Criando los Jovenes en la Iglesia
This class was taught by Dr. John Oakes and Jan Oakes in Mexicali, Mexico, May, 2012. It is in English, translated into Spanish. Criando los Jovenes en la Iglesia
Libertad en Cristo
This class was taught by Dr. John Oakes in Mexicali, Mexico May, 2012. It was taught in English and translated into Spanish. The topic is the freedom we have in Christ and how God intends us to use it. It is about using our God-given gifts to serve the church and the lost. Libertad en […]
Hebreos, Predestinacion y Preservacion
This class was taught by Dr. John Oakes in Mexicali, Mexico May, 2012. It is in English, translated into Spanish. PPT Hebreos, Preservacion y Predestinacion Hebreos Predestinacion y Preservacion Audio
When were the Gospels written? How can they be reliable if they are so far removed from the life of Jesus?
Question: When were the Gospels written? I saw something on the History Channel that said that the first Gospel was Mark and was written 40 years after the death of Jesus and that the other three Gospels copied Mark’s Gospel and added to it. If this is true, how accurate could they be if they […]
Class: Old Testament Survey
Dr. John Oakes, Robert Carrillo Pedro Figueroa and Mark Wilkinson taught an 8-week 16-hour introduction to the Old Testament on consecutive Saturdays Feb 25-April 14 at the Mission Center of Hope in San Diego, CA. To view the notes, the power point: Old Testament Survey Notes Introduction OT PPT Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel Recordings are available in the EFC […]
EFC is now on Twitter!
We at evidenceforchristianity have finally made it to the 21st century. We are now on twitter. You can follow us on @evidence4christ
Report on Missionary Teaching Trip to China and the Philippines
Look below for a report on John Oakes’ missionary teaching trip to Hong Kong, two cities in mainland China, and Manila January, 2012.
Do Christians make presuppositions in defending Christianity? You you check and re-evaluate your presuppositions?
QUESTION: I’ve listened to numerous debates by famous Christian apologists (William Craig, Douglas Jacoby, Mike Licona, ect.) and I noticed that in some of their arguments they regard the Athiests of having a presupposition (naturalism, materialism, etc.) for not believing in God. However, I was wondering what if we asked that same question about Christians? […]
A possible date for the biblical Adam and Eve?
Editor’s note: We are not sure we agree with all being said here, but it is food for thought. The authors place Adam and Eve about 14,000 years ago. http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/adam.html
Does 2 Sam 6:1-7 (Uzzah touches ark and killed by God) contradict Mark 5:24-29 (woman touches Jesus and is healed)?
Question: Christ said that knowing Him = knowing the father. But allow me to give you an example that my mind can not seem to harmonize with respect to the characteristics of God: 2nd Samuel 6:1-7 6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark […]
Is the "plan of salvation" sufficient for us to be saved?
Question: Long ago and far away I took some upper division university level math classes. Like Geometry in high school math, upper division university level math classes are interested in proving things. As we proved things we talked about what is necessary for proof and what is sufficient for proof. In chemistry, it takes hydrogen […]
What is Splanka Therapy? Is it valid and why can't just anyone be trained in it?
QUESTION: What is Splankna Therapy? Is it valid and why can’t just anyone be trained in it? Is there a fallout from it? [Editor’s note: We asked Dense MacKenzie, an expert in this therapy to provide an answer] Answer: Splankna Therapy offers a Christian protocol for Energy Psychology developed from an integration of Neuro-Emotional technique, […]
Why did Paul say "I, not the Lord?" Does this mean that what followed was not inspired by God?
Question: When I was reading in 1 Corinthians 7, I noticed that Paul said a rather peculiar thing. He said “To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord)…” (verse 12). What does this mean? If the words that followed this were “not [from] the Lord” then wouldn’t that mean that it was not inspired? Answer: […]
How do I respond to arguments about Easter, tattoos and similar seemingly unproductive arguments?
