General – Page 3 – Evidence for Christianity

Jewish Christianity is the actual Christianity, as Jesus and all the early Christians were Torah-observant. Your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Church History, General, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: Jewish Christianity was the actual Christianity because Jesus was thoroughly Jewish, kept the Torah, and never disciplined [editor: discipled?] the Gentiles. The earliest Christians were all Torah observant Jews and saw Jesus as their Messiah, nothing else. Jewish Christianity, which emphasized keeping the Torah (among other ideas), came into conflict with Greek and Latin […]

Did Alice Whealy prove that the Arabic fragment of Josephus by Agapius was not a translation of the Syriac, and that it does not support the authenticity of Josephus’ testamonium flavianum?

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

Question: Did Alice Whealey prove conclusively that Agapius was translating the Syriac edition not of Josephus, but of Eusebius and did she refute the thesis that the Arabic fragment of the Testimonium supports its authenticity? Answer: I have not read Alice Whealy’s discussion of the Testamonium Flavianum in its entirety. In fact, I have only […]

Why does the Bible include references to lewd things such as nakedness, whoredom and prostitution when the Quran does not?

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

Question: Why is the “God of Israel” fond of using woman’s metaphors, such as Babylon as a humiliated woman whose nakedness shall be uncovered (Isa. 47), Israel as an unfaithful wife who played the whore with many lovers (Jer. 3), Samaria and Jerusalem as two adulterous sisters who played the whore in Egypt (Ezek. 23), […]

Are the practices of Christian mystics, such as theosis and lectio divina biblical and are they OK to do?

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

Question: Is Christian mysticism biblical or is it ok to do? I am thinking of practices such as lectio divina and the theosis, for example. Answer: This is an interesting question. Actually, let me re-word your question if you do not mind. Let me ask two questions. 1. Are some or all of the practices […]

Do you know of any proponents of the Swoon Theory I can read from? What do they say to defend the theory?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Miracles, Q & A, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: Lately I’ve been thinking about the so-called “swoon” theory: the idea that Jesus survived His crucifixion, which you probably already know. I’ve been looking at what apologists are saying about it and have my own thoughts concerning their claims (the best source for apologetical arguments against the swoon theory I’ve currently come across is […]

Six more objections to the reliability of the gospels.

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

Question: Thank you very much, Dr. Oakes. Thank God I found you. There are also 6 more objections I found and was wondering what you think of these: [Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to fourteen previous questions from the same person. The answers are interspersed between the questions.] 15. The historians who supposedly offered […]

Fourteen questions about the reliability of the New Testament answered.

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

Editor’s Note: This is a series of 14 questions, so I disperse my answers after the questions. Most of these criticisms are already refuted elsewhere at the web site, but since this poor unfortunate believer has been assaulted with so many false claims, I am including answers to all of them below. My responses are […]

If Jesus is metaphorically God’s son, and Jews are also called children of God, as well as David called God’s son, then what is the big deal about Jesus being called son of God?

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

Question: If Jesus was God’s son in a metaphorical sense, then Jews also called themselves God’s children. Israel was called God’s firstborn, and David was called God’s son. Thus, the reason of Jesus’ crucifixion depicted in the NT gospels seems baseless. And if Jesus was God’s literal son through spirit, then Adam also had no […]

How do you stand by your beliefs when so many arguments against the Bible are so strong, rational and logical?

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

Question: As an apologist, how do you always stand by your convictions and beliefs, as so often the arguments put forth to refute the Bible are so strong, rational and logical. Also, there is always the confirmation bias that could influence one’s judgement. Thank you. Answer: A very good question. I get literally thousands of […]

Why does the book of Jeremiah have the appearance of being a medley of unconnected and even contradictory material?

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

Question: Why does the book of Jeremiah have the appearance of being a medley of unconnected passages which are sometimes in contradiction to each other for e.g. chapter 37:11-21 and chapter 38 are divergent accounts of one and the same course of events? Answer: Part of your description is a reasonable assessment of Jeremiah, and […]

Christians misinterpret Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12 to justify the false belief that Jesus was crucified. Response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A .

Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to a question in which the person said that Christians have stolen Jesus out of the Old Testament, and taken him completely out of context. I asked for specifics so that I could respond, and this is what came in. Question: Christians specifically misinterpreted Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12 […]

Does Deuteronomy 12:30 mean that Christians are not to study other religions, even in order to do Christian apologetics?

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

Question: Does Deuteronomy 12:30 forbid Christian apologetics toward other religions since we can’t inform ourselves about them? Does the verse apply for learning about other religious practices as a whole or simply forbid taking part in the practices of other religions? Answer: This passage appears to be a command to not even learn about other […]

How would you refute the argument that God is not omnipotent because he is not able to create a rock he cannot lift?

