Reasons For Belief:  A class taught by John Oakes, PhD at Harvard University 10/16/2009.  The subject is reasons to believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. See EFC store for the recording   Reasons For Belief Harvard 2.76 Mb   The Bible: From God or Man? Delos B. McKown:             "Christianity is scientifically unsupported and […]

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Question: If the bible was written so long ago and interpreted in many different ways and has been re-written so many times how can we be sure the version we read today is not complete fiction? Answer: I have answered this question a number of times and in various ways at the web site.  I […]

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Question:  I have a friend who believes that Daniel 11 gets Antiochus’ death incorrect. Is this true? I tend to believe he is wrong however I don’t know the history all that well.  Here is what he gave me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_11  The second paragraph speaks about details of his death and how they do no match up with what […]

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Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo will be offering a class on Christian Church History Saturdays 9:00-10:30 beginning Saturday 10/10/09.  Location will be at The Mission Center 6162 Mission Gorge Rd. Suite A San Diego, CA for the next six Saturdays.  Cost for the entire series is $10.  For more information or to register, contact Jan at […]

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I RECENTLY READ AN ARTICle WRITTEN BY A CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF 1PETER.3:10-13. I ALWAYS ThOUGHT THAT THIS PASSAGE HAD REFERENCE TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD AT ARMAGEDDON. HOWEVER, THE APOLOGIST WROTE THAT 1 PETER.3:10-13 HAD REFERENCE TO NOT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENTIRE PLANET, BUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE OLD […]

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Question: What do you think about the convictions of Charles Finney about the power of Holy Spirit today?  It´s possible pray to receive a miracle? Answer The biblical evidence is that the events at Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) and when Cornelius and his friends were baptized (Acts chapter 10) were unique.   The apostles certainly saw […]

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Question:  Were the Elohim the Anunnaki’s?  Answer:  Many people try to claim that the Jews borrowed their idea about Jehovah from the neighboring peoples: especially from the religions in Mesopotamia.   This is certainly not a new claim.   I will admit that there is at least some marginal parallel between some of the concepts the Jewish […]

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My question is, why are disobedient children stoned in Deuteronomy 21:18-21?  Isn’t that cruel? Answer: This is certainly a reasonable question.   I will have to say that my first emotional response to this commandment is to say that it certainly seems harsh.  I am not sure about cruel, but certainly it appears harsh or like […]

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Question: I read "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" recently and was quite awestruck by the prophesies!  I’ve been reading online that the Christian persecution under Domitian was historically uncertain and debated. Although the early church fathers routinely mention Domitian, the persecution is seemingly absent from the writings of Tacitus and Suetonius (and other Roman historians).  […]

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Announcement:  Certificate program in Christian Apologetics has now been launched by ARS.  See attached announcement.  You can now sign up for classes.  The three classes available are 1. Prophecy and Christian Apologetics, 2. Science and Christian Apologetics and 3. Apologetics and the Christian World View.  For information or to register for these classes, contact Jan Oakes at joakes01@san.rr.com […]

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Question:  I have a question about the idea of theistic evolution (I have been reading many of the articles under "creation" by you and John Laing).  This interpretation seems to resolve many questions such as: Why was Cain was afraid someone would kill him?  Who would be living in the city Cain built? etc… (Genesis 4:14-18) […]

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Question:  On the site http://bibleblunders.com, many claims are made based on failed prophecies and contradictions. Can you please address some of them, Dr. Oakes? Answer: Which ones do you want me to address?   I have already responded to most of these supposed contradiction at my web site.  If you go the question and answer section, then […]

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Question: I just read an article that puts forth some pretty convincing evidence that places the validity of Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius and a few other well known historians that many apologetics use to help confirm the existence of Chirst into question. Just wondering what the names of the other non-christian scholars are to […]

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Question:  I’m reading the book From Shadow to Reality and have a question on the comment made on page 151 concerning the Levitical sacrificial system. The comment states " The sacrifices for sin definitely were not a pleasing aroma to God and are never described in that way. On the contrary, they involve things which […]

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Question: A couple of my buddies always ask about God in the Old Testament: especially about how harsh he can seem to be at times.  Have any advice or recommended reading about the topic?   Answer: Clearly this is a good question.  I have gotten one version or another many times.  If you do a […]

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Question:  I am not a Christian and had no kind of guided religious upbringing, though I have admittedly felt drawn towards Christianity at times.  I never really thought about my origins or the reason for my being.  However, lately I have been nearly consumed by those "big questions."  The idea that the universe and our […]

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Quito, Cali, Lima and Santiago,  Summer, 2009 .   Quito, Ecuador July 20-24 Quito is a city of 1.8 million nestled in a high valley in the Andes.   Being at such high elevation situated exactly on the equator, it always has days exactly twelve hours long and virtually unchanging weather.  It is surprisingly cool-in the […]

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Question: I have come across a statement which a 7th Day Adventist claims. They say Jesus and the Archangel Michael is one and the same person. Their reading is in Daniel and also revelation with the war in heaven, I think its chapter 12. I find this hard to believe.  What are your views in this? Answer: No, […]

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Question: I wonder just how much evidence some scholars need.  What reasoning is required to decide that these two men (Imhotep and Joseph) were not one and the same?  What are the odds that any two of the facts are about these two would be identical?  What about three, four or five? Well there are even […]

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New Class in Christian Apologetics to be Offered: Jesus and Christian Apologetics    The fourth in our series leading up to a certificate in Christian Apologetics will be offered Saturdays Sept 26.  The class will look at the evidence that Jesus is who he said he is and that he claimed what the Bible said he claimed.  […]

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Question: I’m a Christian but I’m finding it hard to rebutt some contradictions of the Bible I believe atheist are taking their questions from this website. http://humanknowledge.net/Philosophy/Metaphysics/Theology/Christianity.html Can the Bible challenge his theories? Answer: It is obviously not possible for me to respond to all the criticism of biblical Christianity at this web site.   However, […]

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Question:  If there is so much evidence supporting the validity of the Bible. Why do some Biblical scholars still remain so skeptical? Answer:  Those who do not accept the validity of the Bible ought to speak for themselves.  It is not my place to determine the motives of other people.  Obviously, the reasons people choose […]

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Responding to Competing Pictures of Jesus  by Dr. Robert Kurka.  Presented at the International Christian Evidence Conference 6/13/2009   2009 International Apologetics Conference                    Dr. Robert C. Kurka Houston, TX                                                  Professor of Theology and Church in Culture June 12-13, 2009                                                       Lincoln Christian Seminary                                                                                                 rkurka@lccs.edu                         "Responding to Competing Pictures of Jesus"   According to […]

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Notes for a class on King David (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles) by John Oakes Spring, 2009   Lessons From the Life of David Life of David: Born in Bethlehem, the son of Jesse during the reign of Saul. The last of eight sons. Ruddy, handsome  Russel Crowe, Clint Eastwood. As a […]

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