General – Page 21 – Evidence for Christianity

Does Matthew 1:11 (Jesus descended from Jehoiachin) contradict the curse of Jeremiah 22:30 and 36:30 on the children of Jehoiachin? (and several other supposed contradictions)

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

Question: I have several questions I hope you may help with: -Does Jesus not fall under the Curse of Jeconiah in Jer. 22:30, 36:30 in which none of Jeconiah’s descendants (Matt.1:11 states Jesus is a descendant) shall sit on the throne of David nor rule in Judah? -Did Paul violate Deuteronomy 23:16 and Jer. 34:13-17 when […]

What is the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15 that women will be saved through childbearing?

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

Question: I’m a bit confused about what this scripture means by saying that “women will be saved through childbearing” does this assume that women who haven’t had children aren’t saved? I know that can’t be right I just can’t think of another interpretation. “But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and […]

How do we understand the moral position of those born as hermaphrodites?

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

Question: If someone is born a hermaphrodite (with both sex organs) is it possible to still live a life pleasing to God regarding sexual orientation? For example whether they choose to be with a man or women technically they’d be hetero and homosexual. I have a hard time trying to word this but I hope […]

How can I respond to a Unitarian interpretation of John 20:17?

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

Question: How would you build up an apologetic defense against a Unitarian argument about John 20:17? In John 20:17 Jesus is speaking to Mary Magdalene: Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My […]

Did Paul teach that the law was removed by Jesus’ sacrifice? When will the ten lost tribes come back to Israel?

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

Questions: I was confronted with these questions. Did Paul teach that the law was over by Jesus’ sacrifice? Also, when will the ten tribes come back to Israel? Answers: Not sure if I would say it exactly that way: “the Law was over by Jesus’ sacrifice.” What Paul did say is, “When you were dead […]

Can you help me with some doubts I have about the resurrection and miracles of Jesus

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Anthropology, General, General Apologetics, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: These are the questions I have in mind. They stem from a discussion I had with a friend of mine who likes Christianity (especially Bart Ehrman and the Gnostic Gospels) [editor’s note: we are not sure what the questioner means by this comment] but rejects the idea that Jesus was resurrected because: a […]

Could 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Revelation 20:7-10 be describing the same event?

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

Question: Is it possible that 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Revelation 20:7-10 describe the same event? Answer: I am afraid that I cannot give you a definitive answer. I will have to say that I cannot blame people who see some potential parallels between the “lawless one” of 2 Thess 2:8 and the deception of Gog […]

Where does gnostic belief about the Old Testament and about Jesus come from?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apocrypha, Archaeology and the Bible, Church History, General, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: Where does the gnostic belief that the Old Testament God is the Demiurge and not the true creator come from? Also, where did the belief in archons tricking people into being reincarnated at death come from? I’ve been reading some material about this and it has troubled me. What is the evidence against these […]

We have extra-biblical sources confirming Jesus (Tacitus, Josephus, etc.). Are there any similar mentions of Paul in extra-biblical literature?

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

Question: There is a substantial amount of extra-biblical material written by historians that lived within a couple generations of Christ’s ministry supporting His existence, His status as a well-known miracle worker, and His crucifixion (Josephus, Tacitus, Seutonius, Pliny the Younger, Philo, as well as mention in much later editions to the Talmud). However, there is […]

Is there proof outside of the Bible for the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matt 17:1-9)?

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

Question: Is there proof outside the Bible of Christ’s Transfiguration? Answer: The transfiguration occurred on a remote mountaintop and there were only four witnesses. It is hard to imagine what kind of proof one could ask for except the statements of the eye-witnesses. What kind of “proof” are you asking for? Are you asking for […]

What does the phrase “whatever help you might otherwise receive from me is a gift devoted to God” mean in Matthew 15:6

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

Question: I wanted to ask you about Matthew 15:3-6. What does Jesus mean when he told the Pharasees in verse 5 that “whatever help you might otherwise receive from me is a gift devoted to God”? Answer: This is a reference to a common Jewish practice of giving a sacrifice (actually, more accurately a gift) […]

What does the phrase in the New Testament “going to sleep” mean?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What is the meaning of the phrase “going to sleep” that is used many times in the New Testament. Also, what happens when we die? Answer: This was a common euphamism for saying that someone died in their culture. We also use euphemisms for talking about death. We say someone “passed away.” Or we say that […]

Please compare the concept of forgiveness in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.