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

Question: How would you refute the “paradox of the stone”? Answer: I assume you are asking me to refute the famous argument against the omnipotence of the God of the Bible. Christians claim that God is omnipotent. Yet, the argument goes, God is clearly not omnipotent, because he is not powerful enough to create a […]

Isaiah 53 is not a prophecy about a future Messiah because it describes the suffering servant in the past tense. Response?

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

Question: The NT authors thought that Isaiah was describing the crucifixion of Jesus for the sins of the world in Isaiah 53, but the fact is Isaiah is not predicting that someone will suffer in the future for other people’s sins at all. Many readers fail to consider the verb tenses in these passages. They […]

Apologist and Islamic scholar Jay Smith debunks Muhammad, the Qu’ran and the Standard Islamic Narrative

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Articles, Church History, General, Other Religions, Other Religions, PowerPoints, Q & A .

We do not normally repost the work of others at this web site, but in this case we are making an exception. In a recent youtube post, Islamic scholar and apologist Jay Smith gives a presentation in which he challenges nearly every assumption on which the entire religion of Islam is founded. He questions virtually […]

Doesn’t the statement about Cyrus in Isaiah 44:28 force the Daniel 9:25 clock to start at Ezra 1:2, so that the Messiah must come to Jerusalem around 50 BC?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History, Q & A .

Question: Doesn’t Isaiah 44:28 force the Daniel 9:25 clock to begin at the same time as Erza 1:2? This would makeg the clock wrong as it ends in the mid-50s BC or around there? Answer: Good question. I can see why someone might wonder about this. In the Isaiah 44 passage we are told of […]

What is the evidence that the very early church believed in the virgin birth of Mary?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Editor’s Note: The list of questions is long enough that I have interspersed the questions and the answers. Questions and Answers: 1. Are there any early church fathers preferably from 1st mid-century to the 2nd century who discussed the virgin birth of Jesus in their letters or literature? Yes, definitely. Ignatius in his Letter to […]

Are there any messianic prophecies in the Torah?

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

Question: Is there any messianic prophecy in Torah? Answer: I assume you are referring to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. If so, then yes, definitely. I suppose some would argue that there is a greater proportion of messianic prophecies in the Psalms and the Prophets, but there are plenty of messianic prophecies […]

Muslims say that Christians and Jews are only commanded to worship God and to pray, but Isaiah and Jeremiah exclude such commandments. Response?

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

Question: Muslims say that Jews & Christians were commanded only to worship God and to practice regular prayer but Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others excluded such commandments. What’s your response? Answer: First of all, I cannot speak for Muslims, but Christians teach a LOT more than just worshipping God and practicing regular prayer. It also teaches […]

What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean (the eye is the lamp of the body…)

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

Question: What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean? Answer: By coincidence, I just preached on this passage two weeks ago. If we look at the context of the passage, both before and after the verse, the subject is the kingdom of God. Before the passage we are told that we must put our treasures in heaven. After […]

Muslims say that the Old Testament prophets only preached the oneness of God and did not predict God would have a son. Response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Miracles, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: Muslims say that the prophets preached the oneness of God only. They never predicted God’s son to be born. Christians don’t worship God instead they worship Jesus. They pray to Jesus instead of God. What’s your response? Response: If this is what Muslims say then they are just plain wrong. They are mistaken. In […]

Why can’t Christians prove that the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Jonah are the exact words of those prophets?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Why can’t Jews/Christians prove that the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc. are the amalgamation of exact words of the prophets? Jonah is surely not written by Jonah as it is a historical narrative. Your response? Answer: It is the nature of ancient documents that no one can ever “prove” the provenance of any […]

What percentage of the New Testament Greek text can be reproduced from early church father quotations?

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

Question: Up to what percentage can we reconstruct the New Testament text/ content from early church fathers’ quotations/citations? And I want to know from when in the church’s history did believers start using NT scriptures as a base to preach the Gospel as we do now in our churches. When did Christians start having serious […]

If the Old Testament is “old and fading, and will soon disappear” then how do we apply it to our lives as believers?

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

Question: Hello Dr. Oakes. Hopefully all is well! My question today is regarding the entire Old Testament. Just as a disclaimer I absolutely believe that there are no contradictions in the Bible and believe that anyone who disagrees is simply being intellectually dishonest with Scripture and its context or simply is unaware of the context. In […]

Your refutation of claims that the story of Jesus was plagiarized is drivel and beyond ridiculous.

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

Question: I just read your refutation of Jesus being plagiarized off of previous Mediterranean deities and I must say you cannot believe your own drivel. To argue that it couldn’t be plagiarized because only portions of the stories are similar is beyond ridiculous. I have several questions for you: 1) Was Jesus the first deity born […]

How can we be sure that the current books of the Major & Minor Prophets are actual words of the Hebrew Prophets?