Question: I’ve had several debates lately, one a Christian and an unbeliever re: the paganism involved in our holidays (i.e. Christmas/Easter). I’ve already forwarded the article you had on Christmas to them, however, now there’s the debate w/ Easter and my believing friend is even arguing that if the OT law is obsolete, than why did Jesus […]
Could it be that the Jews learned monotheism from Akhenaten?
Question: I am in no way a religious scholar. I just today had an epiphany regarding Akhenaten, whom I have read everything I can find about. I looked up the dates of Moses and Akenhaten. What I read, which may be inaccurate was Moses was around 1200 BC and Akhenaten 1336 BC or thereabouts. It […]
Is it wise for me to let Mormons into my house to study with me and to help me with some difficulties in my life?
Question: I have been dealing with cancer. Morman missionaries have been coming by to offer to help me. Their women arranged meals….etc. Super sweet and loving. I tell them my convictions and read to them in Romans where it begins”Love must be sincere”. They have assured me that they will continue to love me and […]
Hechos y la Historia de la Iglesia (English and Spanish) Power Point
This lesson was given by Dr. John Oakes for the Iglesia de Cristo de Tijuana April 20, 2012. Translation is by Mauricio Garcia. The class is about hte reasons that the early church, starting with a small group of poor, uneducated people without power were able to conquer the entire Roman and Greek world. Hechos […]
Why did the 2011 NIV edition remove the word saint from the Bible?
Question: http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2011/08/issues-with-niv-2011-saints-are-no-more.html I am interested in your thoughts about the article I found above while searching for the word saint in the NIV. A friend of mine, a sister in my church for many years, didn’t know what a saint was. I was shocked, asked her to study it out and I wanted to quickly […]
The Book of Hebrews: A 20-hour class now available
A 20 hour class on the book of Hebrews in 14 parts is now availabel in the store. Just click on the EFC store icon ore go to https://www.evidenceforchristianity.org/store/. This class was given by Dr. John Oakes for the Asia Pacific Leadership Academy January, 2012.
Do the experiences of children who claim to have gone to heaven have validity? Also, do we "sleep" when we die and stay in this sleep until the final resurrection?
Question: (editor’s note: This is a very long question!) I have a two part question for you. I. I have been reading about very young children who have claimed to have gone to or seen heaven after having both visual or death experiences particularly two named Akiana Kramarik, age 7, and Colton Burpo, age 4. […]
Will there be animals in heaven? (from someone who recently lost a loved animal)
QUESTION: Are there evidences of animals being in our final home – heaven? (That is, besides Christ riding in on a white horse) Thanks very much. I hope you can make me feel better after a recent, hearbreaking loss. Answer: I am afraid to say that there is no biblical evidence for there being animals […]
What do you think about irreducible complexity arguments such as those used by John Clayton?
Question: I just watched a video (see below) in which John Clayton presents his version of what seems to be examples of irreducible complexity [IC]. Seems to be a bit more like a parade of God of the gaps. I think there might be better examples of irreducible complexity. What do you think of IC arguments in […]
Can you harmonize the various and seemingly contradictory post-resurrection accounts in the gospels?
Question: I was wondering how would you harmonize the resurrection narrative accounts? I found an essay written by a theologian to be the best one so far (click here to view it) however I wanted to see what your take on the accounts were. Thanks! Answer: I do not believe I can improve on the […]
Should a Christian take part in an infant baptism ceremony with his/her family?
QUESTION: Should a Christian attend an infant baptism at a Roman Catholic church? I have gotten conflicting advice in my church (editor’s note: in the Philippines) regarding this issue. Some say its ok some say it is not, because of the false doctrine of infant baptism that we should refute. Answer: This is what some call […]
Do you know an exhaustive resource on prefiguring and foreshadowing in the OT of things in the NT?
Question: The prefiguring and foreshadowing in the NT is so vast. I know a lot of them but also know that I’m missing out on a lot. Is there an exhaustive resource for them? A book maybe that you recommend? Answer: Yes I do. The answer is that the most thorough book […]
Did Jesus tell Peter he would deny him at the Mt. of Olives (Mark, Matthew) or during the Last Supper (Luke and John)?
