Question: Recently, I read a Muslim’s article and the writer stated that the Bible itself says that it is corrupted using Jeremiah 8:8. How would you respond to this? Answer: First of all, almost without exception Muslim writers are disingenuous in their treatment of the Bible. If they study the Bible, they only do so […]
Question: If God forgives our sins at baptism, why does 1 John 1:9 say we are forgiven of our sins by confessing? Answer: 1 John 1:9 does not say that we are forgiven of our sins by confessing. This is an incorrect interpretation of this passage. What John is saying is that “If we walk […]
This class was taught to the San Diego Church of Christ by Dr. John Oakes on 3/7/18. It emphasized our need to be zealous about both knowing and understanding the Scripture. Devoted to Teaching Audio Devoted to the Apostles Teaching Notes...
Dr. John Oakes taught a two hour class on the Book of John, focusing on how John uses the Jewish festivals to teach us about Christ, as well as how he uses Moses as a prefigure to explain Christ to us. The class was part of the Los Angeles School of Ministry and Missions, and...
John Oakes is traveling for two weeks, first to Dallas, then to Korea and the Philippines. I am now in Manila, Philippines, to teach for their leadership academy. Jan 7-9 Dallas Texas This is my first time being part of what is known as the Texas Roundup. This is an annual gathering of Christian leaders […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon on Living by the Holy Spirit in San Diego 6/10/18. The theme is that our freedom in Christ is found in the Holy Spirit. As we live by the Spirit, we live by faith and we can please the Lord. Galatians HS sermon audio Galatians Holy Spirit PPT...
Question: How can I understand the meaning when the Lord’s Prayer says- lead us not into temptation. This is confusing to me because of what James 1:13-15 suggests, which is that God does not tempt us. The Lord’s prayer seems to clearly say Jesus is telling us to ask God, “Please don’t lead us into […]
Question: Since both of Moses’ parents were Levites, why was Moses also called a Hebrew? Answer: This is a fairly easy question. Both statements about Moses are true because the Levites were Hebrews. The Jews had twelve tribes, or actually thirteen of them if you count both Menasseh and Ephriam, the two “half-tribes.” The Levites […]
Question: There is a group of people called ”The Twelve Tribes” who believe that in order to become a true disciple you have to sell all you have and live together in a community. They quote Acts 2:41-47 that all those who believed sold all they had and shared everything in common, neither rich or […]
Question: Hello, I was watching a video between a Rabbi and a Pastor recently, where the Rabbi stated Jesus could not be the Messiah because no man can die for another man’s sins. There is also a article on why Jesus could not be the Messiah, I was wondering if you could help me a […]
Dr. John Oakes is currently on a teaching trip. Relevant outlines, power points and audio will be posted here. World View PPT Christian World View Messianic Prophecies Study Hard Questions PPT Hard Questions Audio Evidence for Jesus PPT Evidence for Jesus Study Evidence for Jesus Audio God and Science […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a lesson on being devoted to prayer for the Mission Region of the San Diego Church of Christ. Notes, ppt and recording are included (unfortunately the first eight minutes were lost). Devoted to Prayer Notes Devoted to Prayer PPT Devoted to Prayer Audio Here is the whole lesson, but with slightly less sound quality: Devoted […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a six hour class on hermeneutics for the staff of the San Diego Church of Christ. Audio and outline are here. Hermeneutics SD 1 Hermeneutics SD 2 Hermeneutics SD 3 Hermeneutics SD 4 Hermeneutics notes...
