Message: For some time, I have heard people use the term “the concessionary will of God.” I think this term may have been created by Gordon Ferguson in an article Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage (http://gordonferguson.org/articles/kingdom-teachers-february-2001/): “Therefore, all divorce allowed by God is concessionary in nature which shows that God has both an ideal will (no […]
Question: I’ve read that most scholars believe that Gospel of Mark was the first gospel written, but a number of scholars say Matthew is the first.. Then I was surprised when I read that there are people who argue that Gospel of Luke was the first!!!! What are their evidences for Lukan priority? Are these […]
Question: Recently, I was reading the book of Hebrews and I found a few verses in the first chapter hard to understand. In Hebrews 1:8-12, is God the Father talking to Jesus and calling Jesus God? Hebrews 1:5-13 seems like a mixture of certain Old Testament verses, so I suppose verse 5 through 13 shouldn’t […]
Question: Hey there, The below is a question asked on a site that I am getting emails for. It is Hermeneutics/Stack Exchange. What do you think about it? One nuance of the meaning of the serpent’s question hinges on the translation of מִכֹּל עֵץ (Gen 3:1). Translated as “from every tree” or “from any tree” basically determines […]
Dr. Gregg Marutzky taught a class for the San Diego Church of Christ on the ministry of grace on August 27, 2017. This is a great lesson for anyone involved in Christian ministry. Grace Ministry I Grace Ministry II
ARS and the San Diego Church of Christ sponsored a mini-conference on the Christian response to ethical and cultural issues. Teachers include Dr. John Oakes, Jaz Vick, Robert Carrillo, Morgan Roberts, Kedron Jones and more. Christianity and Politics Audio Intolerance of Tolerance Audio Moral Question of Abortion Audio Same Sex Attraction & Transgender Audio Christianity...
Question: The “Trinity of God”–is it a biblical formulation of God or is it a human formulation that emerged later? Answer: The answer will depend on what you mean by your terms. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, of course. So, before anyone answers whether the Trinity is of God or of humans, […]
[Editor’s note: This is a somewhat odd question for a Christian evidence website, but I thought this might be helpful to someone else out there, so am posting it anyway] Question: What is the Christian perspective on use of holy oil/water? I am newly married and following some disagreements at home my father in law […]
[Editor’s note: This question is coming from a Christian in the Middle East who is dealing with relatively unsophisticated Muslim skeptics of the resurrection] Question: Some Christians insist this [the scenario which follows] is exactly what would have happened if the story of Jesus were false. If the tomb were not empty, detractors could have […]
Question: Some people claim that Jesus Christ didn’t rise on Sunday but on Saturday. This claim is based on that the Bible said that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb very early in the morning in the first day of the week, and Jesus rose before that, perhaps on Saturday. They also claim that the […]
[Editor’s note: this is a follow-up question from a Christian who is in debates with Muslims over the reliability of the Bible. The Gospel of Barnabas is a pseudepigraph (falsely claimed authorship) from about the sixteenth century by a Muslim person who is trying to make it appear that the Gospels are in line with […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a two-part series on how to maintain a vibrant personal study of the Bible. The second class is a VERY short class on hermeneutics–how to interpret the Bible. Great Bible Study North Hermeneutics Audio...
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on prayer Jan 3, 2013 in San Diego. The lesson emphasizes the need to be watchful, to listen and to be expectant in prayer. The best sound quality recording is missing the first eight minutes, the second audio has the entire lesson in slightly lower quality. Devoted to...
