Sermon: Ephesians 6 The Christian Armor
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon 8/10/18 in San Diego on Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6 sermon...
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Acts: The Church Meets Needs
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon focusing on the way the early church helped one another and the community around them, and how crucial that was to the growth of the church. The sermon also deals with the Christian response to suffering versus other world views. Acts Meeting Needs Audio ...
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If Leviticus says that flying insects are unclean, why was John the Baptist eating unclean locusts?
Question: In Leviticus God tells the Jews not to eat winged insects which fly. Why, then, did John the Baptist eat unclean locusts and honey in the desert? Answer: About locusts being clean, Leviticus 11:20-23 addresses this issue. This passage declares all flying insects as unclean with the exception of those which walk and hop […]
Incredible Claims
Dr. John Oakes and Austin Ferel taught a lesson for teens at the San Diego teen camp on 6/17/18. The class was intended to help teens see through the religious confusion out there to understand that Jesus is literally the ONLY way to God. This is done through considering the claims of other religions, looking […]
Essay: Why Was Joseph Smith So Successful as the Founder of a Religion?
One of the students in our Apologetics Certificate Program, Drew Tacher, has written a really nice paper for the course on Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormonism). The biography is good (if you want more, purchase my book on Mormonism, “Mormonism: What Does the Evidence […]
Galatians Sermon: Living by Law or by the Spirit
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon in San Diego 6/10/18 from the Book of Galatians. The theme is living by the Holy Spirit versus living by the obligation of the Law. The lesson focuses in on the fact that our freedom comes from having the Holy Spirit in us. Living by the flesh causes us […]
Did the second coming of Jesus occur invisibly in 1914 as the Jehovah Witness claim?
Question: Did the second coming of Jesus Christ occur invisibly in 1914, as claimed by the Jehovah Witness organization? Answer: The Jehovah Witness group is obviously wrong on this claim. The claim that Jesus came back in 1914 is clearly wrong biblically. If you look at the history of this claim, it will become even […]
Outline for Isaiah For Use in Group Bible Studies
The attached is a fairly detailed set of notes on the Book of Isaiah prepared by John Oakes and Carlos Vedovato. Please note that this outline is intended for use in group studies. It is largely composed of suggestive questions and parallel passages rather than a scholarly exegesis of the book. It may be useful […]
What is the best way to study the Bible in-depth?
Question: What is the best way to study the Bible in depth? Do I have to learn Hebrew or even Greek? Answer: There is no single “best” way to study the Bible. Many different approaches can be helpful. You definitely do NOT have to know either Greek or Hebrew to have a very in-depth knowledge […]
When was the Roman Catholic Church started and is there proof that Peter was the founder of the church in Rome and the first pope?
Question: When was the Roman Catholic Church started and is their proof that Peter was the founder and the first Pope. Answer: I have already answered a similar question with regard to when the Roman Catholic Church started at the site. I am copying and pasting below. As for Peter, as far as I know, […]
John Oakes has retired
After 34 years of teaching chemistry and physics, I am happy to announce my retirement. This means one thing, which is that I will have more time to write articles and books, travel to teach for churches and to produce materials for the EFC website. We are looking to upgrade the web site and hoping […]
According to Esther 2:6 Mordecai was brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, so how can he be Esther’s older cousin more than 100 years later?
Question: Esther 2:6 says Mordecai was captured and brought to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. That makes him a contemporary to Daniel yet he is Esther’s older cousin. Am I wrong about the timing? Please clear up the chronology for me. Thank you . Answer: Here is Esther 2:5-6. Now there was at the citadel in […]
Russian Power Points July, 2018
Dr. John Oakes taught many lessons in Vladivostok, Ulan Bataar and Bishkek. Russian translation of the power points are included here. FreedominChrist Russian ppt Hebrews Russian PPT Shadow to Reality Russian PPT Christian World View Russian PPT
Japanese Audio July, 2018 Evidence for Jesus, God and Science and much more
Dr. John Oakes taught many lessons in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. The audio is included here. Freedom in Christ Japanese From Shadow to Reality Japanese Hard Questions Japanese Evidence Jesus Japan I Evidence Jesus Japan II Evidence Jesus Japan III God and Science Japanese Reliability of Bible Japanese...
