Dr. John Oakes – Evidence for Christianity

The Essenes Community Rule describes a prophet as well as two messianic figures. Does this suggest that the early church may have been mistaken about the messianic identity of Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A .

Question: According to the Community Rule (1QS) 9:11 (DSS), [Editor’s note: This is a reference to a publication by the Essene group at Qumran in the first century AD, and was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls] there was an expectation of the coming of a “Prophet” and “two Messiahs”. Does this suggest that the […]

Is Microbius account of the massacre of Syrian children by Herod good evidence of the biblical account of the killing of the innocents?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History, Q & A .

Question: Can Macrobius be used as evidence for the massacre of the innocents? Macrobius wrote in his work Saturnalia the following: “On hearing that the son of Herod, king of the Jews, [Herod the First] had been slain when Herod ordered that all boys in Syria under the age of two be killed, Augustus said, […]

The Book of Daniel by Dr. John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Bible Teaching, Prophecy .

Dr. John Oakes is giving a series of lectures for campus and other interns June 12-13 in Irvine, California. The notes, power point and audio will be available here. Daniel Notes Daniel Class PPT Daniel Audio I Daniel Audio II

What is your view on the common belief that the Book of Isaiah had multiple authors?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: I recently came across more liberal theologians, discussing the fact that they believe that there were multiple authors that wrote the book of Isaiah rather than just Isaiah himself. Sometimes they say 2,3,4 or five people have written the book of Isaiah. My belief so far is that these theologians are looking at things […]

Your response to a question about Acts 1:18 is “silly” and it ignores the meaning of the word houtos.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Q & A, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Editor’s note: Both the question and my response refer back to an earlier Q & A here: earlier question Question: Hello Dr. Oakes, in a recent Q&A you address the contradiction in the accounts of the death of Judas, but you and the asker both failed to mention another contradiction in the story, they give […]

How does the historicity of Buddha compare with that of Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: How does the historicity of Jesus compare to the historicity of Buddha? Answer: Both Jesus of Nazareth and Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) are certainly historical figures. I am not sure what is to be gained by asking which of two certainly historical persons is more certain. How much more certain can we be than certain? […]

Some argue details of the Gospel accounts (casting of lots for Jesus’ clothing, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, etc.) were shaped to match OT prophecies, not because they happened that way. Your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Some scholars argue that certain details in the Gospel accounts were intentionally shaped to mirror passages from the Hebrew Bible. Examples include soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ clothing (echoing Psalm 22), Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey (reflecting Zechariah 9), and vinegar being offered to him during the crucifixion (paralleling Psalm 69). From this […]

Sermons in Merced by Dr. John Oakes Judges IV Gideon: God’s Warrior

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Articles, Bible Teaching, Church History, Foreshadows and Prefigures, Jesus, Manuscript/Textual Issues, Theology .

Dr. John Oakes is now leading a church planting in Merced, California. His lessons and sermons will be posted here. There is another, earlier article, with many sermons and lessons from 2022 to 2025. Here is the link: Earlier Merced Sermons More recent sermons are below! 6/14 Judges IV Gideon God’s Warrior Notes […]

Christian fundamentalists talk of infallibility in a way that makes a problem for modern-day Christians. For example, Matthew 27:3-10 vs Acts 1:18-19 obviously contradict. Your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Anthropology, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Editor’s Note. There is a follow-up question and follow-up answer below Question: Christian Fundamentalist church leaders have put the stamp of inerrant, infallible, perfect Divine Revelation on every last word of the entire collection of the Bible. This may have been necessary in the past in order to maintain Church discipline and to put down […]

I believe one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 was born about the time Israel became a nation again. What do you think of this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Church History, End Times, General, Q & A .

Question: I have come to a conclusion that one of the two witnesses was born around the time that Israel became a nation again. Therefor he is anchoring the generation that will not pass away. This could mean that there is a lot more time involved before the rapture and tribulation take place. I call […]

How would you respond to people who say The divinity of Jesus was invented at the Council of Nicaea?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions, Uncategorized .

Question: How would you respond to people who say “The divinity of Jesus was made up in the Council of Nicaea”? Answer: This is an oft-repeated claim which is not supported by the evidence. It is true that the idea of Jesus’ divinity was in question at the Council of Nicaea, because a faction had […]

In Judaic terminology son of God is about a person close to God, not a singular Son. Similar with the term father. Therefore, these terms of Jesus is about a common humanity.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: In Judaic terminology, the phrase “Son of God” often signifies closeness to God rather than a literal or exclusive divine status. Given that the Bible frequently uses such language—and that both Jews and Christians address God as “Father”—it becomes difficult to see how this title alone justifies a unique claim to divinity for Jesus. […]

Christianity and Culture: Difficult Questions in Christianity by Dr. John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Articles, Bible Teaching .

