General – Page 52 – Evidence for Christianity

What is the significance of religious symbols? Should Christians use a cross, and should we be concerned about the power of pagan symbols such as the pentagram?

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

Question: What do you believe is the significance of religious symbols? For example, what is so special about wearing a cross to signify Jesus, since it doesn’t state in the Bible that you should wear one? Also what about other symbols such as the Star of David, the pentagram/upside-down pentagram, inverted cross, freemason compass/square symbol, […]

How can you explain the apparent contradiction between John 19:17 and Matthew 27:32? (who carried the cross?)

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

Question: If you place so much faith on the reliability of the synoptic Gospels and refuse to accept that they are not plain eyewitness statements,how do you account for the blatant contradiction between John 19:17 and Matt. 27:32 ? Answer: Jesus carried the cross-beam. Notice, it said “As they were going out.” Most likely, Jesus […]

You state in your book that comparison of Genesis one with science implies transcendent authorship. What about Genesis two? Doesn't that require faith?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, General Apologetics, Science and the Bible .

Comment: You state in your book Is There a God “Comparison of Genesis one with scientific knowledge implies a transcendent source for the creation story.” Why only limit it it to Genesis one? What about Genesis two? Not so brave there – you have to fall back on faith. There is no strict logical implication […]

Isn't belief in a spiritual dimension to reality a circular argument? Doesn't Ockham's Razor logically argue against spiritual explanation of observed phenomena?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy .

Comment: To take as given that spiritual reality exists is to commit to a path that is self-validating and circular. To believe in the “ghost in the machine” is to add a superfluous hypothesis which adds nothing to the explanation of the observed phenomena; in fact it confuses it unnecessarily, as Ockam’s razor would point […]

What is the definition of spirit?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What is the definition of spirit? Answer: (Note: This is a follow-up to a question about the nature of a soul. To save the reader time, I am pasting my response to that question to the bottom of this answer) It is easier to define soul than spirit for the simple reason that the […]

Isn't Isaiah 9:7 a prophecy of a specific king of the Jews, and not a messianic prophech?

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

Question: About Isaiah 9:7. This is clearly about a real king who would answer all the Jews’ longings for God to deliver them independance and prosperity. It is not a messianic prophecy as you claim in your book From Shadow to Reality. This is perfectly clear from the context. To make it a “prophecy” of […]

How do you know Psalm 16:10-11 is messianic, since David seems to be talking about himself?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: Quoting from page 238 of your book From Shadow to Reality, Psalm 16: 10-11. How can you possibly use this as a “prophecy” of anything? The Psalmist is speaking personally. What principle of hermeneutics authorizes the injection of additional significance? Answer: I do so for at least four reasons. First, there are several examples […]

Ezekiel 37:1-11 talks about dry bones. How could this be appliciable to ones life?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: Ezekiel 37:1-11 talks about dry bones. How could this be appliciable to ones life? Answer: The passage you ask about is a prophecy about the return of Israel to the promised land. In order to understand this, you must know the background to the book. The nation of Israel had separated into two states […]

Can "pierced" in Psalm 22:16 be translated as lion, and doesn't this prove this is not a messianic prophecy? Why is this verse so important to believers?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: I have done some studying on Psalm 22, with its supposed prophecy about the Messiah having his hands and feet pierced. I did some more work on this at www.christian-thinktank.com/ps22cheat.html I am happy to accept “pierced” as a possible translation, but think it is questionable as one of the authorities says, “we do not […]

Does the Bible explain homosexuality? Can a faithful Christian be homosexual?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Social Issues .

Question: The Bible doesn’t talk about homosexuality (as to its causes and possible remedy – if there’s any); it simply declares its indignation against it. It even speaks of homosexuality as a punishment from God for those who disobey Him (please refer to Romans – if I understood it right). It is sometimes heart breaking […]

What is the geographic relationship between Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General .

Question: Christ was born in Bethlehem which is a distance from Jerusalem. Assuming Mary the mother of Jesus, when coming from Nazareth passed through Jerusalem, what were the two towns like? Looking at a map of Israel I was very mixed because I thought Nazareth was somewhere closer to Bethlehem, or somehow connected with it. […]

How do we know that the biblical accounts are true; that the gospels are reliable; that the "other gospels" are not inspired?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics .

Question: How do we know that the Biblical accounts are true? How do we know that the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are reliable? How do we know that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God? How do you know that the “other gospels” are not inspired? Answer: This is […]

Mark 16:16 says that signs would accompany those who believe and John says that we can do greater work then Jesus Christ. What are these greater works?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: Mark 16:16 says that signs would accompany those who believe and John says that we can do greater work then Jesus Christ. What are these greater works? Answer: Although I can certainly see how one might make the connection, I would be cautious about using Mark 16:16 to interpret John 14:12. Let me start […]

How do you reconcile: 1) Gen.23:2 with Joshua 14: 13 – 15 and 2) Gen. 14:14 with Judges 18:29?

