Dr. John Oakes – Page 40 – Evidence for Christianity

Can you respond to the claim that the Bible condones slavery, child abuse, misogyny, war and rape-marriage?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Social Issues, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

Does it make sense to call the death of Jesus a human sacrifice?

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

Question: In an article at the site you mentioned that Jesus’s death wasn’t a human sacrifice. In the article you claimed “A human sacrifice is a situation in which a human being kills another human being with the purpose of appeasing a god” True, but didn’t Jesus die to appease the wrath of God […]

Do you have any resources on the authorship of Isaiah?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Was wondering if you had any resources I could check out about the authorship of the book of Isaiah? Answer: Any good commentary on Isaiah will discuss this. Some claim that Isaiah Ch 1-39 has a different author from Ch 40-end. They do so both because they claim there is a different style of […]

Does the Old Testament apply to Christians today, or is it only the New Testament that really matters?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Practical Christianity, Q & A .

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 […]

Does the word “complete” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refer to the Bible?

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

Question: Does the word completeness in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refer to the Bible? 1 Cor 13:10 – but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. Answer: There has been much debate about this. I certainly will not settle this debate by my response to you. To me, I believe that he is stating a […]

Is Bart Ehrman right that the evidence for the martyrdom of the apostles is not strong?

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

Question: Hi Dr. Oakes. I have a question about apostle martyrdom. It has been asserted by people like Bart Ehrman that the evidence for the martyrdom of the apostles is not very strong. I hope this is not true. For which apostles do we have the best evidence that they were martyred, and what are […]

Are 2 Samuel 24:13 (7 years of famine) and 1 Chronicles 21 (3 years of famine) a biblical contradiction?

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

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 […]

How do you explain examples of “unintelligent design”?

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

Question: Hello! In my biological anthropology classes at university, the argument of unintelligent design has cropped up a couple of times. In a lecture on primates, the example that came up was that our spine is designed to be horizontal so when primates moved to being bipedal due to erectness it led to many spinal […]

Can one be saved by implicit knowledge of Christ? Do you agree with CS Lewis and Karl Barth on this?

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

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 […]

How does a Christian balance “religious tolerance” with calling people to repent? Is religious tolerance a Christian quality?

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

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. […]

What is the meaning of the 70 years of rest for the land found in 2 Chronicles 36:21? Is it related to 490 years, found elsewhere in the Bible?

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

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 […]

Where does a vow go when we speak it? Does someone hear it? What about if someone makes a vow to Satan?

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

Question: As I was studying the Bible this morning, I came up with a thought that I would like to run by you to see what you think. If we can make vows to God, is it possible that people can make vows to Satan or other evil beings? Have you read anything about that? […]

Once Saved, Always Saved

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology, Articles, Bible and Science, Bible Teaching, Church History, PowerPoints .

Dr. John Oakes taught a class on the commonly-held doctrine known as “Once Saved, Always Saved”, also known as Perseverance of the Saints. The class was taught in San Diego Nov. 6, 2014 at the Mission Center of Hope. The outline of the class was: I. Where did this doctrine come from? II. What proof-texts […]

How do I explain to a Catholic friend why the Apocrypha is not part of the biblical canon?

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

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 […]

Is there historical evidence outside the Bible that Jesus was put in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb or that Pilate placed guards at the tomb?

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

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 […]

God promised to drive out the Jebusites in Joshua 3:10 but Joshua 15:63 says that they were not driven out. How can both verses be true?

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

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 […]

How can evil exist without compromising either God’s goodness or his omnipotence?

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

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 […]

Is Daniel 2:43 parallel to Daniel 11:6,17? Is it about the Ptolemies and Seleucids?

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

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 […]

Did Apollos write Hebrews?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Q & A .

Question: Hi Dr Oakes. Is there any reasonable evidence that Apollos wrote the book of Hebrews? Given the fact that he was one of Paul’s most eloquent associates, and was very scholarly, do you believe that there is a high likelihood that he authored the Book of Hebrews? Is it true that some scholars believe […]

If the flood of Noah in 1 Peter 3:21 is a type, then doesn’t that mean that we are saved in baptism?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, The Flood, Theology and Doctrinal Questions, Types .

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 […]

If the flood of Noah in 1 Peter 3:21 is a type, then doesn't that mean that we are saved in baptism?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, The Flood, Theology and Doctrinal Questions, Types .

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 […]

Class: Return, Restore, Rebuild Post-Exile Books of the Bible

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Announcements, Articles, Bible, Bible Teaching, PowerPoints .

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 […]

Conversational Apologetics: Power Point and Notes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Articles, PowerPoints .

Kedron Jones, a member of the ARS board, gave a lesson recently titled “Know How to Answer: Conversational Apologetics” The class was taught 10/18/14 at Los Angeles Church of Christ campus ministry. The notes and power point are attached. Know How to Answer Outline Know How to Answer PPT

The Bible (for example Revelation) makes it clear that there were twelve apostles, yet Paul is a 13th apostle. Isn't this a contradiction?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Reliability of the Bible .

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 […]

A theory is a fact. Your claim that evolution is affected by the supernatural is a cop out.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Science and the Bible, Supernatural .

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 […]

Why is Hebrew a Semitic language when, biblically, the Jews are a Hamitic people?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Anthropology, General, History .