Dr. John Oakes gave a series of classes Winter, 2026 at the University of California, Merced. Dr. Oakes covered topics in which Christianity interacts with modern culture. Topics include Bioethics, Gender Issues, War and Peace, Christianity and Race, Christianity and Politics, Abortion and more. Some, but not all, of these topics are not directly addressed […]

Did Isaiah quote an anonymous prophecy in Isaiah 1:19?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Philo of Alexandria wrote in his work “Questions & Answers on Genesis” that: 43…On which account a certain prophet, the kinsman and friend of Moses, uttered an oracle of this kind, “If the omnipotent Lord had not left us a seed, we should have been like blind and barren People,” https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book42.html This is a […]

Sermons from Joshua

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Bible Teaching .

Dr John Oakes preached a series of eight sermons from the Book of Joshua in Merced, Winter, 2026 Notes, PPT and audio are available here: Joshua I Be Strong and Courageous Notes Joshua I PPT Joshua I Strong Audio Joshua II Preparing to Enter Notes Joshua II PPT Joshua II […]

St. Patricks Day Bible Study

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Bible Teaching, Church History .

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Just for fun, here is a Bible study using the life of the amazing Patrick of Ireland as the basis for a group Bible study: St Patrick’s Day Bible Study Purpose: To encourage us to take on the spirit of the great evangelist, St. Patrick of Ireland. Introduction: Born in […]

How would you respond to a critic who says Mara bar Serapion is not referring to Jesus. He is talking about a different king who was killed?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History, Q & A, Resurrection of Jesus .

Editor’s note: Mara bar Serapion is a pagan author who spoke of “three wise men” who were unjustly killed. The first two were Pythagorus and Socrates. The third is one he called “the wise king of the Jews.” In bar Serapion’s letter, he tells his son that after they killed their wise king, the Jews […]

A well-researched article I read says that a local earthquake happened between AD 26 and 36. Would you use this as evidence of the earthquake in the Matthew account of the resurrection?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History, Q & A, Resurrection of Jesus, Science and the Bible .

Question: The geolocal academic article below says that “a local earthquake between 26 and 36 AD” happened. Would you use this as evidence in favor of the eartquake at the crucifixion in public? Paper link: https://staff.polito.it/alberto.carpinteri/related%20piezonuclear%20papers/williams_mod.pdf Answer: No, I would not use this as evidence for the biblical story. For a few reasons. 1. That is […]

How would you respond to people who say The Greeks (before Christ) also had science. Therefore, there is nothing special about the Bible and its contributions to science?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Q & A, Science and the Bible .

Question: How would you respond to people who say “The Greeks (before Christ) also had science. Therefore, there is nothing special about the Bible and its contributions to science.”? Answer: The Greeks made some significant advances in the study of the natural world, but one thing that they did NOT do is apply the scientific […]

Which version of the letter of Ignatius to the Trallians do you use? Do you use the short or the long version?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Q & A .

Question: There is a long version and a short version of “Epistle to the Trallians” by Ignatius of Antioch. Which version would you use? Answer: I do not “use” the writings of early church fathers, in the sense that I use the inspired biblical books. I read them, and I study them, but I do […]

Why do Catholics do the rosary? Is this unbiblical?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Why do Catholics use a rosary? Is this unbiblical? Answer: To be honest, I am not aware of the precise history by which what we now call the “rosary” developed. What we can say for sure is that it emerged out of a Catholic Church which had already firmly committed to the semi-deification of […]

Please respond to a list of criticisms from a Jewish apologist in which he says Jesus cannot be the Jewish Messiah.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Uncategorized .

Editor’s note: This is a response to a fairly long Jewish criticism of Christianity which included 50 “reasons” to believe that Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah. It can be found at https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/624738 . Question: Please reply to criticisms # 2,3,9,10,11,14,26,30,40,44 in the following article: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/624738 Response: 2. I have already responded to point 2 […]

How would you respond to secular feminists who say The ancient pagan culture was more pro-woman in comparison to the Christian culture?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Q & A .

