Question: I would like your opinion on two recent news items. First, is the situation at The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. where Muslims were allowed to hold service.  Secondly, the story of the pope praying at a Mosque while facing Mecca. Would these be considered blasphemy? Can’t see where Jesus would approve of such […]

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QUESTION: I will like to know what is the main theme of the gospel of Mark and what possible outline can I draw to help me study it better.  thanks. Response: The main theme of the Gospel of Mark is this:   Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the savior of mankind.   This is the theme […]

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Question: Do the ethnic depictions of biblical figures matter?  I had a discussion with someone regarding an allegedly “white-washed and racist” depiction of biblical figures in a recent movie. Putting aside Hollywood or possible racial agendas, do we really need to be concerned about what color Bible characters are depicted as? Or could history provide […]

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QUESTION: Hello there, I was just kind of confused why Isaiah 14:4-20 seems to parallel exactly how Athtar overthrew Baal Hadad and enthroned himself atop Mount Zaphon in the Baal Cycle of Ugarit. This is kind of troubling me since it is so similar to the Canaanite account. Why are the mountains the same? and […]

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Question: I’ve been interacting with a lot of punk rockers on facebook and on occasion one will post something anti religious and I’ve been making some gentle answers.  However, I am hoping you can help me with the question below.   Do you either have verses for me to cite or some short hand answers for this […]

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Question: Does the Old Testament apply to Christians today or is it only the New Testament that really matters? Answer: Of course the Old Testament applies to Christians today.  It comprises over three fourths of our Bibles.  Our job is to understand how it applies, not to decide if it applies.   Evidence that it applies […]

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QUESTION: In II Samuel 24:13 God told David that he could choose 7 years of famine but in I Chronicles he could choose three years. Is this a contradiction? Answer: In the case of 1 Chronicles 21:12 the manuscripts are unanimous that the proposed time of discipline was three years. In the case of 2 […]

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Question: Is implicit knowledge of Christ saving? Specifically, is it necessary to have explicit knowledge of Christ or is it enough to have faith in God (belief in one leads to the other)? If explicit knowledge is necessary for salvation, what is the soteriological effect of being unable to adequately describe the nature of the […]

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Question: As a disciple of Christ, I want to understand the expression “religious tolerance”? We live in a country [editor’s note: the questioner lives in Russia] where we have a lot of the world’s religions. On the one hand we need to preach the truth, and on the other hand we need to be tolerant. […]

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Question: In 2 Chronicles 36:21 it says that “70 years this place will be a wasteland and so the earth will have its Sabbath rest.”  What does this mean?  If 70 years represents the Sabbath, then is it significant that this is 1/7 part of the 490 years? Does this figure in the Bible?  Is […]

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Question: How do you explain to anyone, specifically Catholics, the canonization of the Bible and the fact that the Apocrypha is not part of the canon? Answer: I suggest you read either my book “Reasons for Belief” which describes the process of canonization of the OT and the NT, or my book “Daniel, Prophet to […]

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QUESTION: Other than in the Bible, do we have any historical evidence that Jesus’ body was put in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and that Pilate placed guards around the tomb? Answer: The simple answer is no.  We do not have external confirmation of this particular historical event.  What we have is the record […]

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QUESTION: In Joshua 3:10 the Bible says that God will drive out the Jebusites, but only a little later it says this: “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.” How can […]

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Question: Can you explain how evil exists in the world without either compromising God’s goodness, His omnipotence, and/or implying dualism? For instance, in Isaiah it is written “I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things,” (45:7) willed into existence by God “I have spoken […]

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Question: We have met in Berlin.  This is a topic that seems to have stuck with me since being a teenager (I am 34 now) and I would be very glad if I could have some exchange with you on this.  To equate the first three empires of Daniel 2 as Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece is beyond […]

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Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT.  I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it.  It had a link to this website, so here I am.  I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]

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Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT.  I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it.  It had a link to this website, so here I am.  I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]

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Dr. John Oakes and James Shults will be teaching a class on biblical books covering the period after the exile of Judah and Israel.  The theme of these books is returning to God, restoring our relationship with God and rebuilding our lives with God.  The books covered will include Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Ezra, Esther and […]

