sins that God is not counting against us and for which no sacrifice remains that God requires or accepts (2 Corinthians 5:19; Hebrews 10:17-18)?”. I know that we can’t deliberately keep on […]
Question: I was wondering if when God finished creating in Gen 2:2-3 he rested because he was actually tired. At first I thought that was absurd (and I still do to a degree). Maybe another reason for the rest was to establish the Sabbath, but then I saw the passage from Exodus 31:17 where it […]
Question: Can a Christian read the Koran and can you tell me a few reasons a Christian might want to do this? How can it be helpful for the Christian life? How many times did you red Koran and how has it helped you? Answer: Thanks for the question. I have read the Qur’an through […]
Question: Some people have asked me about Christians practicing yoga? Where is the red line in this practice, of whether Christians can do yoga? Answer: I am sure you know that I am not going to give you a “red line,” as to create red lines is to practice legalism. We do not need red […]
Question: Hey all at EFC! I was wondering how I would respond to a claim that Jesus lied in John 7:1-10. This doesn’t affect my faith whatsoever but I would like to know how I would handle this question. Also does Leviticus 25:44 necessarily teach that you can buy slaves as long as they aren’t […]
Questions: 1. If an allegorical system of interpretation is applied to the creation story, that is 6 days is billions of years, how about the rest of the scripture? 2. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31), […]
Question: My friend asked “Does Daniel live up to the criteria for a true prophet laid out in Deuteronomy 18? Daniel 9:24 says that 70 weeks are decreed to put an end to sin, bring in everlasting righteousness and seal up vision and prophecy. Sin continues to this day, everlasting righteousness has not been brought […]
Dr. John Oakes is one of a team teaching a class on Genesis for the Los Angeles School of Ministry and Missions Dec 4-5, 2019, along with Glenn Giles and Trevor Cochell. My part will be teaching a class on Genesis and Apologetics. Notes and PPT for both the apologetics class and the full class […]
Question: What is your opinion on Dr. Hugh Ross, an OEC [editor: old earth creationist] who has written books such as ‘Matter of Days’, etc. and that of John Lennox, who has written the book ‘Seven Days that Divide the World.’? Within Christian circle, we often say it doesn’t matter for our faith whether we […]
Questions: Did Paul really write Ephesians, Colossians and the Pastoral Epistles? In other words, did Paul really write all the 13 epistles of the New Testament normally attributed to him? One scholar, Bart D.Ehrman says that only the seven books, the undisputed letters of St.Paul are authentic and the rest 20 books of the New […]
Question: How can I defend my faith to skeptics who say that Moses of the Old Testament did not exist? Answer: To be honest, this is not an easy question. Here is why. The evidence for the historical reality of Moses is relatively indirect. There is no ancient inscription from the second millennium BC which […]
[Editor’s note: This is a rather long question with a fairly short answer. See below] Question: When we say to an anti-Trinitarian that the Holy Spirit is a person because in the scriptures we find personal characteristics they say that the personality of the Holy Spirit is not allegorical or symbolic. They say that the […]
Question: I have learned that there are many interpolations of several Bible verses in the Bible. Even Irenaeus and other early church fathers interpolated the version of Luke 23:34 which says ” Father forgives them,for they do not know what they are doing.” Here,I have two questions: 1. If God is a sovereign God, why does He […]
Question: If God exists then why have I never seen him or heard him? Answer: From your question, it appears that your concept of God is not the same as the biblical description of God. In Hebrews 11:3, after the writer tells us that faith involves things which cannot be seen, he then tells us […]
Question: I have watched in a video by Kent Hovind where he gives the evidence that dinosaurs lived with humans and he has provided cultural evidences in which ancient inscription and arts portrayed dinosaur-like animals living with humans. And still some YEC teachers argue that Behemoth and Leviathan in book of Job refers dinosaurs . […]
Question: Why does Job 25:4 say that no man born of woman can be pure if Jesus, born of woman, is pure? Answer: Job is unique among biblical writing. It is an account of the Satanic attack on Job, on his own response, on the opinions of his friends Bildad, Eliphaz, Zophar, Job’s responses and […]
Many in our churches who spend time on our college campuses have come across the rather strange sect which teaches about the Mother Goddess. I had not come across this group personally until a recent experience while sharing my faith at Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, California. Normally, I like to avoid writing against groups I […]
We want to invite you to our first annual teaching ministry conference. It will be Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, 2020 at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. This conference is for anyone who is now doing the work of a teacher or anyone who aspires to be a teacher in the […]
Question: Does science prove that miracles exist? Answer; I assume you are asking if science can be used to prove that a miracle occurred. There are two reasons the answer is no. First of all, science has to do with things which are “natural.” In other words, science only deals with events that occur due […]
Question: Skeptics like Robert McNair Price and others says that a historical figure Jesus Christ of the Nazareth of our Christian Bible did not exist. Is there any historical evidences to their claim that a historical figure Jesus Christ of the Nazareth of our Christian Bible did not exist? My question is: Did the historical […]
Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo gave a six hour workshop on the Book of Hebrews in San Diego 11/2/19. Notes, PPT and recordings are attached. Unfortunately, only the teaching by John Oakes is included in the recordings. (Intro, 4:13-12:5). Hebrews PPT Hebrews Notes Hebrews Audio 1 Hebrews Audio 2 Hebrews […]
Dr. John Oakes is doing a very brief teaching tour in Mexico, specifically in Tlaxcala and Puebla. These two cities are part of old Mexico. Tlaxcala is the location of the first Catholic diocese in Mexico and is the route through which Cortex conquered Tenochtictan/Mexico City. Heb 11 Living by Faith Tlaxcala Viviendo por la […]
Question: Which of the Jewish biblical customs that are still binding on Christians today? Answer: This goes down as my easiest question this week. None. Period. Not one. We are not subject to the Law of Moses. Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) so that we are not obligated to the Law of Moses. Jesus put […]
Question: Why do people use the first eleven chapters of Genesis for data on creation even tough it is one big poem pointing to our amazing creator? Answer: Probably the best way to get an answer to your question is to ask the people who do this. They are in a position to tell you […]
Question: It is said that the writings of the historians Publius Cornelius Tacitus and Titus Flavius Josephus, born Yosef ben Matityahu were forgeries. Is there any historical evidence that the writings of the historians Publius Cornelius Tacitus and Titus Flavius Josephus were forgeries? How far it is true? Answer: About these authors, the answer depends […]
Question: Do early Church Fathers support Catholic doctrine, as the Catholics claim? For example, St Ignatius writes: “Make no mistake, my brothers, if anyone joins a schismatic he will not inherit God’s Kingdom. If anyone walks in the way of heresy, he is out of sympathy with the Passion. Be careful, then, to observe a […]
Question: If Jesus died for our sins…why should we need to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins (besides the fact of it being a command)? Answer: I do not mean to be facetious, but the simple answer is “Because God said so.” If God tells us to do something, it is not required […]
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