Question: How would you respond to secular feminists who say “The ancient pagan culture was more pro-woman in comparison to the Christian culture”? Answer: This is so untrue. I am assuming here that they are talking about the Pagan culture in the time of Jesus. The Graeco/Roman world was extremely Patriarchal, as has been documented […]

Please comment on a post by atheist Tim ONeill concerning the resurrection

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: Please respond to an article I found by an atheist guy named O’Neill regarding the evidence for the resurrection. https://www.quora.com/What-evidence-is-there-for-Jesus-Christs-death-burial-and-resurrection/answer/Tim-ONeill-1 [Author’s note: O’Neill claims that the physical resurrection of Jesus was an invention of Paul and others, made many years after the death of Jesus] Answer: This is typical argumentation from unbelievers. O’Neill begins […]

Lessons in Tijuana by Dr. John Oakes: Calvinism, Baptism and More

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Articles, Bible Teaching, Bible Teaching, Church History, Church History, Spanish Articles, Spanish Content, Theology, Theology .

Dr. John Oakes is teaching a series of lessons for the Iglesia de Cristo de Tijuana Feb 5-8 on various topics, including baptism, Calvinism, the Holy Spirit and more. Materials will be published here. Bautismo PPT Bautismo Tijuana Audio I Baptism Tijuana Audio II Baptism Audio III Libertad en Cristo PPT […]

Did females have leadership role over adult men in the churches (not private settings) during the 1st century AD?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Did females have leadership role over grown men in the churches (not private settings) during the 1st century AD? Answer: That is a debatable point, depending on your definition of leadership roles. There is no evidence that women were preaching or teaching the entire, assembled church, and there certainly were no women elders. But […]

How would you respond to those who say that both “fine tuning,” and DNA could be explained as existing due to randomness?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Q & A, Science and the Bible .

Question: How would you respond to people who say “Randomness can explain the fine-tuning of the constants” and “Randomness can explain the code in DNA”? Answer: Those who say such things either do not know what they are talking about (most common) or they are so caught up in their naturalist presuppositions that they cannot […]

Why did Jesus teach predominantly in riddles and parables, when the Koran says the messenger’s duty is to deliver the message clearly?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Practical Christianity, Q & A .

Question: Jesus spoke predominantly in riddles and parables, obscuring rather than elucidating the message. Therefore, Jesus is guilty of obscuring his message from opponents although the Koran states: The messenger’s duty is only to deliver the message clearly (24:54). What should be the response? Answer: A few comments. First of all, the Quran itself and […]

Why do Christians not offer prayer the way Jews and Muslims do, who bow their heads to the earth? This is also mentioned in Nehemiah 8:6.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Practical Christianity, Q & A .

Question: Why do Christians not offer prayers (Salah) like Jews and Muslims who bow down their heads to earth. It is also referred in Nehemiah 8:6? Answer: First of all, the majority of Jews in Jesus’ day did not bow while praying. They prayed, looking up to heaven. The statement in this inquiry shows that […]

If righteous people were forgiven before Jesus came and died, why did he need to come and die for our sins?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: If Jesus was predestined by an all-knowing God to be sacrificed for humanity’s sins, what was the purpose of sending prophets beforehand to call people to repentance? Many righteous men and women believed these prophets and were forgiven long before Jesus, so would they not have already entered God’s Heaven? Answer: Good point. Like […]

How would you respond to those who say, “A king used violence to Christianize a local people,” and use this to prove that Christianity is wrong?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Q & A .

Question: How would you respond to people who say “A king used violence to Christianize the local people. Therefore, Christian is wrong.”? Answer: Every religion has members who do evil in the name of that religion. This is not acceptable. This is tragic. But it is also true. The fact alone that evil has been […]

Eight Sermons from 1 Peter by Dr. John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Bible Teaching, Jesus, Pain and Suffering, PowerPoints .

Dr. John Oakes gave a series of eight sermons from 1 Peter in Fall, 2025 for the Merced Christian Church. Two sermons from 1 Peter 2 were delivered by others during the series, so this series of sermons covers only about 80% of the book. Notes, PPT and audio are included. 1 Peter I Elect […]

Church History for Campus Students by Dr. John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Church History, PowerPoints .

Dr. John Oakes did a six-part class on the history of Christianity for the campus ministry at UC Merced in Merced, CA Fall, 2025. The class was intended to help students understand what Christianity ought to look like today–how to navigate the various strains of how church is done in the modern context. Notes, PPT […]

Lecciones en Tijuana por John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Audio, Bible Teaching, Church History, Philosophy, Theology .

Dr. John Oakes taught a series of many classes for the Iglesia de Criso en Tijuana. Bautismo PPT Baptismo Tijuana Audio I Baptism Tijuana Audio II Baptism Audio III Libertad en Cristo PPT Libertad en Cristo Tij Audio Answering Calvinism Notes (in English) RESPONDIENDO AL CALVINISMO PPT ...