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QuestionIn my study this morning I came across your Q/A about Paul (the apostle). You say that John does not mention him in Revelation.  John started the church in Ephesus and it was later “taken over” or “led” by Paul.   This led me to a quandry.  First, Paul would make the apostles number grow […]

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Question: Do you know that a theory scientifically is a fact? Don’t confuse theory’s perjorative and colloquial use with its actual definition.  Also, just to state the obvious, referencing your q&a on evolution… Introducing supernatural forces makes everything easier. duh. That fairies took my box of halloween decorations and hid it underneath a box of […]

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QUESTION: Hello there, I just wanted to ask, why is the Canaanite language, Ugaritic specifically so similar Hebrew?  The words such as Yam (Sea) Mot (Death) and Yarikh (Moon)are found exactly the same in Ugaritic and Hebrew writings. If the Canaanites are a Hamitic people why is their language classified as Semitic? Is it possible […]

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Question: I have a question regarding practical Christianity in light of these verses: For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on […]

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Question: I am re-reading your awesome book: “Daniel, Prophet to the Nations”. I am using this to study with a pre-millennial believer to show the kingdom came “in the days of those kings”. (2:44)  As you may already guess, the going is slow. But the argument should be easy if we get through Daniel…  The […]

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QUESTION: I have a question concerning the usage of numerous names for God. I have been reading that Yahweh developed from the word El which was a Canaanite god. In addition El Elyon was a different deity from Yahweh and was a Caananite god in the city of Salem inhabited by the Jebusites. Why would […]

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QUESTION: Why would non-Israelites want to take Yahweh seriously? He’s the god of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Each nation had its own god: Dagon, Chemosh,Molech, the Baals and Astartes etc. Yahweh is just one among many gods. A local god. A God of War. Because victory in battle was what they were preoccupied […]

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QUESTION: 1. What is a good resource for learning more about Calvinism and how to refute it. 2. How do you best defend the Word of God with someone who says “the Bible is not perfect.”  We obviously know of a few clerical errors but he uses those mistakes and others to justify his own […]

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Question: I recently  read 2 Samuel 24 and I don’t understand how I should understand it.  (V1) Why did God burn against Israel? And why did he incite David to take a census?  Also, why does it say in 2 Chron 21:1 that it was Satan who incited David?  (V10) Also, why did David say […]

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Foster Stanback, the Chair of the Board of Apologetics Research Society (the sponsor of this website) has teamed with York College in York, Nebraska to establish a Museum of Ancient History to specialize in items of interest to Christianity.   The grand opening of the Museum will be in April, 2015.  We have future plans […]

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Editor’s note:  The following is a series of questions and answers.  The tone is more familiar than usual because this discussion is happening with a good friend. Question: I just read your paper, “A Closer Look at the Laws of Thermodynamics.”  It was great.  Thanks.  I have a comment, though.  From Pr 16:33 we learn that anything that […]

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Question: Have you ever heard of the Doctrine Molinism?   I haven’t studied concerning the process of salvation in awhile. The last place I essentially left off was being convinced of the ideology of this doctrine. And as of now I still hold to Molinism. Thanks much. Answer: I am copying and pasting an article from Google […]

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Question: Although there were a number of issues as to why Adams, Hamilton, Washington, etc., decided to declare independence from England, taxation, for the most part, was the bottom line issue. But were their actions Biblical? Jesus said to “render unto Caesar…”. Also, regarding Jesus’ pacifism, and teaching the same, should we have not gone […]

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Question: Hello Dr. Oakes. I recently have had the desire to study out the biblical support for Jesus being the Messiah and why the Jews don’t consider him to be the Messiah. I listened to a podcast by a Jewish Rabbi on the Trinity.  He talks about a few things: he referenced John 10 saying […]

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Request: Hi, John! Can you comment this news, please?   http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/article/?id=12687 Thank you! Response: I had already seen this article. The papyrus is an interesting find, but I believe the author exaggerates the significance.  This is not unusual, as authors have a tendency to overstate the significance of a particular piece, for the obvious reason that […]

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Question: Hello, John! Thank you for always answering questions, and your answers are always wise and humble! I have a question regarding the passage in Genesis 15:16. It says that the measure of iniquity Amorites not yet fulfilled. What could this mean? Does this mean that this, and perhaps other Nations, was allotted a certain […]

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