General – Page 5 – Evidence for Christianity

Could the supposed vision of Paul on the road to Damascus be the result of Paul having epilepsy?

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

Question: 1) The article ‘St Paul converted by epileptic fit, suggests BBC’ By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent and Jonathan Wynne-Jones https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1427916/St-Paul-converted-by-epileptic-fit-suggests-BBC.html?fb states ‘ ‘A documentary about St Paul has infuriated Christians by suggesting that the apostle’s conversion on the road to Damascus may have been caused by an epileptic fit’How would you respond to this claim?2) […]

Does the Old Testament include anonymous prophecies, as a Muslim critic claims?

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

Question: I asked on chabad.org this: How did Rabbis know that Isaiah 8:19-20 belongs to Beeri and Micah 3:12 to Uriah? Are there any other instances of anonymous prophecies in prophetic books? I got the following answer: “I could not find any other examples. There may be more, but I don’t know them and have […]

A Muslim says that according to Midrash (Levit. Rabba 15) Isaiah 8:19-20 is actually written by Hosea’s father Beeri. This proves that Isaiah is not the pure words of the prophet. Your response?

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

Question: According to Midrash (Levit. Rabba 15), Hosea’s father, Beeri, was also a prophet, and fragments of his prophecies are preserved in Isa. 8:19-20. It means that works ascribed to well-known Prophets include anonymous portions. On the other hand, Megillah 15a says: when the name of a Prophet’s father is recorded, the latter, too, probably […]

My Muslim friend says there is no evidence from the first century that Christians believed Jesus is God. Is this true?

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

Question: A Muslim friend proposed this to me: I have seen this “issue” before and I haven’t done a proper investigation into it. He said there’s no evidence to support Jesus’ divinity in the first century. I believe (although I am yet to see) that there is evidence of early Christians in first century honoring […]

Was Jesus ever born again? If not, how do you justify this with John 3:3 which says no one enters the Kingdom who has not been born again? What is circumcision of the heart?

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

Question: How would you respond to someone who asked whether Jesus was born again? If He wasn’t, what about His statement, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3)? What does it mean to be born again? And what is “circumcision of the […]

There are many biblical prophecies of the Messiah which do not fit Jesus. Your response?

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

[Editor’s note: This is a series of challenges from a Muslim regarding Jesus to be the fulfillment of Old Testament messianic prophecies. My answers are interspersed among the questioner’s examples in italics] Claim: There are many biblical prophecies which do not fit into Jesus, for e.g. Response: Whether Jesus fulfilled all potential messianic prophecies is […]

I heard that Judaism was formed from a Canaanite god named Yaweh. Is this true?

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

Question: How did Judaism form? I saw from Wikipedia that it formed from one of the Canaanite god’s called Yahweh? Is this true? I am skeptical of this notion. Answer: It is hard to prove unambiguously the path by which what we call Judaism was formed. The biblical evidence is that there were at least […]

Why did a loving and powerful God create predators? All answers I have heard are nonsense!

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

Question: “Why did loving God create predators”? I heard many answers but all are non-sense! The most famous 2 answers are: 1- Predators are important for the ecosystem. The problem is that God is the one who created this ecosystem. He could create an ecosystem that doesn’t need predation. He could decrease fertility rate of […]

What does it mean that Jesus is God’s only begotten son?

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

Question: What does it mean that Jesus is God’s only begotten son? Answer: The Bible does not call Jesus the “only begotten Son.” Not exactly. The Greek word which is translated in the KJV as “only begotten” is the word monogenes. The word monogenes means unique one or the one and only one. It is […]

If Isaiah is such a great prophet, why do we know nothing of his personal life and character? Obadiah, Joel and Nahum as well.

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

Question: If Isaiah was the greatest prophet in Israelite history from David to the exile, why are his character and personal life not known to us? Same with Obadiah, Joel, Nahum who are obscure figures. Answer: I can tell you have been hearing from Muslim critics, as this is the latest “fad” criticism of the […]

What does Romans 10:9 mean? Should we take it literally?

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

Question: Could you explain what Romans 10:9 means? Obviously we can’t interpreted it in isolation or literally. There are many discussions and opinions on this verse. Answer: Whether we take Paul “literally” here or not depends on your definition of literally. Clearly, anyone–even a total heathen–can say the words “Jesus is Lord.” Simply mouthing the […]

The theology of the prophets before the exile had no place for blood sacrifice and no atonement. Why, then, did blood sacrifice become necessary later, after Ezra?

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

Question: The theology of the Prophets before the exile had no place for the priestly blood sacrifice system. There was no atonement. The law of forgiveness worked directly and without any ritual. If Abraham, Moses, David, etc. were saved without sacrifice, it is hard to understand how blood sacrifice became necessary for salvation from the […]

Does Origen deny Jesus is a carpenter based on a textual variant of Mark 6:3?