Question: I have a question concerning the three texts of Torah. I searched in the internet to know the 6000 differences between the three, and found that supposedly 1900 of them where the Septuagint agrees with the Samaritan [editor’s note: the questioner is referring here to the Samaritan Pentateuch], but I found nothing. Do you […]
Question: I wanted to ask about how JESUS OUR LORD fulfilled the prophecy of the PROPHET LIKE MOSES. Did Moses mean he would be like him in life similarities such as his infancy in Egypt, being rejected, etc. or more because of the miracles he worked? Thanks in advance Answer: A good rule of thumb […]
Question: I don’t know how to put this question right, but I’ll give it my best shot. Hinduism is a religion that has been around many years. It teaches a lot about morals, our duties etc. In Hinduism, basically there is only one God and because of a power or a spirit called Brahman, the […]
Question: I’m struggling to understand the application of Hebrews 12:17 (and Genesis 25) about Esau’s repentance being no longer acceptable to God even though he sought it diligently with tears. It seems harsh that God would not forgive him even though he begged God and sought repentance. This makes me afraid that if I mess up […]
Question: Can you prove that Shiloh in Genesis 49 is Christ? Can you prove that this prophesy was fulfilled in Jesus? A Jewish website claims that it wasn’t fulfilled. What’s your comment? https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/the-scepter-of-judah-shiloh-and-the-messiah/ Answer: We cannot “prove” that the Shiloh in Genesis 49 is the Messiah and that it applies to […]
Question: Is there proof that the prince in Daniel 9:27 is not Jesus of Nazareth? Is there hard proof that psalm 22 is speaking about the Messiah? Answer: First of all, such things do not lend themselves to “proof.” Anyone who claims he or she has “proved” who the prince in Daniel 9:27 is should […]
Question: When you study the Bible with people to help them to become a Christian, is there a particular series of studies that you use? Could you share this with me? Answer: I do a variety of things, but the thing I do most commonly is what we developed by a group of teachers, including […]
Question: I found this article particularly interesting due to the impact it may have on a historical interpretation of Revelation. I am not familiar with much of the evidence the author uses to support his perspective but I do understand the bottom line. In short the author claims that there was no Domitian persecution of […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a class based on 2 Peter 1:5-8 for a men’s devotional in San Diego 7/27/17. Notes, audio and PPT are attached. Knowledge and Self-control notes Knowledge and Self-Control PPT Knowledge and Self Control audio
Question: Someone asked me a question this weekend that I really thought I had a better answer for, but I didn’t. With God’s new covenant, what parts of the law are abrogated and which do we still follow (if any)? I know Hebrews 8 says the first covenant is obsolete with the bringing of the […]
Question: I wanted to ask if it is possible Daniel 9 doesn’t refer to the MESSIAH but just refers to a mere king such as Herod Agrippa II. Answer: You know what they say, “Everything is possible.” But in this case, it is not possible that Daniel 9 refers principally to someone like Herod Agrippa. […]
William Branham and the Branhamites in French-speaking Africa Many readers may never have heard of William Branham. Until recently, I was in this group. However, in my recent travels in both the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), I came across a pseudo-Christian cult which is endemic in these two […]
These are my last two days in Kinshasa. The city is back to being peaceful and I am teaching again. See below for the latest. Missionary Teaching Trip Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo 2017 Lagos Nigeria June 28-July 3 This is my fourth visit to Lagos. It is a sprawling city on the Western coast of Nigeria […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a number of lessons in Korea Jan, 2018. Here are the power points. Church History PPT Korean HebrewsLivingbyFaith PPT Korean Malachi Sermon Korean PPT God and Science Korean PPT Freedom in Christ Korean PPT
Question: If we have no idea about who the author of the book of Hebrews is, why is it included in the canon? Answer: We do not have a detailed record of how the leaders of the early church came to consensus on what would eventually be accepted into the New Testament canon. The general […]
On my most recent missionary teaching trip, I have been asked more than once what are the required qualities and training in order for a disciple of Jesus to become a teacher. I, therefore, decided to put together a few of my thoughts. They are attached as well as copied and pasted below. Qualities of […]
Dr. Gregg Marutzky taught a two hour class on the ministry of Grace. This is about how we can apply the cross and grace in our daily Christian lives with one another. Grace Ministry II Grace Ministry I...
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on how to get the most from our relationship with God through our Bible Study. Here is the audio. Great Bible Study Audio Great Bible Study...