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

Question: Can you compare the concept of forgiveness and cleansing of sins in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam? Answer: This is a very important question. The concenpt of sin and of forgiveness is quite different in the three religions. Islam and Christianity are closer to one another, but still different in very important ways. Hinduism is […]

Why did Daniel get all of the historical facts wrong in Daniel 11:35-35?

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

Question: I am happy to find your resourceful website and I hope you can help solve my puzzle. Why did the book of Daniel get all the history wrong from verse 11:35 to the end? I tried to find answers in your power point but you list the historical facts just up to 11:35. This […]

If God wanted to save people from evil, why did he wait for so long before sending Jesus? If the Gospel is better than the Torah, why send the Law of Moses?

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

Question: Why didn’t God send Jesus at the beginning to show love if He already knew the people that live in the world would be so evil…? If He knew that Jesus’s teaching of love will make people become better today…why did he make the Torah rules to Moses…which is so cruel (killing a woman […]

What historical events are fulfilled in Revelation–especially in the last chapters of the book?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: Similar to you, I find preterism [editor’s note: this is the view that the majority of the visions in Revelation involve things which happened in the early period of Christianity] as the best interpretation of Revelation. However, I struggle with interpreting the events (especially the plagues). I also do not know what to do […]

How do you explain the similarities betwene the Egyptian god Horus and Jesus, including their sufferings? Was the story of Jesus plagiarized?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: How do you explain the similarities between the Egyptian god Horus and Jesus. Horus suffered the same tribulations. It could be said that the jesus story was plagiarized. Answer: Apparently you have been reading the claim that the Christian Jesus is a myth, borrowed from various Greek, Egyptian or Persian gods. This well-worn claim […]

Can you respond to a web article I found which claims that the Comforter of John 14:16 is a prophecy of Muhammed?

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

Question: I thank you for taking your time out of the day to answer questions that I have. I am learning about Islam and while researching I came across an article about the prophesying of Muhammad in the New Testament. This was just one of the examples presented: John 14:16 “And I will pray the […]

If the Roman Catholic Church can trace its history to the 1st century and if it is now apostate, does that mean that the gates of hell have overcome the church (Matthew 16:18)?

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

Question: I am intrigued by your take on early Christianity and how you believe the Catholic Church can trace its history back to the 1st century AD, yet don’t believe it’s the one true church. If the RCC was founded in the first century AD and was originally the one true church, but then went […]

Is the God of the Muslims the same as the God of the Christians, as claimed by Morgan Freeman?

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

Question: Recently I saw the documentary by National Geographic narrated by Morgan Freeman called the Story of God,where he says the God worshipped by the Christians and the Muslims is the same. I know this is not true.Can you explain briefly the major differences? Answer: It is debatable whether Muslims worship the same God as […]

Response of a Pandeist to an earlier Q & A

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

[Editor’s Note: I posted an article in response to a question about the philosophy/theology known as pandeism. A blogger posted a critique of my article, and this is a rebuttal by me. The critique is fairly long, and my response is below that.] Comment: From time to time, people do come along and write things […]

You should not use the NIV. Satan has omitted many scriptures from it!

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

[editor’s note: The person sending this comment included a document claiming that the NIV (and presumably nearly all other translations) have omitted major portions of the New Testament, including John 5:4, Acts 8:37, Acts 15:34, Matthew 17:21, Matthew 23:14, Acts 24:7 and several others.] Comment: As I dug deeper into your site I had to […]

Do John 9:3 and Exodus 4:11 mean that God gives disabilities to people so that he can be glorified?

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

Question: I wanted to ask you a question about the cause of disabilities as it relates to Exodus 4:11 and John 9:3 (about Jesus healing the man born blind). Some translations render the text in John as “this happened so that the works of God may be displayed”, implying that God caused his illness from […]

If God’s judgment is based on our actions, then why does he accept a substitute sacrifice instead. Doesn’t it need to be one or the other?

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

Question: If God is just and gives everyone what they deserve according to their actions, then why does he accept a substitute sacrifice on our behalf–whether it be the millions of animal sacrifices in the OT or even Christ himself? Perhaps you will just say it is God’s mercy, but I would appreciate some elucidation. […]

Is it an important issue whether we use the name Jesus or Yeshua?