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

Question: How do you reconcile: 1) Gen.23:2 with Joshua 14: 13 – 15 and 2) Gen. 14:14 with Judges 18:29? Answer: I am having trouble finding the potential contradiction in the first two. This may be because of the translation I have in front of me. I have Gen 23:2 “She died in Kiriath Arba […]

Is a person who was immoral before becoming a Christian morally "married" to the person with whom they had sex? Can they marry after becoming a Christian?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Social Issues, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Here is a situation that I have come up against just lately, and would like your opinion. I listened to a CD by David Bercot, author of “Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up?,” about the stance of the early Christians on divorce and remarriage. He states pretty clearly that it was the original […]

What are the properties of a soul?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What are the properties of a soul? Answer: As a scientist I cannot define the word soul. As far as I know, the soul has no physical reality. Rather, it has a spiritual reality; not subject to experiment. It is ontolological, metaphysical. I will freely admit that my belief in a soul rests principally […]

Who were the books of the new Testament written by and what was the relationship of these authors to Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: Who were the books of the new Testament written by and what was the relationship of these authors to Jesus? Answer: In some cases, it is hard to prove who wrote which books. Many of the letters of Paul were “signed” by him, making it fairly certain, but even this is not proof. Some […]

Can discoveries of self-replicating molecules explain how life began on the earth? Can supercomputers calculate the probability?

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

Question: Answer: I do try to keep up as much as possible with the new discoveries in evolutionary/molecular biology. I am not sure exactly which aspect of self-replicating molecules you refer to. For example, there are prions, which are the cause of Kreutzfeld-Jacob (mad cow) disease. These molecules are self-replicating, but only within a cell […]

What evidence have you for the existence of a metaphysical soul outside the Bible? Where is the soul located?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What evidence have you for the existence of a metaphysical soul outside the Bible? Where is the soul located? Where absolute proof is unavailable, we should be able to proceed on the basis of the balance of evidence. For example, if a person is standing at a bus stop and a bus comes along […]

Is it possible that the earth is alive and that we are part of a larger living thing? This would make the idea of us being made in God's image different.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I’ve always thought science was the study of God’s creation. If we find that our species is just a part of a living planet, that which was made in His image is a bit bigger than our species. In that case, God’s image is grander than is expressed in humanity-stood-alone, but more like humanity-in-and-of-nature. […]

How should I balance investigating evidence of things such as the alleged contridictions in the Bible with putting faith in the Bible being true? Should I be cautious about what I read and study?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics .

Question: I have recently begun studying the evidence supporting Christianity and the alleged contradictions in the Bible and all that stuff… [my brain hurts ] I was wondering if you have any tips for me in my ‘journey’ of intense study into Christianity, or provide cautions to stop me from making mistakes (see below). […]

Is the statement in 1 Corinthians that women should wear a covering when praying literal? Does this mean that Christian women today should wear a covering when they pray?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: In 1 Corinthians11 it says that women should cover their head when they pray; is that a literal term? Does this mean that women must cover their head when we pray? Answer: Yes…. and No…. What I mean is yes, Paul is talking about a literal head covering in 1 Corinthians 11:5,6, but no, […]

Do people come to know God by their own effort or because God is reaching out and leading them to him? (also, what about the gospel of Judas?)

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

Question: 1. Would you say it’s true that everyone comes to know God in a different way? (because of their friends, after some sort of catastrophe, etc) Is one way of coming to God as good as another?2. When people come to know God, how much would you say comes frompeople’s own efforts, and how […]

Is it written that the communion should be taken every Sunday or once in a year?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Is it written that the communion should be taken every Sunday or once in a year? Answer: The answer to this question is simple. It is not written how often the church should share the communion. For this reason, we should not be dogmatic about this issue. What we can definitely say is that […]

How do we know that the early church did not tamper with the Bible or make it into what they wanted, rather than God choosing the New Testament writings?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: I have read arguments that the church really shaped the Bible for their own purposes.That is implied by the Da Vinci Code. Some of the people I’ve talked to don’t believe in Jesus because they don’t think the Bible is legitimate, but that Jesus was just a teacher andthat the church turned in him […]

Are Satan and the Devil two different persons? Also, how do you explain Catholic miracles such as stigmata, statues crying holy oil and so forth?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Miracles, Other Religions, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I was recently told that the original Hebrew word for Satan, is in fact a different word completely, when compared to the word “devil” which is used in the New Testament. The claim is that Satan, and the devil are actually two different entities. What do we actually know about Satan and the Devil […]

How do you explain the similarities between the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic and the flood account in the Bible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, The Flood .