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

Question: I want to ask you, sir, regarding the textual variation of Mark 6:3. Some early manuscripts said son of carpenter. Between “carpenter” or “son of carpenter”? This one was cited by a quote in Origen works (184-253), Against Celsus (248 AD), where Origen claimed that none of the Gospel on the current church said […]

Is the penalty for all sins equal? What about Matthew 10:15?

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

Question: Is the penalty to every sin equal? If yes then why is it written in Matthew 10:15 that “truly I tell you it will be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town”. So does it mean that the penalty of sin for that […]

A Muslim web site claims that only 50% of the New Testament is reliable. Your response? What about their evidence for the Qur’an?

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

Question: Sir, can you view this article: http://mquran.org/content/view/9181/16/ This comes from an anonymous Muslim apologist website written in 2006. He said that the New Testament is unreliable and the 99,5% number that Christian apologists used in their argument are not valid. He claimed that apologists just cite other apologists and only 50% of the gospel are […]

How do you explain content in the Bible by editors, superscriptions and even updates, if these books are inspired? What about books which do not even have a named author?

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

[Editor’s note: In this one the questions are interspersed, in italics, between the four questions] Questions: I have some points to discuss: 1. The Major and Minor Prophets of the Bible contain a significant amount of data from other persons, namely, editors and others whose words were added without acknowledgement. Those additions include materials such […]

The NT story of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple is an obvious fabrication. The story of Jesus’ reception entering Jerusalem and a few days later the crowd totally rejects him is also a contradiction.

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

Question: The NT authors fabricated stories about Jesus for e.g. (1) Overturning of the tables in the temple & chasing out the money changers (John 2:13-16); Were the gospel writers unaware of the sizeable temple police and Roman guards who were permanently stationed at the temple? Were the temple police & Roman guards unable to […]

Are Christians to love everyone, even a false prophet or an antichrist?

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

Question: 1) Are Christians supposed to love everyone? Are Christians supposed to love the following: a) false prophets in general b) the false prophet mentioned in the book of Revelation c) the antichrist mentioned in the book of Revelation d) Satan 2) Does God love (or hate) a) false prophets b) the false prophet mentioned […]

If it is inappropriate for a Christian to call a person a “dog,” why did Paul do this?

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

Question: Paul said ‘Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.’ (Philippians 3:2) Why did Paul call his opponents here dogs? What is meant by dogs here? How should we understand the meaning here? Also, how would you explain to someone why it was appropriate […]

Does the word almah in Isaiah 7:14, which means young woman, not virgin, imply that this is a messianic prophecy?

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

Question: I am Christian, but am also a very skeptical person. I always challenge what I believe for the sake of truth and if it is truth it will stand. I would like to ask about Isiah 7:14. There is a lot of discussion about the use of the word “almah“. Does it imply virginity […]

Paul admitted he is a liar in 1 Cor 9:19-22 and in 2 Cor 12:16. Your response?

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

Question: Paul admitted that he’s a liar in 1 Cor. 9:19-22 for luring the Jews. He further testified that he’s a liar in 2 Cor. 12:16 where he used the word “trickery” (dolos in Greek), mainly used in bad sense. What’s the Christian response? Answer: This is a rather blatant misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:19-22. […]

What is the biblical meaning of Messiah or Christ? Why is Jesus called Son of God? Why is he called

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

Editor’s note: In this Q & A, I am interspersing the answers in italics among the four questions. 1) What does it mean to say Jesus is the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’? What are some good Bible verses that show the meaning of the word ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’ when applied to Jesus? The Hebrew word for […]

Is the covenant with Abraham everlasting? If so, why do Christians not practice circumcision?

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

Question: What is the Abrahamic covenant mentioned in Genesis 17:7, 17:13 and 17:19? What aspect of the Abrahamic covenant is everlasting? Why don’t Christians practice circumcision if the Abrahamic covenant is everlasting? Answer: I wish that this was a simple question with a simple answer. One difficulty here is that the Jewish concept of the […]

How should a Christian respond to the Muslim criticism that Ezekiel 23 uses pornographic language?

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

Question: How should we understand Ezekiel 23? How should we respond to a Muslim who states that this passage is pornographic (especially Ezekiel 23:19-21) and uses pornographic language? How should we respond to a Muslim if he challenges us to read this passage in a sermon or in front of a child? Are all parts […]

Should Christians pray the imprecatory Psalms?

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

Question: Should Christians pray the imprecatory Psalms? [Editor’s note: The imprecatory Psalms are ones in which the Psalmist, usually David, calls on God to judge or to defeat his enemies. For example, look at Psalm 69 or 109.] Answer: Christians will have a range of responses to this. I believe that what we pray is […]

Does God have unconditional love toward those who have been saved? If he does, does this mean that we cannot lose our salvation?