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

Question: It has come to my attention that some people are using the name “Yeshua” in place of the name “Jesus”. They want to go as far as saying that the use of Jesus’s name is some kind of sin, that it is some kind of pagan mistranslation and that our Lord won’t hear your […]

Are Zechariah 3:8-9, 6:11-13 and 12:10-13:3 messianic prophecies? Is Joshua a figure of Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, Types .

Question: Could you answer a couple questions about Zechariah? Is chapter 2:8-9 referring to Jesus’ sacrifice for all sin? Also, is chapter 6:11-13 referring to Joshua as a Jesus-figure? After all, isn’t Jesus’ real name in Hebrew Yeshua, which is a variant of Joshua? Is it a coincidence that it says his “name” is the […]

Did Josephus ever mention Paul in his writings?

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

Question: I was just wondering if Josephus ever mentioned the Apostle Paul in any of his writings? Thanks! Answer: Josephus does not mention Paul in any of the writings we have from him. Some have tried to use the lack if his mention of Paul to create doubt about the reliability of the New Testament–even going so […]

Why did God just give us the Bible and leave us alone to fend for ourselves?

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

Question: A coworker of mine questions the validity of God’s approach in leaving us a book and taking off and expecting us to be able to relate as God’s children and kind of figure this whole thing out until God returns and then makes us a part of His life? If we did this as […]

How much weight should be given to the early church “fathers” in theological matters (also questions about baptismal regeneration)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Church History, General, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

[Editor’s note: This is a series of three related questions about the teachings of the very early church leaders, including on baptismal regeneration. Question: How much weight should be given to the early church fathers’ theological positions? Answer: The simple answer is that their theological position should be given zero weight. When Irenaeus or Polycarp […]

Is it true that the Qu’ran teaches the virgin birth, that Jesus worked miracles, and that he was raised from the dead?

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

Editor’s note: This is actually a series of questions and answers. Question: I came across this statement in Sura III in the Quran, but I cannot find the exact scripture. “Jesus was of virgin birth, And performed many miracles. But those to whom he came as Prophet rejected him, and plotted his death. Their plots […]

Is reincarnation taught in the Bible as my Hindu friends claim, using Matthew 11:14?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I live in India where 80% are Hindus and believe in reincarnation. I don’t believe in it but yesterday I checked out a website that has testimonies regarding Near to Death experiences. Some of them have seen Jesus after their death and he told them either to go back or reincarnate to a new […]

Can you respond to an article I had to read in a class which claimed that there is no biblical sexual norm?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Practical Christianity, Q & A, Science and the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I have a question on an article pertaining to homosexuality. I was wondering if you could take a look at this article I had to read for a class. I would love to know your thoughts on it as it is an argument I have never heard before and would love to be informed […]

John 20:23 appears to give the ability to forgive sins to Christians. How do you explain this?

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

Question: I would appreciate clarification from you on how John 20:23 gives authority for Christians to forgive sins. At first glance, it would appear to contravene the teaching in the rest of the Bible that only God can forgive sins. John 20:23 – If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do […]

Is it possible for “soft tissue” to be preserved for many millions of years inside dinosaur fossils as has been reported in science journals?

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

Question: I have a question about reports in recent years (in technical, and in consumer oriented publications) of proteins, hemoglobin, collagen and various soft-tissue samples being found in various dinosaur fossils. Are these kinds of compounds able to survive for millions of years within a fossil? Seems counter-intuitive…. I have long been satisfied the earth […]

Did Paul kill any of the Christians he persecuted?

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

Question: Did Saul /Paul ever kill anyone when he was in pursuit of Christians or did he just have them jailed before his conversion? Answer: To be honest, I am not sure why it would matter whether he did or did not actually kill any individuals. What I can say for sure is that he […]

How can an Arminian understand 1 Peter 2:8 which mentions people being predestined for destruction?

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

[Editor’s note: An “Arminian” is one who accepts the proposal of Jacob Arminius who taught free will in the face of the accepted double predestination of John Calvin and most Protestants in the 16th century. Calvinism has all humans predestined by God–some pre-selected by God for salvation and others predestined for hell.] Question: A verse […]

What is the evidence that Jesus was a real person and that his story was not fabricated?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, History, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: Jesus is the pillar of Christian faith, I want to know, what are some evidences that show that he existed and not just fabricated? Answer: It has been argued that hardly anyone in the ancient world is more well attested to than Jesus of Nazareth. Within one hundred years of his life, at least […]

Is the claim by Matthew in Mat 2:23 that there was a prophecy that Jesus would be from Nazareth true?