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Russian Audio July, 2018 Hebrews, Church History, From Shadow to Reality, Freedom in Christ and much more
Dr. John Oakes taught many lessons in Vladivostok, Ulan Bataar and Bishkek July, 2018. Each lesson is in English with Russian translation. Thanks so much to the translators. Freedom in Christ Russian Hebrews Russian 1 Hebrews Russian 2 Hebrews Russian 3 Christian World View Russian From Shadow to Reality Russian God and...
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Can it be proved that Daniel chapter 9 is about Jesus?
Can you prove Daniel 9 is about Jesus? Jeff: The word “prove” has a range of meaning. In a mathematics class or in a philosophy class it has the meaning of demonstrating with absolutely certainty that a particular proposition must be true. It is like proving the angles of an equilateral triangle are equal. In […]
Is the Hebrew word for “Lord” really a pagan word, and is this evidence that Judaism and therefore Christianity has pagan roots?
Question: Is the Hebrew word “Lord” really a pagan title? I have come across teachings in books that claim to reveal the truth about Christianity’s pagan roots. Of course most of these sources claim to be Christian but they call themselves Messianic. I really think some of the things they teach are true but they […]
What is your view of “open theism?”
Question: I have a theological question. I want to hear your thoughts on “open theism”, the idea that God is all-knowing and all-powerful but that He can’t “see into the future” because it hasn’t happened yet. The idea came up when discussing the nature of God with my son. He is a teen and is […]
Is it true that the Old Testament is mostly oral history? If so, how do we know it is true?
Question: I came across this forum on Reddit about the Old Testament. It says that it is mostly oral histories rather than detailed written histories. See the comment by BigBennP. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8k455b/there_are_two_places_that_i_know_of_in_the_bible/ He referenced Schinderman’s book that I’m quite familiar with. I’m not sure if this is correct. But if it is true, then I have to ask […]
Since diseases are a punishment from God for sin in a fallen world, why has he allowed humans to discover vaccines and antibiotics?
Question: Why God has allowed the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics to cure illness? If diseases are punishment from God then if we cure them we go against the will of God who want to punish us. If vaccines and antibiotics are discovered because God want to bless us, then why did God contradict Himself […]
What happened to Paul’s book to the Laodiceans, as mentioned in Colossians 4:16?
Question: In Colossians 4:16,Paul asks them to read a letter he wrote to the Laodiceans. Is this book available anywhere or is it permanently lost? Answer: That is one of the easier questions I have gotten. The answer is that this letter is lost. It is possible, but very unlikely, that this letter will surface. […]
Did Mark travel to Alexandria? Is Saint George a real person? Is it OK for a Christian to swear?
Questions: I have some questions. 1- The first question is historical and about Saint Mark the writer of the second gospel. Do we have strong reasons to think that he really visited Egypt? I think the first to say that Mark visited Egypt was Eusebius. Do you think he really visited Egypt? In addition, What […]
EFC Now has a podcast!
We are excited to announce an addition to the materials available at this web site. Thanks to the help of my good friend Cory Wadstrom, we will now be hosting a regular podcast covering areas of Christian evidence, biblical studies, current topics and more. Our plan is to post every two weeks at first, hopefully […]
I read an article about three separate raptures before the Millennial Reign. Is this biblical?
Question: Is the message below a correct understanding of the scripture with regard to a rapture/gathering of God’s people? [Editor’s note: A fairly lengthy and somewhat incoherent set of claims about a premillennial rapture is below. Normally, we would not put such stuff out there, but there are sufficient people who find themselves believing this […]
The Bible tell us not to fear God in 1 John 4:7 but in other places it tells us to fear God. This seems like a contradiction. Your thoughts?
Question: I was studying this scripture: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” -1 John 4:18 I feel like this scripture contradicts verses in the Bible that say to fear God. For example: “Show […]
Does the existence of human creativity disprove evolution, given that no animal is creative like humans are?
