I have heard the claim that the early church fathers were from pagan backgrounds and their basis for explaining the godhead come from Plato and Aristotle and cannot be trusted in terms of their view of God. Is this true? First of all, the statement that the early church fathers were from a pagan background […]
I have heard of a conspiracy theory that argues that Jesus’s body was taken by the Romans and then some sort of stunt was pulled using someone who looked like Jesus to make the 500 mentioned by Paul in 1 Cor 15 believe he had risen from the dead. The argument then says that church […]
Where were some of the areas where Christianity was found? I am assuming you are asking where Christianity spread to in its earliest history. Of course, Christianity had its beginning in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, in what would be Israel and Palestine today. From there, after about AD 50, the new religion spread […]
In Genesis 2:7b What does it mean when it says “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”? is the “breath of life” referring to oxygen or the spirit/soul? I would say that, when in doubt, we should let the obvious meaning stand. Genesis seems to be saying that God made the inanimate Adam […]
What happened in early Christianity between A.D 180-311? I am going to assume that you did not choose these dates arbitrarily. Probably you found the starting and ending date for your question in a book you read. Most likely, the end date for your question, AD 311, is a reference to the edict of Toleration […]
Where can I find writings from Joshepus? Josephus had a number of writings, but the most relevant for a Christian are the works “The Antiquities of the Jews,” and “The Wars of the Jews,” also known as “The Jewish Wars.” “The Antiquities of the Jews” is a fairly comprehensive history of the Jewish people, beginning […]
I have a few questions about the Bible. I’ll list them here. 1. Why do some theologians who have studied the scriptures for years still preach many different denominations/religions and salvation by works? People teach and believe false doctrine primarily because they were “raised up” in these false teachings and because it is always easier […]
I would just like to ask one or two questions. I can easily accept what it says about Genesis and the interpretation of the word ‘day’. What puzzles me is the age of the human race. How do you address the inconsistency relating to the age of man? If Adam & Eve were the first […]
Why is the word yahweh not written in the NT? Is it because Yahweh refers to the whole Godhead? The reason YHWH (I use YHWH rather than yaweh, as it is closer the the Hebrew original) does not appear in the New Testament is that the New Testament was written in Greek. YHWH is a […]
Are Jehovah’s Witnesses considered part of a cult? How did this religion come to be and what is it they believe? Whether or not the Jehovah’s Witness are a cult would depend on your definition of the word. For me, personally, the word cult has come to have a very negative connotation. The working definition […]
I have been studying the Bible and understand from the teaching of Jesus that there is only one church. Is the correct? If so, should the teaching/doctrine of the church be flawless because it is following the Bible which is the flawless word of God? You are absolutely right in saying that there is only […]
Is it considered anti-Christian to believe in the concepts of the zodiac, such as reading your horoscope and taking it to heart, or of psychic abilities? That is an easy one. Yes, from the perspective of the Bible and of belief in Jesus Christ, it definitely is a sin to rely on one’s horoscope rather […]
What’s the deal with deism? Is it almost considered atheist? Could one go to hell with the belief in deism? You will find a wide range of groups and individual religious beliefs which could be labeled as deist. It is wise to take any definition of deism with a grain of salt. However, let me […]
What are common characteristics to religious nationalism? I am not completely confident of how you would define religious nationalism. Let me give you the definition I would use and answer the question based on that definition. If I have missed the mark, please rephrase your question so that I can be sure how you would […]
Do you know the reason given as to why Jewish people no longer offer sacrifices. I have read that in the time of the exile, more weight was given to study of the law and scribes, but even then, the Levitical line was preserved and once the captives returned, sacrifices and temple worship were reinstated. […]
Did Christianity originate in Ethiopia? No. Christianity originated in Jerusalem, probably in either AD 29 or AD 33 (the two years which have the Passover fall on the right day to fit the description in the gospel accounts). To be specific, Christianity as a publicly proclaimed religion, began on the Day of Pentecost, forty-nine days […]
Who wrote the book of Hebrews? That is an easy question. The answer is that no one knows who wrote this book. It is one of my three or four personal favorite books in the Bible, but, bottom line, the book is not signed. We can assume that the very early church considered it to […]
In the opening chapters of Genesis, the Bible says that Cain was afraid of others who might take vengeance upon him. Where did these people come from??? They could not have been his brothers for there is hardly enough time for procreation to have resulted in a population large enough for Cain to be concerned […]
Why does the miracle of turning the water into wine and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness take place at the same time if you read the story in two different books of the NT? Why are the 10 rules found in Ex. 20 and Ex 34 not the same ? It took me […]
Could you please give me some black/white, concrete, and clear evidence that proves The Koran to be false? I have been reading a researching myself, but whenever I find something that I can say, “ha! I’ve got it. This proves The Koran is false and not the word of God,” I then find someone who […]
When did Christianity begin? Public Christianity began on the day of Pentecost, as described in Acts Chapter two. One could debate this date. For example, one could say that Christianity began the day Jesus rose from the dead, or one could say that Christianity began the day Jesus was born, or the day he began […]
I was wondering if you could provide me with a list of the New Testament books in chronological order. I’m trying to prepare for an upcoming discussion about the reliability of Bible texts so if you could point me in any specific direction…that would be great Do you mean chronological order of when they were […]
Where did Christianity originate? Christianity originated in the city of Jerusalem in present-day Israel. The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, was born in the small town of Bethlehem, just a few miles southwest of Jerusalem. He was raised in the town of Nazareth in the region of Galilee, about one hundred miles north of Jerusalem. […]
“Jews do not believe that Jesus was the moshiach. Assuming that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both matters that are debatable), he simply did not fulfill the mission of the moshiach as it is described in the biblical passages cited above. Jesus did not do any of […]