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

Question: I hope you can give me helpful answers for my questions. Is salvation unconditional love? What is God’s love like after baptism? Is it unconditional love? Do I still have obligations after baptism? Is it true that God will not love me if I don’t fulfill my obligations or if I do not grow? […]

The Qur’an says the same thing as the Jewish prophets in many cases. What is the Christian response to this criticism?

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

Question: The Koran says the same things that God said to the Jews which the Major and Minor Prophets proclaimed. For e.g. 1) Hearts hardened (compare Quran 2:74 with Ezek. 3:7, Zech. 7:12) 2) Be Kind to orphans & don’t shed each other’s blood (compare Quran 2:83-84 with Isa. 1:17, 59:7) What is the Christian’s […]

When did the apostles come to believe that Jesus is God? Did they believe it before he was resurrected?

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

Question: 1. When Peter said about Jesus “You are the son of the living God” what did he mean? Did the disciples know about the trinity at that time? 2. When did the disciples firmly believe Jesus was God? Might the disciples have held a basic understanding of Jesus as a God but not confirmed […]

Is there any solid evidence that the prophecy in Isaiah 53 predates Christ?

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

Question: Is there any proof of Isaiah 53 predating Christ? I’ve heard carbon 14 testing for the Isaiah Scroll could be inaccurate as the parchment could be reused and paleographic dating might be unreliable. David: There is a boat load of evidence for the Book of Isaiah predating Christ. Perhaps the most obvious is the […]

What writings should be considered God’s word? Revelation only comes from an angel, so the Quran and Hadith are God’s word, but the Bible is man’s word.

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

Question: What writings should be called God’s word? The words which are literally said by God himself? Muslims claim that the Koran contain God’s words, not the words of Muhammad. His words are separately recorded in Hadith. Christians claim that every word in the Bible is inspired but the fact is: there’s difference between revelation […]

What is an “altar offering?” Is this separate from the offering that Christians make on Sundays? Is it biblical?

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

Question: What is an “altar offering”? Should we give it separately from the usual offering on Sunday? Is it biblical? Answer: I may be wrong, but I am guessing you are referring to Matthew 5:24 in which Jesus is talking to Jewish people. He says to these Jewish people that if they are presenting a […]

Jeremiah 30:8-9 and Ezekiel 34:23-27 talk about a king who will rescue the Jews from those who enslaved them. Jesus obviously did not fulfill this prophecy. Is this made up?

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

Question: Jer. 30:8-9 and Ezek. 34:23-27 clearly speaks about a king who will rescue the Jews from the hands of those who enslaved them. Obviously, Jesus did not fulfill these prophecies. Are these prophecies are made-up? Response: You say that Jesus “obviously” did not fulfill these prophecies. Forgive me, but this is not obvious at […]

The Old Testament prophesies a king from David’s descendants to deliver them, but Jesus was not such a king. This proves the visions are false. Response?

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

Question: My friend says: During the Babylonian exile, the Jewish scribes created “oracles of glorious future” for comforting the Jews that a king from David’s descendants would deliver them from slavery but the truth is: Jesus is not a king according to those so-called oracles. If those visions/oracles had been genuine, then the Jews would […]

A Muslim friend asks that if thousands of followers witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion (which he says was a hoax), why did they not try to save him? Did they have no guts?

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

Questions: My Muslim friend says: The Major and Minor Prophets echoed the words of pagans i.e. God has wife, God has sons & daughters. The New Testament authors followed them and create God’s-Son in the form of Jesus to attract Roman public. Also, if thousands of people witnessed his crucifixion (which is a hoax) and […]

Muslims criticize the Bible for having polytheistic descriptions of God, such as his hands, his hair, his children and even his wife (Hosea 2). How do you respond to this criticism?

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

Question: Muslims says: God does not beget nor he has wife nor he has bodily form but prophetic books contains polytheistic concepts about God for e.g. 1. God has bodily form (Dan. 7:9) 2. God has sons & daughters (Isa. 43:6) 3. God treats Jerusalem/Israel as Wife (Isa. 54:5, Hos. 2:2). What’s your response? Answer: […]

Why does the Bible use polytheistic images of God, for example of him as an old man in Daniel 7:9?

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

Question: Why did the prophets use polytheistic description of God. For e.g. Daniel described God as old man (Dan. 7:9) which might be borrowed by appearance of Greek God Zeus? Answer: Please forgive me, but I got a bit of a laugh from this question. You are misunderstanding Daniel 7:9 (and Revelation 1:14). The whiteness […]

What are reasonable dates for the authorship of the Aramaic and Hebrew sections of Daniel?