Question: I’ve been trying to find out if there is good evidence for the evolution of human creativity. All I’ve been able to find is the usual stuff about how apes have made so-called tools, and the story of Congo, who’s art (also so-called) sold in the 1960’s however these arguments are extremely unconvincing. There […]
The Lord’s Prayer makes me think that God’s will is not always done, but then James 4:15 seems to say that his will is always done. I am confused.
Question: If I understand correctly, God’s will is not always done. This is implied in the Lord’s prayer (in which Jesus prays, “your will be done”). To complete my understanding, we are also given the free will which may sometimes triumph over God’s will. When this happens and God allows it, I would assume that […]
Galatians and the Holy Spirit
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon on the importance of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Galatians. The title is living by the Law or Living by the Spirit. This is part of a five part series on the Holy Spirit. Galatians HS sermon audio...
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Old Testament Survey
Dr. John Oakes taught a 12 hour Old Testament Survey Class for the Ministry Training Program in San Diego April – May, 2018. OT Survey Audio 1 OT Survey Audio 2 OT Survey 3 OT Survey 4 OTSurvey 5 OT Survey 6 OT Survey 7 OTSurvey 8 ...
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Sermon: Intro to Acts. A Vision for Church Growth
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon as an intro to a series on Acts in San Diego 4/29/8. The lesson focuses on the Holy Spirit in Acts, on the growth of the New Testament Church and on the elements of that amazing growth. The theme verse is Acts 1:8–to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends […]
Can you give example in which the Old Testament tells us something is “forever” but it is replaced by something else?
Question: You said that there are several examples in the Bible in which God says that something is forever, yet the thing is replaced by something else. You claim that this is because the meaning of the word often translated as “forever” in the Bible means “forever, or until the end of the age.” Can […]
Is there evidence for whether the Jerusalem church left for the mountains when Jerusalem was destroyed because of Jesus’ prophecy?
Question: I have a question regarding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Do we know if the disciple Christians fled to the mountains like Jesus advised or did they participate in the Jewish-Roman war? Mark 13:14-15 14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong– let the […]
How can we explain the evidence for humans widely spread around the world 40,000 years ago in light of what happened at the Tower of Babel?
Question: I have a question regarding the biblical history of humanity and the archaeological view which has been bugging me lately. Allow me to explain: In the early chapters of Genesis, there is evidence of human agricultural activity (Gen 2:15) (Gen 4:2) before the Tower of Babel incident which spread humanity across the face of the […]
How can I respond to Muslim claims that Mark did not write Mark? What about John and Luke?
Question: My questions are about authorship of the gospels. We know that the first man to say that the second gospel was written by Mark was Papias, However some skeptics say that it’s a long time between Mark (who may have died in 60s) and Papias (who may have been born at the same time). It’s […]
Colossians Class: Christ a Catalyst for Change
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on the Book of Colossians at the Catalyst conference in San Deigo 4/22/18. Notes, PPT and audio are attached. Christ Catalyst for Change Notes Christ Catalyst for Change PPT Christ Catalyst Colossians Audio
Please explain to me in layperson’s terms what you mean that a vacuum/space is not nothing–and therefore the universe came from nothing.
Question: I was reading your recent article on Hawking’s theory/speculation https://evidenceforchristianity.org/steven-hawking-proposed-spontaneous-quantum-creation-of-the-universe-your-thoughts-on-this/ For one with a non-physics background like myself, most of us would equate vacuum in space with nothingness. That is why the question was posed to you and even why Hawking (I’m actually surprised on this) concluded that a vacuum in space is nothingness. But in […]
Isn’t the Song of Songs too sexy to be inspired? How to I answer Muslim critics about this question?
Question: My question is about the book of Song of Songs. This book is always criticized by Muslims. They say that it is a sexy book especially chapter 7. Solomon describes the breasts, thighs… etc. Can this be the word of God? Christian apologists in my country always say that this book can’t be interpreted literally. It […]
Our Old Testament comes from the Septuagint Greek translation. Isn’t that a problem? Wouldn’t translating from Hebrew be better?