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

Question: How can we be sure that the current books of the Major & Minor Prophets are actual words of the Hebrew Prophets? Christians interpret predictions of Israel’s glorious future fulfilled in the Church, but it’s their interpretation because prophets apparently never meant that. Jews are still looking for fulfilment of the glorious future predictions. […]

Why did Hosea, Isaiah, Micah and Ezekiel have disreputable characters and use unholy language?

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

Question: Why did Hosea (1:2), Isaiah (32:11), Micah (1:8), and Ezekiel (23:21) possess disreputable characters and use unholy language to their listeners? Answer: Neither Hosea, nor Isaiah, nor Micah or Ezekiel ever had “disreputable characters.” Nor did they ever use unholy language!!! This is an absolutely unjustified charge, and anyone saying this either is being […]

The incest story of Lot and his daughters is borrowed from a Zoroastrian source regarding Jam and Jamag. Your response?

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

Question: The incest story of Lot and his daughters has been borrowed from Zoroastrian traditions of the incest performed between Jam and Jamag, who were brother and sister. Jamag took advantage of the intoxicated state of her brother and had sex with him. What’s your response? Answer: My response is that this is so obviously […]

Do discoveries related to the Talpiot tomb and the James Ossuary impact on the Christian belief that Jesus was resurrected?

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

Question: Does this study in your opinion pose a serious challenge to the resurrection? I remember reading about the Talpiot tomb and how it was discredited by the majority of scholars both Christian and non Christian. In 2019 James Tabor posted a link to a more recent study saying that the soil of the James […]

Is an infant or a person with significant mental disability able to go to heaven or will they go to hell?

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

Question: If someone at birth is unable to comprehend anything at all or consider special ed will they be able to go to Heaven or Hell, considering they are unable to learn anything? Answer: It has always been my understanding that innocent children, who have not yet sinned, will be in heaven. Innocent people have […]

We have a perfectly preserved Greek text and the KJV is an inspired translation. Your response?

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

[Editor’s note: This exchange is part of a longer discussion in which the questioner believes that there are literally no mistakes in either the Greek text or in the King James translation of that text.] Comments and Questions: I just wanted to thank you for responding so quickly again and wanted to say a few […]

What are your best biblical and historical arguments against the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory?

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

Question: What are your best biblical and historical arguments against the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory? I am interested in hearing both sides and I would like to hear some insight from yourself as I do not believe you believe in Purgatory. Thank you for all you do and God bless. Answer: Honestly, you should […]

If you believe that there are errors in our Greek and Hebrew texts, then how do you explain passages such as Psalm 12:6-7, Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35 and others that say it is perfect?

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

[Editor’s note: The question below is a follow-up from a previous one in which the questioner is quite surprised that a faithful believer would agree that Christians do not have access to a perfect text of the Bible, to which I replied about the textual evidence for the great (but not perfect) reliability of the […]

Is it true that some of the names of Arab tribes in the Old Testament are anachronisms or simply false?

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

Question: In the thread below the author demonstrates that Israel’s idea of the Arabian tribes of the time was contradictory, and based on a 7th century BC understanding on how they worked. I’ll copy paste the comment here, but I implore you to read the entire thread. The question was “Where does the idea that […]

The biblical story of Lot’s daughters getting him drunk and having sex with him is borrowed from the Zoroastrian story of Jam and Jamag. Response?

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

Statement: The incest story of Lot and his daughters is borrowed from Zoroastrian traditions of the incest performed by Jam and Jamag, who were brother and sister. Jamag took advantage of the intoxicated state of her brother and had sex with him. What’s your response? Response: My response is that this is so obviously a […]

Why do Christians hypocritically reject the supposedly inspired Talmud of the Jews?

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

Question: According to Jews, many of the Torah’s laws are entirely meaningless without further elaboration. Therefore, some type of “Talmud” was taught to Moses at Sinai together with the written Torah. This is what we know as the Oral Law. Thus, the wisdom and debates of the Talmud, in all their diverseness and variety, may […]

In Genesis 18:21 God says, “if not, I will know.” Does this refute the idea of God’s omniscience?

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

Question: In Genesis 18:21 towards the ending of the verse, God says “if not, I will know” when concerning the people of Sodom’s sin. Also, in Genesis 18:21 “I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” Does […]

Prophets such as Isaiah added his own fantasies into God’s word, such as Isaiah 45:14 and 60:12, which clearly were never fulfilled.

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

Question: Authors of prophetic books added their fantasies into God’s word for e.g. 1) Gentiles will come over to Israelites in chains and they will bow down before them (Isa. 45:14). David Guzik affirms this in his commentary. 2) A Gentile nation or kingdom that will not serve Israelites will perish and be utterly ruined (Isa. 60:12). […]

How was God created? How long has he existed?