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

Question: I’ve written questions to you before about Jeremiah. I’m now studying Daniel and have found questions regarding the language. Daniel is written in Aramaic and Hebrew. There are different arguments about the Aramaic. Some say it is quite young – 300BC and later. Others claim it is much older. The Hebrew I think is […]

Why are the words and thoughts of humans included in God’s word along with “thus says the Lord”?

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

Question: Why do writers of the Bible blend God’s words i.e. “thus says the Lord” with human words such as speeches and human histories? Answer: A good question. The Bible has several different genres of literature, depending on what God is trying to accomplish. Sometimes he wants to simply speak to us directly. Then he […]

How do you respond to the argument that, ultimately, Christian salvation is based on deeds, not grace?

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

Questions: 1. How do you respond to the argument that even Christianity is ultimately deed-based? In other words, even if we believed Jesus Christ, got baptized, a believer must keep his moral character and should maintain the discipline in order to inherit the eternal life in heaven. Even if someone believed in Jesus Christ and […]

An [Muslim] author at a web site I was searching said that several entire books have been removed from the Bible. What is your response?

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

Question: This person claims that there have been entire books removed from the bible. https://quranicwarners.org/gospel They all seem legitimate. What’s your opinion? Answer: It is hard to know exactly how to respond to this article, because the author is not specific as to which “entire books” were removed from the Bible. If he does not specify […]

Is it a sin in Christianity to not keep the Sabbath? If not, then why do we have to keep others of the Ten Commandments?

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

Question: Biblically, is it a sin to not remember and keep the 7th day Sabbath set apart? If not, then why would the remaining commandments still be binding for believers in Messiah such as: you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not bear false witnes, etc. For example in Revelation 21 […]

I have heard apologists say that the oldest manuscript of the Odyssey of Homer is from 2200 years after the original. Is that true?

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

Question: I have heard apologists say that the oldest manuscript of the Odyssey of Homer is from 2200 years after it was written. I am preparing to teach a class on the reliability of the Bible in which I want to make the point that the biblical manuscripts are more reliable than any other famous […]

What will be my fate if I die without being baptized?

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

Question: What will be my fate if I die without being baptized? Paul says in Acts 16:31 believe in Lord Jesus you and your household and you will be saved. But if we die without being baptized despite believing in Jesus will we not enter heaven? Jesus came down to die for our sins and […]

If baptism is for forgiving sin, why was Jesus baptized? Is baptism necessary for entering the kingdom of God? Why was Paul thankful that he did not baptize many?

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

Question: I have questions related to baptism that are always making me question my faith. Is baptism necessary for entering the kingdom of God?Many say the answer is yes based on what Jesus said in John 3:5. What happens to people who sin even after baptism? Will they be forgiven? And if Jesus was sinless […]

If the Levites were in the Northern Kingdom, who were the priests who ministered at the Temple in Jerusalem? in Judah after the Northern Kingdom was destroyed?

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

Question During the period of the divided Kingdom of Israel, who were the priests who administered the Temple in Judah? I understand that the tribe of Levite was part of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Thank you. Answer: If you look in the Book of Joshua, you will see that the Levites were not given […]

Is there any archaeological evidence that verifies the death of 185,000 Assyrian troops at Jerusalem in 2 Kings 19?

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

Question: Is there any archaeological evidence verifying the event of an angel killed 185,000 Assyrian troops, which was written in 2 kings 19? I think a mass discovery of 185,000 dead bodies would be overwhelming. Answer: The answer is yes and no. Let me explain. The specific thing you are looking for has not been […]

Why should we pray when God already knows what we want and what we need? Why did he test Job if he already knew he was faithful?

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

Question: Why should we pray to God when he knows what we need and if he answers in his time and in his way? Also, if God is an all-knowing God he would definitely know that Job would not lose his faith in him. Then why did he allow Job to be tested? Answer: We […]

Is a Christian religious exemption from taking the Coronavirus vaccine justifiable?

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

Recently, a friend who is a minister in a Christian church was approached by a few members of his church to sign a request for a religious exemption from getting the vaccination for the Coronavirus. He asked me to express my opinion about whether he ought to grant such a request. Below is an edited […]

Jesus said “I live because of the Father.” What does that mean? If Jesus “proceeds” from the Father, how can he be self-existing?

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

[Note: This is a series of three questions, all on a related topic. The answers are interspersed between the questions.] Question: I want to ask you about John 6:57. What do you think Jesus meant by the words “I live because of Father.” ? Answer: This is an interesting question. To be honest, I had […]

How can I be sure of life after death when we don’t see it, nor do we have people who return and tell us it is true?

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

Question: How can I be sure of life after death when we don’t see it nor we don’t have people who return and tell. So is life after death only a fanciful creation of believers for sake of not being afraid of death or is it for sure that it exists? Besides, Stephen Hawking said […]