QUESTION: I have a two part question regarding to the Peter’s denial of Christ. First, did Jesus tell Peter that he would disown him three times at the Mount of Olives (Mark and Matthew) or before they went to the mount of olives during the last supper (Luke and John)? And the 2nd question is […]
Is it wrong for a Christian to eat blood? (Acts 15:28-29)
QUESTION: Is it wrong for Christians to eat blood? Should we follow Acts 15:28-29 literally? If so, can you please explain why? Thanks a lot for your clarification. Answer: I am surprised that when I checked I found out that I have never answered this question at the web site. I have gotten it a […]
What is memory? What happens to our memories when we die? Is memory merely stored in our brain?
Question: Dear Sir, what about human memory? Scientists tells us our memory is stored in Brain. Word of God tells us it is the soul that has memory. Lamentations 3:20. what about our memory when we die? our memories stored in our brains will be transported into disembodied souls at the time of our Death? […]
What is Amos 9:13-15 a prophecy of?
Question: I was going over Amos in my quiet times and came across this scripture: Amos 9:13-15 (NIV) [13] “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. […]
If the Exodus happened in 1420 BC, how can this connect with Akhenaten and the Tel el Amarna letters? Why not 1440 BC or another date?
Question: I am a Christian from Turkey. Grace to you. I couldn’t understand the connection between 1420 BC. and the letters of Tel el Amarna. In an article at your site you say that; “The letter is addressed to Akhnaton, which implies it was written somewhere between 1387 and 1366 BC. This fits well with […]
Did Jesus travel to India to study?
QUESTION: Did Jesus travel India and study ? Answer: I have already answerwed this question at the site. I am copying and pasting below. Let me deal with the question about the life of Jesus first. It is true that there are “sources” which claim that Jesus traveled outside the area of Israel. By […]
What Year was Jesus baptized?
In what year was Jesus Baptised? Glenn: We cannot calculate the date Jesus was baptized exactly. The most reliable way to do the calculation is to work backward from the crucifixion. The majority view is that Jesus’ ministry lasted approximately three years. This is based on counting the number of Jewish holidays recorded in the […]
Is God's love conditional? (John 14:21)
Question: I have a question. Perhaps you can help me. The New Testament was written in Greek. Most of the ‘love’ words are ‘agape’. My dictionary and lexicon both define ‘agape’ as unconditional love. 1 John 4:16 says that ‘God is love’, agape. John 3:16 says ‘God so loved the world’, agape; this implies unconditional love, it […]
Isn't is possible for a true born-again Christian to be a Mormon?
Question: I am of the belief that the real church involves born-again Christians led to Christ by only Christ and that no one ” true church” including Catholics, Protestants etc. has a doctrine or practice of complete truth that has any potential to lead people to Christ. You made a comment that Mormons were heretical […]
Why does Paul say, first Peter, then the twelve (when there were only 11) and then "all the apostles?"
QUESTION: I have yet another question regarding to a so called contradiction. The scripture I have a question on is 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. I know that this creed dates back to no more than 3 years after Jesus rose from the dead, but I do have three questions regarding the creed. First why does it state that […]
Is there any scientific evidence for a worldwide flood?
Question: Our son is a Biochemistry Major at the University of Virginia and has been a faithful Christian for several years. Now, he is starting to question the validity of the Bible. He has a list, but one of his questions is that there is no scientific evidence for a worldwide flood? Is this true? […]
Once we are saved, is our salvation set in stone?
QUESTION: Hi. I have a question about salvation. I was wondering if salvation is set in stone at the moment of accepting Jesus as savior, or if it can be taken away somehow. It is really confusing me and hurting my faith in christianity in general. I have learned that much of Christianity is just […]
In the Transfiguration, how did Peter know it was Moses and Elijah if he had never seen them or a picture of them?
Question: I was reading about the transfiguration in Matthew and I realized that Peter seems to know immediately that the two shining figures with Jesus are Elijah and Moses. How did Peter know what Elijah and Moses looked like since no one in the first century would know what they looked like and there were […]
What about Atlantis, the Sphinx, Ring of Power, Joseph is Amen Ra and other similar theories?