Question: I have 2 questions: 1) As you know, in the earlier Bible translations 1 John 5:7 ‘these three are one’ (referring to the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit) and this is not found in the later Bible versions. But when I read this verse in the Interlinear Bible, it corresponds to the […]
Question: When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, could He have sinned? Was it possible? Here is how I see it: If it was not possible for Him to sin, we would not learn anything from his temptation. On the other hand if he did not resist the temptation, He could not have […]
Question: Is being A Goth a sin? Answer: The Goths were a cultural.ethnic group from ancient times. There were the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths and other Gothic groups. These were Germanic tribes who invaded the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries. Eventually, they captured Rome itself. Many Goths were converted to Christianity, including the […]
Question: Since the announcement from Trump that he would move the US embassy to Jerusalem, there has been an uproar in the media about how this pushes back the effort for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I am aware that the Jews have violated human rights in the occupied West Bank, but somehow deep […]
Question: I have recently had some doubts in my faith. I am worried about the many similarities between Christianity and Zoroastrianism. I have already read your posts on the subject, but I have also seen how the major scholars of this religion like Mary Boyce unanimously believe that Zoroaster lived in 1200 BC. I am […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a class on Ezekiel and Daniel as part of a class for the Los Angeles School of Ministry and Missions (LASMM) at the Light House Building at 3508 E. Temple Way, West Covina, CA, 91791, December 8-9, 2017, Friday and Saturday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Here are notes on the Book of […]
Question: I have a question regarding science and religion. I know that there can be some scientific conclusions drawn from the Bible. I wonder though are there any other religions that come close to the Bible in its scientific reliability or that make the same claims. I know in particular that Islam is very vocal […]
Question: I have always wondered about how a certain culture can be a hindrance for the Gospel, and how it can it be made relateable to various cultures. I would like you to give me some advice on how the Gospel would suit my Indian culture?. Answer: I have visited India three times to teach […]
Question: Recently I’ve read some news about Sophia, the first AI (artificial intelligence) robot to be ever granted a citizenship. [editor’s note: the questioner is referring to Sophia being given citizenship in Saudi Arabia] Do you think this could be the first step toward a robot getting to be more human? As a believer, I […]
Question: I had a question regarding the concept of the soul. It is currently my study in anatomy that has brought this topic back to mind. I looked for some resources on the site regarding the topic and gathered what I could from it. It has been a few years since I looked at this […]
Pregunta: Existe profecías que no se haya revelado de la Biblia en el día de hoy. Tengo un amigo que me manda profecías que no sean cumplido como un terremoto que pasará el Añó 2018 por todo el mundo. Repuesta: Según entiendo el Nuevo Testamento, el don milagroso de la profecía casi con certeza ha cesado. […]
Question: Is the history of Israel’s kings recorded in the OT/NT all there is we have on those kings? O r is there significant Israeli history we should know outside the biblical narrative that can help our faith? Answer: The Old Testament is the most thorough and reliable source of historical information from the ancient […]
This outline was created by Dr. John Oakes. It is not an in-depth study of the book of 1 Corinthians, but rather is for use in group studies of the book, including background and lots of questions to be used in a group study. 1 Corinthians Group Study Outline
Dr John Oakes is teaching a six week class on the Book of Genesis at ChurchSD in San Diego on six Saturdays, beginning on October 7. The class will be from 9-10:45. The cost of the entire series is $20. Light refreshments are included. For more information or to register, contact Jan at joakes01@san.rr.com. Notes, […]
Question: Today I came across a difficult passage of 1Timothy 2:11 about how a woman should learn in quietness and that Paul doesn’t permit women to exercise authority over men. He further argued that this is because of how Eve first fell into temptation and not Adam and that Adam was formed first. The passage […]
A good friend sent a link about a recent article at www.biblereadingarchaeology.com It reports a find of a cuneiform tablet from Babylon which appears to be from Nebuchadnezzar’s son Evil-Merodach regarding a radical change in Nebuchadnezzar’s character in which he is not attending to his responsibilities and has abandoned the worship of Marduk. Nebuchadnezzar Article
Question: I have a question about some archaeological information regarding the Exodus. I recently saw some information that is out there that puts the original Mt. Sinai in western Arabia near Midian. It is specifically mentioned in Exodus 2 and 3. Archaeologists know where the ancient city of Midian was located and when they went […]
Question: I have a question regarding entertainment. I have played video games for a long time like many younger people tend to do. I am wondering if it is a sin for someone to play a violent video game. Games can be a good form of entertainment but when it comes to genre I would […]
Question: Does Daniel 9:25 say that the Messiah should come before the destruction of the second temple as some claim? I find that verse hard to comprehend. If yes, then could we directly show this verse to the Jews and make them believe that Jesus indeed was the Messiah? Answer: I believe that Daniel 9:24-27 […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a six-hour class on the Book of Revelation in Minneapolis on 1/27/18. Recordings are attached. Revelation Minn 1 Revelation Minn 2 Revelation Minn 3 Revelation Minn 4 Revelation Minn 5 Revelation Minn 6 Revelation PPT Revelation notes...