Question: I’d like to ask your help with a chemistry question if I may. I’ve been reading up about this amazing enzyme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orotidine_5%27-phosphate_decarboxylase This enzyme causes a reaction that would ordinarily take 78 million years take 18 milliseconds. It seems this enzyme is needed to make pyrimidine which is needed to make DNA. Also, I […]
Question: Were the witnesses to Christs resurrection martyred? Answer: The answers is yes, some of them definitely were martyred, and most likely a significant proportion of the original witnesses of the resurrection were killed for their faith. There are two categories here. One, there are the original eyewitnesses about whom we can be virtually certain […]
Question: My question is, do you have any insight into the story of Sargon vs. the story of Moses? It seems that these tablets from Ashurbanipal are dated much earlier than the account of Moses’ origins written in Exodus. I would greatly appreciate just a brief exposition of your knowledge on the subject. Answer: First […]
Dr. John Oakes is traveling and teaching in Nigeria, Cameroon and Congo. Relevant notes, power points and audio are included here. HebrewsLivingbyFaithLagos Freedom in Christ Lagos Answering the Hard Questions Lagos Hard Quest PPT In Christ Lagos Acts Church History Lagos Acts and Church History PPTDeuteronomy 8 Sermon Port Harcourt From Shadow […]
Question: My first question is about John 3:1-8. I was sharing this scripture with a friend and he said the water here is the same living water referred to in Jeremiah 2:13. Therefore the water is not literal but being born again by God who is the living water. I believe the scripture in John […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a class on the leadership style of Jesus focusing on implementation of vision. The class was given for a group of campus interns in San Diego 6/20/17. Jesus the Leader Notes Jesus the Leader PPT Jesus the Leader Audio
Brian Colon, a member of ARS, recently taught a lesson in the historical Jesus. It is available in youtube, so we are sharing the link. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knu7wObiowc
I have a question regarding an article that was posted a few days ago. In this article it talks about how Satan is linked to the serpent in Genesis. The author then goes on to state that the idea of a “prince of darkness” only came about in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC and […]
Question: I read your book Daniel: A Prophet to the Nations (editor’s note: available at www.ipibooks.com) and enjoyed it very much. I was going over my notes from it and got to the part where you talked about the prophesies in Daniel about Antiochus IV and how he was going to desecrate the temple and […]
Question: There is a quote by Voltaire which reads “All men were born with ten fingers and toes but no one was born with the knowledge of God.” This has a really good point to it, and if you could tell me what to say in defense to this. Answer: This is simply a rhetorical […]
Question: I recently got a new study Bible, which describes historical events. In a part of the Bible that says “Ancient Texts Relating to the Old Testament” it describes “Sennacherib’s Prism”: “Sennacherib vividly describes his siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC, making Hezekiah a prisoner of his own royal city (but cf. 2 Kings 19:35-37).” […]
Question: While reading the book of John, I noticed that Jesus drives out the moneylenders out of the temple long before the triumphant entry in Jerusalem. This differs from the other 3 gospels which shows the scene of cleansing the temple just after the triumphant entry. What do you think of this? Answer: There are […]
Question: I live in Dubai and have a lot of great Muslim friends. Sometimes we get in discussions on who Jesus is and as you know their view of Jesus is different. They are using Bible quotes to argue that Jesus himself said that he is not God. I can argue that there are many […]
Question: What criteria do you employ in support of calling something evidence? I am curious because many people I meet only consider something evidence if it was written down and somehow correlates to physical observable objects. I think differently. For example, with regard to the Flavius Josephus, and various typology concepts being proposed/investigated by scholars, […]
Question: My question is about John 1:18. If we use a modern translation, we can clearly notice that the verse says that Jesus is God. But the textus receptus translations just say that Jesus is Son. Which do you think is authentic? Answer: This is a question of translation, not of an error, either in the […]
Question: Recently some of the relics of St. Nicholas were brought to Russia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas). Thousands of the faithful lined up in a kilometer-long queue to kiss them and kneel before them. How should we react to this tradition to worship the relics, because it looks to be clearly idolatry? Do you know how the […]
Question: I have been doing research on the topic of evolution and found that I don’t understand it fully. I can see the mechanisms described for producing life. The idea of how evolution works does not bother me but there is something that does regarding the historicity of Adam and Eve. I have heard some […]
Question: About prophets in our present day, the New Testament had prophets like Agabus and Anna. What about our present day? Could God still appoint prophets to guide and direct his church? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This gift can be a blessing to the […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon for the Greater Albuquerque Church of Christ on 6/4/17. It is a study of the amazing things that we have in Christ. Audio and PPT are attached. In Christ Los Alamos In Christ PPT In Christ Notes
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