Questions: Doctor, There are historical problems in the trial & crucifixion accounts of the Gospels. 1) Passover was a family holiday. Would the entire Sanhedrin (and the high priest) get up and leave their families, first as a group to arrest him, and second, for a trial of a Galilean wonder-worker? According to later Rabbinic […]
Question: The Bible doesn’t tell us how Joel, Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Malachi, etc. proved themselves as prophets in the eyes of their contemporaries. Their alleged prophecies were fulfilled, according to the NT authors. Before then, what was their status? Answer: This is a good question. The answer is that we do not have access […]
Question: According to Robert Carroll and Auld: Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, etc. were poets and were NOT thought of as prophets until exilic times. The collectors of their words labelled them “prophets”. The Koran also does not mention them except Jonah. What are your thoughts? Answer: My response is this: Why do we listen to people […]
Question: Several prophets make no definite promise of a “single person” as the Saviour; such as Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Haggai, the Deutero-Isaiah. All didn’t have a perception of the future salvation in connection with an individual. Dr. Oakes, What is your response? Answer: First, I ask the one who is posing this […]
Question: Zechariah Ch. 9:8 says: “But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.” But in reality, Jerusalem was soon overrun by the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans, who utterly destroyed the second temple in 70 […]
Question: Prophecies need to be specific. There was no need to hide the promised messiah within a passage that was also speaking about something else, for e.g. if Isaiah had an intention of speaking about the Messiah, it would’ve been nice had he said it clearly, instead of using the same moniker to identify both […]
Editor’s Note: The questioner mentions “Deutero Isaiah.” There is a commonly-accepted scholarly opinion that Isaiah only wrote Ch 1-39, and that Ch 40 onward was written after the exile by another author. This theory is somewhat speculative, but has some reasonable evidence supporting it. The author is assuming presuppositionally that the theory is true. Question: […]
Question: If the gospels are eyewitness accounts then why is it clearly evident that Matthew, Mark, and Luke just copied each other? There are so many verses that are exactly the same and that doesn’t make sense if they were based on different eyewitness accounts. If you could help explain this to me that would […]
Question: Sir, George Athas writes in his book “Deuteronomy: One Nation under God” that Yahweh continued to send prophets to Jews even after they returned from exile. However, they were never able to reinstall a Davidic heir as king. Foreign kings ruled over the Jews at that time. This frustrated Deuteronomy’s condition that Israel’s king […]
Dr. Gary Habermas is one of the premiere apologists today. I do not normally publish work by those I do not know personally, but in the case of his lecture on the resurrection, I am making an exception. This lecture is really great. I strongly recommend to our EFC community to watch this lecture. In […]
Question: What is the meaning in Genesis 1:26 where God says, “Let us make man in our image”? My NIV study notes that “us” refers to members of His heavenly court? I was always led to believe it referred to the Trinity. Thank you Answer: Commentators give three possible interpretations of the words “us” and […]
[Editor’s Note: This Q & A is a follow-up to an earlier question regarding Genesis 1:30 in which the questioner proposes that before the “Fall” of Adam and Eve, both humans and animals were vegetarian.] Question: Isn’t Genesis 9:3 problematic? God says that “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as […]
Rabbi Tovia Singer has published an anti-Christian polemic which has created doubts in some Christian believers. Dr. John Oakes has published a review of this book. We are attaching the document and copying and pasting below. Review of Let’s Get Biblical In addition, here is an article by Jeff Chacon Why I Believe Jesus is […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a lecture on God and Science at UC Merced for the Alpha Omega club Feb. 2, 2023. PPT and audio are here: Science and the Bible PPT God and Science Audio
Dr. John Oakes did a teaching weekend for the Anchor Point Church of Christ in Tampa, Florida. Audio, Notes and Power Points are attached. Who Is Jesus Tampa PPT Jesus Evidence Tampa Audio Shadow to Reality Notes Shadow to Reality PPT From Shadow to Reality Audio
Question: Andrew B. Davidson (1902) wrote that Scribes were arrangers of the scattered fragments, many of them anonymous, existing in their time. They arranged small anonymous prophecies under general headings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, just like all Psalms were gathered together under the name of David. Dr. Oakes, is it possible that anonymous prophecies became part […]