Comment: With regard to the concept of hell and Greek understanding, while we know that all Scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, The “all Scripture” that is being referred to is the Hebrew Scripture. The King James Version was written by using the Septuagint (Hebrew to Greek translation), converting the Greek into […]
Is Al Hsu correct when he claims that Jesus was not forsaken on the cross–that this is a misinterpretation?
Question: What do you think about the claim below about the cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” by the author Al Hsu below? The Cry of Vindication By Al Hsu When the Jesus film is screened in cultures that have never heard of Jesus, viewers often love the […]
How can we know if Mark wrote Mark or John wrote John, given the criticisms I am hearing from Muslims?
Question: My questions are about authorship of the gospels. We know that the first man to say that the second gospel was written by Mark was Papias, However some skeptics say that it’s a long time between Mark (who may have died in 60s) and Papias (who may have been born at about the same […]
What a Christian Counselor Wishes Every Christian Knew
Dr. Jennifer Konzen just completed a class on Psychological issues and Christianity. The power point and audio of the class is being made available. The class outline is below. Class One PPT History Class Two PPT Diagnoses Class Three PPT Depression and Anxiety PPT class #4 Drugs and Sex Class Five PPT Therapies Christian Counselor Audio […]
Steven Hawking proposed spontaneous quantum creation of the universe. Your thoughts on this?
Question: I’ve been reading an article by Stephen Hawking on his theory of the “Spontaneous Quantum Creation of the Universe” and would love to hear your comments and a way of refuting this theory. I know you have a greater knowledge of science than I do, so I believe you are in a good position […]
Some say that the supposed messianic prophecies are all ambiguous. For example Isaiah 53:10 when it says that Jesus will have offspring. Your response?
Question: Some people say that there are no unambiguous prophecies about Jesus in the OT, hence such verses are open to interpretations. For example, even in one of the strongest prophecy about Jesus, Isaiah 53:10 it says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord […]
Why are there so many translations of the Bible and why are there so many denominations?
Questions: Why are there so many translations of the Bible and why are there so many denominations? Did God actually walk the earth with Adam and Eve? Answers: You are asking three different questions, with very different answers. The reason there are so many translations into English is, quite simply, because there is a market […]
What is the meaning of the old and new wineskins in Luke 5:33-39?
Question: What is the meaning of the old and the new wineskins in Luke 5:33-39? Answer: In Luke 5:33-39, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God, and its specific realization in the church. The “old wineskin” is a metaphor for the Old Covenant, or it is the Jews who follow the Law of Moses, […]
How many disciples followed Jesus at the peak of his ministry?
Question: How many disciples followed Jesus at the peak of His ministry? Or more precisely, how many were there at the time of John 6:66? “After hearing this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” Answer: That will depend on what you mean by “disciple” and by what you mean […]
Malaquias, Santiago, Hecho 20 Lessons in Mexicali
Dr. John Oakes taught a series of classes for the Mexicali Church of Christ July 7-9, 2018. The classes are in English, translated into Spanish. The PPTs are in Spanish. Clase Malachias Audio Taller de Santiago 1 Audio Taller de Santiago 2 Taller de Santiago 3 Hechos 20 Sermon Audio ...
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Incredible Claims for Jesus (teen camp lesson)
Dr. John Oakes and Austin Ferrell taught a lesson on evidence for who Jesus is for a teen camp in San Diego June 19, 2018. The class focuses in on the incredible claims of Jesus versus other world religion leaders, on the fulfilled prophecies of Jesus and on the resurrection. Incredible Claims Audio...
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Introduction to Acts Sermon
John Oakes gave a sermon in May, 2018 which was an introductory sermon to a three month series for the Pomerado Region of the San Diego Church of Christ. The title of the sermon is Thoughts on Acts and Church History. It emphasizes the reasons for the remarkable growth of church in the first century. ...
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In Daniel 8:26 what date corresponds to “the distant future?” Also, in verse 17 what is “the time of the end” a reference to?
Question: My wife and I recently were having a conversation about the book of Daniel. She had been reading Daniel 8, and was wondering what it meant, especially about the part with the goat overthrowing the ram. After pondering the imagery for a while, I recalled a few points from your teaching on the subject […]