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

Question: How was God created or how long has he existed? What does “I am what I am” mean? Answer: This is one of the classic questions, both of skeptics of Christianity, but also from some believers. It is a response to what is known as the cosmological argument, which goes like this: Premise: All […]

Why do Jews and Christians have no manuscripts from before the exile, and why no copies of the Aramaic gospel from AD 30?

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

Question: My Muslim husband says: Why do Jews & Christians not have Hebrew manuscripts from before the Exile or 600 BCE which could verify that the DSS & Septuagint are exact copies of the original text? Why don’t Christians have the original Aramaic Gospel from 30 CE? Answer: Out of respect for the ancient text and […]

When and with whom was the pact that was made “with many” in Daniel 9:27?

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

Question: I really enjoy the articles on the website. I was reading an article on Daniel at the website, and wanted to bring up a question about it regarding general Titus fulfilling v. 29 of Daniel chapter 9. If indeed it is more likely that it speaks about him, and the information we gather leads […]

If there were 12 tribes, how can one tribe represent all of Israel’s scriptures, when 10 tribes were lost to history. Is the OT the Bible of all the Israelites?

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

Question: There were 12 tribes of Israel, who were given divine scrolls. They were called “Israelites”. Then how can one tribe [Editor’s note: I am assuming the questioner means Judah] represent the whole Israelites and their scriptures when 10 tribes are lost in history and what is the guarantee that the current OT was the […]

The story of the origin of the Septuagint is a fiction. Besides, it was only the first five books, not the whole Old Testament. Your response?

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

Question: The only evidence of the Septuagint translation is the pseudepigraphical letter of Aristeas. It says: “six elders out of every tribe of Israel wrote it.” First, 10 tribes of Israelites had already been lost in history a long time ago, before this time, which shows that this story is fabricated. Second, if they wrote, […]

The four gospels are unreliable because they were written in Greek, but Jesus spoke in Aramaic. Besides, many early Christians denied the crucifixion. Response?

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

Question: My teacher says: The current Gospels are not reliable because they were written in Greek, whereas the language of Jesus and his followers was Aramaic. Christians don’t have manuscripts from 40 AD in Aramaic. Further, when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE, his speech was translated from Roman to Aramaic. It means Greek/Latin was not […]

1 Samuel 15:22 says that God does not take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices. Therefore, the idea of the crucifixion is bogus, as God would not ask Jesus to do this. Response?

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

Question: According to 1 Samuel 15:22, “Samuel said, Does the Lord take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of the Lord? behold, obedience better than a good sacrifice.” Therefore, the whole story of Jesus’ crucifixion is bogus and God didn’t order Jesus to do it. Your response? Answer: This statement is riddles […]

The assembly of the Jews nearly rejected the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ezekiel because they contradicted the Law. They were presented as altered. Your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apocrypha, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: We are told in the Talmud that an assembly of priests were about to reject the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ezekiel because those writings were contradictory to the Law but a certain Rabbi had tried to reconcile them and they were preserved as “canonical”. Those three books are confessedly presented to us as […]

Jesus borrowed from II Esdras 1:30-33, making it inspired Scripture. Your response?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Other Religions, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Jesus was also a borrower who copied text from the book of II Esdras 1:30-33 and presented it as an inspired word. “I gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But now, what shall I do to you? I will cast you out from my presence. When you offer oblations […]

St. Eucharius (3rd century) said that much of the Holy Scriptures were lost when the Chaldeans attacked the Jews. Is this true?

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

Question: St. Eucharius (3rd Century) said: “It is evident why we have not remaining the books which the Holy Scriptures approve of, because Judea having been ravaged by the Chaldeans, and the ancient bibliotheque being burnt. There remaining only a small number of the books which at present make up the Holy Scriptures and which were […]

There is a prophecy about Judas and Jesus in the Ethiopic Bible. Did the Jews remove this from the Old Testament?

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

There is a short prophecy appended to the book of Jeremiah in Ethiopic Bible which August Dillmann translates: A Prophecy of Jeremiah. And Jeremiah spake thus unto Pashur: But ye all your days fight against the truth, with your fathers and your sons that shall come after you. And they shall commit a sin more damnable […]

Adam Clarke (1831) said that the Jews falsified the OT text again and again. Similarly, Chrysostom (4th century) said that the Jews lost some books through carelessness. Comment?

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

Question: Adam Clarke (1831) wrote a commentary on Jeremiah 8:8 that: It is too bold an assertion to say that “the Jews have never falsified the sacred oracles;” they have done it again and again. They have written falsities when they knew they were such. John Chrysostom (4th Century) wrote in his homily on Matthew 2:23 that: The […]