Question: Thank you for taking my question, My question is about the meal talked about in Exodus, that was eaten in haste, in which they ate the lamb they sacrificed. My question is this: in Jesus’s day, would that meal have been eaten on Friday night? Is that called the Passover meal? If it was […]
Question: Why don’t Christians need to follow the Old Testament Laws (especially the Old Testament Civil Laws) anymore? Answer: Christians do not need to follow the Old Testament law because Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17). Jesus replaced the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21, Galatians 6:2). The requirements of […]
Question: What are some key problems with Christian theocracy? Why shouldn’t Christians seek to have a Christian theocratic nation? Answer: There is no direct statement in the New Testament which commands Christians to not create a theocratic state. If believers in some country decided to found a state based wholly on Christian principles, I suppose […]
Question: How would you respond to these common claims that Muslims make with the intention of trying to show that Islam is true i.e. the one true religion 1) ‘Islam is not a religion in the common and distorted sense, for it does not confine its scope to one’s private life. It is a complete […]
Editor’s note: I answered the question above in 2011. At that time, I had no knowledge of non-Christian sources supporting this claim, and said so. However, a visitor to the web site has shared with me an article which does provide good support from a Jewish source in the first century that there was a […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a short series on Christian Apologetics for the Houston Church of Christ. Notes, PPT and audio will be posted here. Science and God PPT Science and God Houston Audio Reliability and Inspiration of the Bible PPT Progressive Theology Notes Progressive Theology PPT
Question: How can Isaiah 42:2 apply to Jesus when he did cry out for people to repent, cleansed the temple and argued with the Pharisees? Response: I suppose you have a point here if we take Isaiah 42:2 to be literal. Clearly Jesus “shouted” at times, otherwise how could his teachings to groups like the […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of classes in both French and English in Port au Prince, Haiti in Aug, 2022 Reliability of Bible Haiti Church History Haiti Audio I Church History Haiti Audio II Christian Worldview Haiti Audio Prob Pain Suff Haiti Audio Hebrews 1-6 Haiti Audio Hebrews...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of lectures in Santo Domingo, Dominical Republic in Spanish and in English Aug, 2022 World View Santo Domingo Reliability of Bible Spanish/English Fiabilidad PPT Science and God Santo Domingo Audio Dios y la Sciencia PPT Existence of God Spanish Audio La Existencia de Dios PPT ...
Dr. John Oakes gave several classes at the ICOC World Discipleship Summit in Orlando, Aug, 2022 Col 2 Jesus vs World Audio Col 2 PPT Col 2 Sermon Christ vs World Notes King Jesus vs World’s Philosophies Audio King Jesus vs Philosophies PPT King Jesus Col 2 Notes In Christ WDS ...
Dr. John Oakes taught a series of classes for campus interns in Merced June, 2022 Genesis Merced Audio I Genesis Merced Audio II Genesis Merced III Genesis Merced Audio IV Genesis Merced Audio V Genesis Merced Audio VI Genesis Merced PPT Genesis Merced Notes...
Dr. John Oakes taught a series of classes on Spiritual Formation in Bakersfield Spring, 2022 Spiritual Formation I Audio Spiritual Formation II Audio Spiritual Formation III Audio Spiritual Transformation Part I – III Notes Spiritual Formation Part III PPT...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of sermons from the Book of Acts for the Bakersfield Church of Christ Spring, 2022 Acts I Mission Audio Acts II Starting Gun Audio Acts III Model Church Audio Acst IV Paul’s Farewell Audio Acts V Why Not Be Baptized Acts VI...
Dr. John Oakes gave a sermon series from Ecclesiastes and Psalms in Bakersfield Spring, 2022 Life Under the Sun Audio Ecc II Wisdom Audio Psalm110 Royal Audio Psalm 42 All In With God Audio Psalm 119 Sermon Audio Psalm 41 All In With God...
Dr. John Oakes gave a 14 hour New Testament Survey class for the West Coast School of Ministry Spring, 2022 NT Survey Audio I NT Survey Audio II NT Survey Audio III NT Survey IV Audio NT Survey Audio V NT Survey Audio VI NT Survey V NT...
Dr. John Oakes did a teaching weekend in Tampa, FL Dec, 2022. Evidence for Jesus and From Shadow to Reality Jesus Evidence Tampa Audio From Shadow to Reality Audio...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of midweek lessons on the Book of Daniel in Merced, Fall, 2022 Daniel Audio I Daniel Audio II Daniel Audio III Daniel Audio IV Daniel PPT Daniel Notes...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of four midweek classes on apologetics for the Houston Church of Christ Fall, 2022. Reliablity of the Bible, God and Science, and dealing with Progressive Theology. Science and God Houston Audio Reliability and Inspiration of the Bible Progressive Theology Notes Progressive Theology PPT...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of midweek classes for the Merced Christian Church on one another relationships Fall, 2022 One Another Passages I One Another Audio II One Another III One another PPT II...