I have a question for you. I was wondering if you could give me advice on helping people who argue that the Bible we have today cannot possibly be the original Bible. I obviously cannot tell them that I believe by faith that it is the inspired word of God and that He protects His […]
Why do we have Good Friday? Why is it called Good Friday? First of all, Good Friday is a religious tradition, and its celebration as an official church holiday is not supported or encouraged by the Bible (although it is not outlawed by the Bible either). Many Christian groups do not celebrate this holiday, as […]
Note: The question is quite long. The answer is about five paragraphs down the page How does Christianity justify its staunch and abusive criticism of so called “Pagan” Religions in the light that it developed well after many other religions that were also the belief of many people before it? Too often “pagan religions have […]
Do you have information on the changing of the Sabbath Day by Constantine? I have no information on this because it never happened. One of the most persistent false claims about the early history of the church is that somehow Constantine was able to change Christian doctrine of even the scriptures of the New Testament. […]
How do I know that Christianity is the one true faith, and that Buddhism, or Hinduism, or any other religion isn’t the "right one?" I have received a couple of questions which are pretty similar to this one. Below I have included two similar questions and the answers I gave. After these two questions/responses, I […]
How do you explain Christianity to a black Muslim? The extremely simple answer is that I would explain it to this person the same way I would anyone else. I would present the true Jesus, son of God, fulfiller of prophecy, worker of miracles, sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world. Of […]
Why did celibacy become mandatory for priests? Let me start by copying and pasting an answer to a similar question received previously. You will find the rest of my answer to your specific question after the following: Can you tell me when the Catholic church started insisting its priests were celibate? How celibacy became common […]
It’s been a while since I posed any questions however I’m currently reading several of your articles and in your article Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled you state the following: While the writings of John preceded the persecutions of Domitian and his successors by less than a generation, they nevertheless show the continuity of the New and […]
My question revolves around the true role of the Council Of Nicea. Some have argued that the council canonized certain texts to fit their purposes. I have heard the counter argument that the council merely canonized what was already widely accepted as Inspired Word, but even this wide acceptance does little to guarantee that the […]
North vs. South: Prophecies in Daniel Chapter Eleven, by John M. Oakes The last recorded vision given to Daniel spans chapters ten through twelve. This awe-inspiring vision is both the climax and the culmination of the book. It brings together in the most overwhelming prophetic vision in the Bible all the themes of Daniel. The […]
The King Comes to Jerusalem: Prophecies of the Messiah in Daniel Chapter Nine, by John M. Oakes Chapter nine of Daniel can easily be divided into two parts. It begins with a prayer of Daniel in which he begs God, both in his own name and in the name of his fellow Israelites, for forgiveness […]
Sheep vs. Goat: Prophecies in Daniel Chapter Eight, by John M. Oakes Two years after the vision recorded in chapter seven, Daniel has another vision ?in the third year of King Belshazzar?s reign? (Daniel 8:1). The Babylonian Chronicle implies that Belshazzar began to rule as regent in 553 BC, so this year of the vision […]
A Beastly Encounter: Prophecies in Daniel Chapter Seven, by John M. Oakes ?In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind? (Daniel 7:1). This dream most likely occurred in the year 553 BC when Belshazzar became official regent to his father Nabonidus. This chapter begins […]
A King Eats Grass: Prophecies in Daniel Chapter Four Daniel chapter four contains a compelling account of how God was able to humble mighty King Nebuchadnezzar. When Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar?s dream of a great tree, he provides further proof that God promotes and demotes whomever he pleases. He shows clearly that God rules the nations. […]
A Dream in the Night: Prophecies in Daniel Chapter Two ?In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams? (Daniel 2:1). These dreams occurred early in Nebuchadnezzar?s long reign. Since Daniel was brought to Babylonin the first year of his reign, we can assume that he has entered service to the king fairly recently. He […]
My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prefvent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place. John 18:36 Old Testament Prophesies announce the coming of the Kingdom of God We have already seen a number of prophecies which describe the Messiah […]
This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Luke 24:44 Prophecies in the Old Testament Predict Events in the Life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth When Jesus spoke the words recorded above […]
Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God?s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God?which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 Old Testament Ritual Sacrifice Points to New Testament Sacrifice One evening a chicken and a pig were having a deep discussion about breakfast the next day at […]
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread made without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. […]
The Law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming?not the realities themselves. Hebrews 10:1 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were […]
The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tagernacle set up by the LORD, not by man. Hebrews 8:1,2 4 The Old Covenant […]
It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to apper for us in God?s […]
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 2 Prefigures of the Messiah When Jonah spent three days and nights miraculously preserved within a huge fish; […]
For everything which was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4 Historical Prefigures The Israelites had been grumbling again. ?Why do we follow this fellow Moses?? ?Who does he think he is?? ?Why have […]
DANIEL DANIEL PROPHET TO THE NATIONS DANIEL PROPHET TO THE NATIONS John M. Oakes, Ph.D. Great Commission Illustrated Books Highlands Ranch, CO http://greatcommission.com Email: john_oakes@greatcommission.com DANIEL […]
NOTES FOR SHORT DANIEL CLASS Background to Daniel: Theme: God Rules the Nations, Do Not Fear! Main messages: 1. How to stay pure and uncorrupted?to maintain your integrity in a world in which you are surrounded by unbelievers. 2. God is in control. He will protect his people. Do […]
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