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 […]

Can very difficulty circumstances be a justification for doing something we would normally consider sinful?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Practical Christianity, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

How do you understand the statement in Daniel 9:27 that "all rulers will worship and obey him."?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Daniel, General, Reliability of the Bible .

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 […]

Is the Hebrew god El just borrowed from Canaanite deities? Is Yahweh derived from the Caananite God El?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

Instruments in Christian Worship?

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

Editor’s note: It is hard to imagine a question more unrelated to Christian evidences, but this is about the third time I have gotten a question on this topic, so apparently some users of this web site care about this question. Therefore, I am posting it. Question: My question that I am struggling with and […]

Why would non-Israelites want to take Yaweh (one of many gods) seriously?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

Do you have a good resource for refuting Calvinism? Also, how to respond to those who believe the Bible is not "perfect?"

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Miracles, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

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 […]

Why did God incite David to take a census? Also, why does 2 Chronicles say that Satan did the inciting?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

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 […]

ARS/EvidenceforChristianity to Partner with York College in a Museum of Ancient History

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Announcements, Archaeology, Articles .

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 […]

Does the concept of informational entropy impact Christian theology and our understanding of free will?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Miracles, Philosophy, Science and the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

What is your response to Molinism (a philosophical idea with regard to free will and God's foreknowledge)?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

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 […]

Was it wrong, from a biblical perspective, for Adams, Hamilton and Washington, etc. to rebel and to refuse to pay taxes?

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

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 […]

Classes Taught in Spokane by Dr. John Oakes

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Archaeology, Articles, Bible, Foreshadows and Prefigures, Jesus, PowerPoints, Prophecy .

John Oakes taught three classes for the Spokane Christian Church 9/27/2014. Audio is available here. History, Archaeology and the Bible MP3 History Archaeology and the Bible PPT The Holy Spirit MP3 Shadow to Reality MP3

Class on the Book of Ezekiel

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

Dr. John Oakes is teaching a class on the Book of Ezekiel on four consecutive Thursday evenings, beginning 9/12/14. The class is in San Diego at the Mission Center of Hope (6162 Mission Gorge Road San Diego, CA 92120. Suite A) from 7:30-8:45. Notes, power point and audio will be posted. Ezekiel notes Ezekiel […]

Are certain animals "unclean" in the OT because they broke their covenant with God?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I am now studying at the Moscow Seminary, where one of the teachers made a statement. He said that some animals are considered unclean because they broke the commandment of God with regard to their environment. For examples, hares run on land, but are not allowed to go into holes. Also some animals eat other […]

How do you respond to Jewish claims that Isaiah 9:6 (Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) is actually a prophecy about Hezekiah rather than Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions .

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 […]

What is your response to a recent claim concerning a papyrus which was used as an early good luck charm?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

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 […]

My Eye Weeps to God

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

My Eye Weeps to God By David A. Goodman, Ph.D. This is an article written by a friend David Goodman. He has been a neuroscientist for fifty years and is a believer. The perspective is unusual, but we thought there may be some interest in what he has to say. It is about the […]

What does it mean in Genesis 15;16 when it says that the sins of the Amorites were not yet fulfilled?

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

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 […]

Class on Church History

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

John Oakes and Robert Carrillo are team teaching a class on the history of Christianity for the staff of the San Diego Church of Christ over the next couple of months. The notes and power point for the class are available here. John Oakes has a book on the topic “The Christian Story: Finding […]

Is it acceptable for a Christian to grow marijuana for medical purposes in a state where it is legal?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Practical Christianity .

Question: A friend I am studying the Bible with is growing marijuana in his back yard and says he sells it for medical purposes only. . I am calling him to relinquish his marijuana business and he is willing to give it up eventually, but not right now. He is saying he wants to make […]

Did Jesus plagiarize Confucius when he said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Reliability of the Bible .

QUESTION: A skeptic has claimed to me that the Christian saying “Do unto others” (what we call our “Golden Rule”) was actually plagiarized by the Bible writers from something originally taught by Confucius. Are you familiar with this? I doubt this is true, since no source could be provided, but I have to ask. Answer: […]

Are Mormons sincere in their faith or are they deceiving us? Do they believe they are Christian?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: My brother recently vacationed in Utah and visited some of the Mormon sites, including the Mormon Tabernacle. He was quite convinced that they are Christian. I explained to him that they are not and introduced him to your website. Question he asked was about the Mormon Tabernacle choir. They sing Christian music, including songs […]

Could the flood have been local, which would explain animals in Australia?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, The Flood .

QUESTION: I saw a video (I couldn’t get the URL) where an atheist challenged the veracity of the account of Noah’s flood in Genesis. He reasoned that it couldn’t have been true because of the existence of animal species endemic to Australia. I don’t doubt the Biblical account, and I came up with an explanation that […]

You state that it is unlikely that the biblical flood account is derived from the Gilgamesh Epic. Isn't it more likely that the biblical account was derived from Gilgamesh?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, The Flood .

Question: On your webpage https://www.evidenceforchristianity.org/why-is-it-that-people-say-the-ancient-sumerian-tablets-are-similar-to-the-book-of-genesis-why-do-people-try-to-find-relationships-between-these/ you mention that: “Logically, one might assume that since the Gilgamesh Epic precedes the Bible account, at least in its written form, it was the source for the biblical story of the flood. From an historical or literary point of view, this is hard to disprove. However, if one can assume […]