Dr. John Oakes taught a series of classes on how to help people understand and deal with false teachings for the Guadalajara Church of Christ Fall, 2022 GDL False Doctrines I GDL Doctrinas Falsas Audio I Falsas Doctrinas Audio II GDL False Doctrines III Audio GDL False Doctrines IV Audio […]
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of sermons about being In Christ from his book of the same title Fall, 2022 in Merced, CA. In Christ Audio I In Christ Audio II In Christ III In Christ Audio IV In Christ Audio V In Christ PPT In-Christ-Sermon Notes...
Dr. John Oakes gave ten sermons from Hebrews in Merced Fall 2022 and Winter, 2023. Hebrews Ch 1 Audio Hebrews Sermon II Audio Hebrews III Audio Hebrews IV Audio Hebrews Mer V Hebrews V Audio Hebrews The Main Point Audio Hebrews Mer VI Hebrews 9 A...
Dr. John Oakes gave a series of lessons in Merced Fall, 2022 James Audio I James Audio II James Audio III James IV audio James PPT James Notes...
Dr. John Oakes taught a 14 hour class on Church History for the West Coast School of Ministry Fall, 2022 Church History WCSM Audio I Church History WCSM Audio II Church History Audio III Church History Audio IV Church History Audio V Church History Audio VI Church HistoryAudio...
John Oakes gave a series of classes on the Book of Hebrews for the teaching ministry for the LAICC Fall, 2023. Hebrews Audio I Hebrews Audio II-A Hebrews Audio II-A Hebrews LA Audio IV Hebrews V Audio Hebrews Audio VII Hebrews Notes Oakes Hebrews PPT Oakes...
John Oakes taught a series of classes on the Kingdom of God in Merced Summer, 2022 Kingdom Merced Audio I Kingdom of God Audio II Kingdom of God Audio III Kingdom of God ppt Kingdom of God Notes...
Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo have published a book on the Book of Hebrews, Hebrews: Living By Faith. They are teaching an eight hour class on Hebrews for the Los Angeles International Church of Christ Bible School eight consecutive Saturdays at 9:00 Pacific Time. The class will be on zoom at 843 0420 3186 […]
Question: Do you have any apologetic resources in the Russian language? My sons are adopted from Ukraine, and are very skeptical about Christianity. They believe it is all “fake” and unsupported by any logic or science. I think some resources could help them immensely, especially videos because they are not avid readers. Thank you very […]
Question: I have some questions regarding the interpretation and fulfillment of Joseph’s second dream. 1. What do the sun, moon and 11 stars represent in the dream? 2. Was Jacob right at the interpretation of Joseph’s second dream? 3. If Jacob was sun, 11 stars were 11 sons of Jacob, then who was moon? Do […]
[Editor’s Note: This is a two-part question, as the one asking clarified his initial question] Question: Can you explain to me why there is such a difference in the Genesis 5 and 11 chronologies of the antediluvian and post-flood patriarchs? I understand there is about 1380 years difference between the Septuagint and Masoretic translation texts, […]
Question: This question pertains to your response regarding “Evolution” posted on September 15, 2022. I was somewhat surprised that you weighed in on Calvinist theology as the question was not overtly suggestive of that theology. (I was once espousing that theology until I came across your website). But that made me curious of what you […]
Dr. John Oakes is teaching a five part series on how Christians ought to respond to false teachings which are found out there in the “Christian” world for a church in Guadalajara, Mexico. The recording is in both Spanish and English. Areas that will be covered include Roman Catholicism, Calvinism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Premillennialism, Mormonism and […]
Question: I’m from Cameroon, Africa. I mention this because having been to Africa and in Cameroon in particular you may have noticed that many African families still worship ancestors. The reason for this is that The Bible was one of the powerful tools European Countries used to Conquer Africa. SO my question is: HOW CAN […]
Question: I have a few questions about evolution and the Bible. First of all if we evolved then in 100 million years could humans have evolved into a different animal like how apes apparently evolved into humans? Secondly if evolution is true then that means there were land animals before birds but the Bible says […]
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