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

Question: Sir, in Matthew 2:23 its written that Joseph was told in a dream to go to Galilee and live in the town of Nazareth just as the prophets said that He will be called a Nazarene. I have heard that this is clear evidence of an error in the New Testament. Can you give […]

How do I convince someone that gambling is unchristian?

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

Question: How do you convince someone that gambling and casino games are not part of a christian life?…Even if it is done occasionally. Any bible verses that is related to this? Answer: The Bible does not ever put gambling in a list of sins. I believe that allowing yourself to become addicted to gambling […]

Does 1 Corinthians 11:28-30 mean that people today will become sick or die if they eat the communion unworthily?

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

Question: I have been reading a lot on Lord’s supper lately and I’m having a hard time understanding this passage: 1 Corinthians 11: 28-30 “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink […]

Why does John have different materials than the synoptic gospels? Does this show that John made things up as my college professor claims?

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

Question: My question would refer to the harmonization of theme and chronology. I’ve seen that modern liberal scholarship takes aim at disproving the reliance of the gospels by picking these things apart. My teacher will make points about the same stories being at different times in different gospels with different details (albeit small details). He […]

Does the Greek word translated “for” in Acts 2:38 mean “because of”?

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

Question: I have a question for you! I have thoroughly studied out baptism and the significance of the saving act for a believer. I also have examined every article on baptism on your website. I was at a recent baptism of a friend. I posted a picture on social media, saying we baptized my friend […]

Is it true that Luke 22:43-44 about sweat like drops of blood was not in the original Book of Luke?

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

Question: My teacher just told us that the verse in Luke where Jesus sweats blood was not in the original text and is a textual issue. Have you heard this argument before? Answer: It is true that Luke 22:43-44 is not included in the majority of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of Luke. This […]

Why is the cleansing of the temple by Jesus at the beginning of his ministry in John but at the end in the synoptic gospels?

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

Question: Why is the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of John and at the end of the Synoptics? What were John’s motivations for placing it earlier? Also: How do you harmonize the different gospel accounts amidst editing and audience? I’m taking a class that is picking the gospels apart and I would like […]

What is the practical meaning of “calling on the name of the Lord” in Acts 2:21?

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

Question: I wanted to see if you could please help me with Acts 2:21 “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I am studying with a friend who believes in Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31 and Acts 2:21 to be saved. It is my understanding that in the first century […]

Is Hell Real?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Practical Christianity, Q & A, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Hell: is it a real place? There’s so much material out there about the nature of hell and many Christians misinterpret the meaning, some even saying hell is not real. What did Jesus historically teach about it? Answer: What I can say for sure is that the Bible describes hell as a real place. […]

Does God know everything before it happens, including the choices we will make?

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

Question: My inlaws and I had a talk last night about “Does God know everything before it happens?” – Dad is a science teacher. He believes in God but says God probably doesn’t care about what we had for lunch or know in advance what choices we make. Your thoughts on an omniscient God? Answer: […]

Is taking the Lord’s Supper connected with salvation?

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

Question: I was talking to a member of a church with different beliefs on salvation from mine, and she gave reasonable and biblical evidence for why communion is the way to salvation. She used John 6:53-58 as the basis for her belief, saying that the only way to have eternal life is to take part […]

How can I help a person spiritually who comes from “The Way”?

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

Question: Are you famliar with a church called “The Way?” I looked them up online… http://theway.org/index.php?page=home&lang=en I have a friend coming to my church who grew up as part of The Way church – her parents were in the ministry. As I understand it, The Way does not believe in the trinity. They believe Jesus is not God… […]

Is my Muslim friends claim true–that the Qu’ran is perfect but the Bible is corrupt?

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

Question: I recently received an email response from the Muslim: Khalid Choudhary. Here is what he said to me: We do have the original manuscripts of the Quran. Our Prophet’s companions gave those manuscripts a book form. Since we have only one Quran all over the world, that’s enough proof in itself of the original […]