Question: I recently heard an argument that Bill Maher uses to debunk the authority and authenticity of the Bible. It says, “the Bible was a book written by men and edited by men as well”. How would you respond to this? Answer: My response would be to say that this is true. Maher is right. […]
Questions: 1. Why would Jesus charge the blood of all the prophets since Abel on the generation of Jews at the time of Jesus? 2. What is the definition of a prophet according to the Bible? I thought prophet means messenger of God, perhaps much like an angel. If so, why would Abel be called […]
The following is an essay by Dr. John Oakes. It is a reflection on the Christian Reformation in light its 500th Anniversary. A Reflection on the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation There is much interest in the Christian world on the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Even in mostly-atheist Germany, awareness of the […]
Question: I found the cartoon below on the internet. It is about calculating the amount of rain water which supposedly would have been enough to destroy Noah’s Ark. I’m not sure how they measure rain water so any comment would be appreciated. Kind regards. Answer: I have never believed or taught that the level of […]
Question: I have recently been thinking about what we experience when we die. I understand that information on this is extremely limited and most answers are speculations. Also, it is my understanding that people do not possess a soul but “are” in fact a soul. God says that when man was first formed it took […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on Hermeneutics in San Diego 11/18/17. This was a very brief class, and was a follow-upon a class about maintaining fulfilling personal Bible study. The audio is attached, along with notes for the class and for a much longer version of the class. Hermeneutics Audio Hermeneutics Notes Short Hermeneutics […]
At Evidence for Christianity we have been looking for quite a while for a primarily-Spanish-speaking apologist who would help to build up the Spanish part of our website and ministry. We are excited to announce that God has finally answered our prayers in this regard. Carlos Santos Aquirre is from Peru, but lives in Madrid, […]
[editor’s note: This is a paper submitted by Drew Tacher, who is one of the students in our ARS Apologetics Certificate Program. It was sufficiently well done that we wanted to publish the paper for your benefit. If you are interested in the program, click on the appropriate link at the front page of the […]
Question: In 1 Samuel 19:9, it reads, “But an evil spirit from the Lord….”. How can there be an evil spirit from God, since there is no evil in Him? I’ve looked at several translations, and they are all the same. Can you explain this one? What is meant by this? Thank you. Answer: A […]
Question: What is some evidence that you believe proves Christianity ? Answer: You cannot “prove” Christianity. In fact, to be honest, I am not sure what it would even mean to “prove” Christianity, because you would have to define which aspect of the religion you specifically want to try to prove. In any case, you […]
Dr. John Oakes taught several lessons in Ilsan, Daegu and Seoul, South Korea in January, 2018. God and Science Korean Church History Korea I Church History Korea II Living by Faith Korea Malachi Faith or Faithful Korea God and Science Korean PPT Church History PPT Korean HebrewsLivingbyFaith PPT Korean Malachi Sermon Korean PPT...
Question: I read a few articles on your website about God being the uncaused cause. I’m aware that this is more of a philosophical argument, with scientific evidence supporting it. However, if we just consider scientific evidence with philosophical thinking aside, can atheists argue then that the big bang itself is the uncaused cause? I realize you […]
Request: I am truly struggling with my Christian faith to the point that I am not sure about anything anymore. I was taught that “God is Love” and he created man NOT to sin, but told Adam and Eve there was ONE thing in the entire Garden of Eden that they could not touch, and […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on finding Jesus in the Old Testament from his book From Shadow to Reality in Salt Lake City 2/10/18. Normally he does a one hour or so class, so this one has a lot more detail than usual and may be worth a listen. From Shadow to Reality SLC...
Question: Does God “regularly” answer prayers of non believers? I had a couple of friends who I wonder if they are saved, but they were praying for me. Scriptures say that God hears the prayers of the righteous (I understand the “righteous” to be those who are saved James 5:16, 1 Pet 3:12, Ps 34:17, […]
ARS and the San Diego Church of Christ put on a conference in San Diego on Ethics and Christianity. Here are the audio and some power points and notes. Christianity and Politics Audio Intolerance of Tolerance Audio The Intolerance of Tolerance PPT Moral Question of Abortion Audio The Moral Question of Abortion PPT Same Sex Attraction […]
[Editor’s note: Below is a series of questions and answers from a seeker who is considering converting to Catholicism but who has a lot of general questions about the reliability of the Bible. This one will take some time to wade through] Question #1: How do we know that the Bible is the Bible if […]
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