What about Atlantis, the Sphinx, Ring of Power, Joseph is Amen Ra and other similar theories? Question: It appears there is physical evidence for great floods – submerged cities all over the world. Many cultures speak of the great floods, isolated by location and time, these cultures seem to share similiar beliefs and architecture (i.e. […]
How do I respond to a friend who says science is a reason for losing faith?
How do I respond to a friend who says science is a reason for losing faith? Question: I have a friend that has lost his faith, and he feels that going to college is one reason he lost his faith. He thinks being educated makes him see clearer and that going to college makes many […]
How did Luke know what Jesus said in the garden if the apostles were asleep?
How did Luke know what Jesus said in the garden if the apostles were asleep? Question: How did the gospel writers know what Jesus was praying at Gethsemane if Jesus was a stone’s throw away from them and they were sleeping (Luke 22:41)? Answer: The Bible, clearly, does not tell us how the gospel writers, […]
If everything God made is good, then how could Satan be in the garden of Eden?
If everything God made is good, then how could Satan be in the garden of Eden? Question: If God is everything that is good and if evil, sin, cannot possibly be in God’s presence, then how is it that Satan was able to be in the garden of Eden? Especially if the Lord would walk […]
A response to question below about how NT writers knew what Jesus said in the garden. What about Herod's words or the Pharisees with Judas?
A response to question below about how NT writers knew what Jesus said in the garden. What about Herod’s words or the Pharisees with Judas? Question: Since I regularly “surf” your site, I read your answer on page https://www.evidenceforchristianity.org/index.php?option=com_custom_content&task=view&id=5648 and it raised few thoughts in my head that I wanted to share with you and ask […]
What do you think about "Family Constitutions" as a therapy approach for Christians?
What do you think about “Family Constitutions” as a therapy approach for Christians? Question: What do you know about ‘Family Constellations’ by Bert Hellinger? From the Bible or Christian point of view is it right? I ask because some members of my church are attending this kind of sessions. I went to a session & some […]
Does Ephesians 1:11-14 mean we are saved merely by having the word of God preached?
Does Ephesians 1:11-14 mean we are saved merely by having the word of God preached? Question: I’ve been thinking about Ephesians 1:11-14 and baptism. Ephesians clearly states that a person is included in Christ when they hear the word of God preached. In addition it states that they’re marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit […]
How do you respond to claims that Matthew (2:25) takes Hosea 11:1 out of context? What about Matthew 2:18 (weeping in Ramah)?
How do you respond to claims that Matthew (2:15) takes Hosea 11:1 out of context? What about Matthew 2:18 (weeping in Ramah)? Question: First I would like to mention that I am a Christian and am very grateful for your “questions and answers” section. I catch myself spending hours reading your answers for fun. I […]
Do you know who the seven shepherds and eight leaders of men are in Micah 5:5?
Question: Do you know who the seven shepherds and eight leaders of men are in Micah 5:5? Answer: Micah 5:5 is apocalyptic literature. This is a kind of literary style which was common in Jewish writings in the centuries immediately before and after the ministry of Jesus. It is also common in the Bible, with […]
Who Wrote 1st Kings? Why is Revelation not included in Codex Vaticanus (many more)
Who wrote 1st Kings? Why is Revelation not included in Codex Vaticanus? (many more) Question: Who wrote the books of kings? What is the evidence? Why is it that the vaticanus codex does NOT have the book of Revelation? Did the human part of Jesus worship the divine part of Jesus? The rabbit chews the […]
What do you think about my having discussions with Jehovah's Witness who knock at my door?
What do you think about the Jehovah’s Witness group? Question: I have a question to ask you if you have the time. Jehovah’s Witnesses often knock on my door; unlike a lot of people, I invite them in. We have friendly discussions and I advise them that there is not the faintest chance of them […]
What do you think of the partial preterist view?
Question: Recently, I have been on this site: http://truthsaves.org/doctrine/preterist.shtml I am not sure if it is a accurate summary of partial preterist doctrine but I would like to get your response to the 5 points the website author poses against partial preterism in which he cites dating of Revelations, quotes of followers close to apostle […]