Question: How do you explain the similarities between the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic and the flood account in the Bible? Answer:There are five logical explanations I can think of for the admittedly striking similarities between the two accounts: 1. It is coincidence. 2. They are both a record of an actual event (even if semi-mythical as […]

Please explain the contradiction between Acts9:7 and 22:9.

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

Question: Please explain the contradiction between Acts9:7 and 22:9. Answer: Acts 9:7 (NIV) “The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” Acts 22:9 (NIV) “My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking ot me.” I do not […]

When did the Hebrews destroy Jericho? Is Kathleen Kenyon right that Jericho was destroyed in 1550 BC, making the date of 1407 BC impossible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General .

Question: What is your view on the widely held belief that the conquering of the Canaanites at Jericho is not supported by the archeological excavations and finds at Jericho? The Israelites were supposed to have entered Jericho in 1407 BC, but many archeologists believe they didn’t enter until 1230-1220 BC. Kathleen Kenyon’s research in 1952-1958 […]

Does the New Testament support opression of women?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Social Issues, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I am currently enrolled in a college course discussing Western Religions. Currently the topic is Christianity. For the most part, the information presented has been bias, and not exactly fair. A recent topic of discussion has been how the religion may be oppressive to woman. Certain scriptures that were pointed out were : Ephesians […]

What is the meaning of Galatians 2:1-2? Was Paul uncertain about the Gospel?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I was reading Gal. 2:1-2 and I was confused about the meaning of “But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain”. I was thinking… can this possibly mean that Paul was insecure about his dotrine/relationship with God? […]

Why is it that Achan's family were all judged when it was only Achan who sinned?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: My question is partly related to the problem of theodicy. In Joshua 7 we see Achan and all his family executed for a sin which only Achan is responsible for. For years i’ve wrestled trying to reconcile this passage in light of clear divine instruction in Deut 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:4,20. I will acknowledge […]

Do Good Friday, Easter Sunday represent the actual date that Jesus was crucified? What is the significance of church on Sundays?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Question: Do Good Friday, Easter Sunday represent the actual date that Jesus was crucified. and what is the significance of Church on Sunday? Answer: Jesus was crucified on a Friday; on the eve of the Passover. He was raised on the day after the Passover, which was a Sunday. The early church began to commemorate […]

Can Satan incite God? (Job 2:1-10)

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

Question: In Job 2:3 it says, “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still mantains his integrity, thought you incited me against him without any reason.’ ” […]

Please help me understand the prophecy about 666. Is it literal? Will some people really get forehead markings?

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

Question: Please help me understand the prophecy about 666. Is it literal? Will some people really get forehead markings? Answer: As far as I know, the only use of the number 666 is in Revelation 13:18. Almost without question this number is to be taken symbolically, not literally. Of course, many have used the actual […]

Who is Melchizedek, the person mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: In Hebrews Chapter 11, who is this Melchizedek? I saw this and I had no idea of who this is. Enlighten me please. Answer: I am going to answer your question, but first I am going to make a recommendation. You need to get your hands on what is known as a concordance. This […]

What is the legitimate relationship between human reasoning and religion/Christianity?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What do you think of human reasoning? What are its boundaries when it comes to religion? Would you say that using reason is the wrong way to approach religion? Would you ever say that human reasoning is inaccurate? I was talking to a pastor and he said that reasoning was biased and it got […]

If the Bible/Christianity is so obviously the truth and the correct religion, why isn't the whole world Christian by now?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics .

Question: If the Bible/Christianity is so obviously the truth and the correct religion, why isn’t the whole world Christian by now? Or, why aren’t there more articles in the newspaper or more things on TV about it? I mean, when the whole thing with DNA was figured out, most people knew within …a few years?? […]

Is it possible people believed in the Bible for a long time because no one questioned the Bible, kind of like how Aristotle was not questioned for so long?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics .

Question: I’m doing my senior project in high school on this topic of whether Jesus was actually the Son of God, and thus everything he said was actually true. I have a few more questions: Is it possible that the Bible lasted for so many years just because no one questioned it? For example, Aristotle’s […]

What is known about The Leningrad Codex of the Prophets?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General .

Question: What is known about The Leningrad Codex of the Prophets? I have only been able to obtain information such as what books of the Bible it contains, when it was written, and who discovered it. If you could send me any additional information I would really appreciate it. Answer: I do not normally do […]

Is there physical or hard evidence for Christ? Or, is it all reasoning?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, History .

Question: Is there physical or hard evidence for Christ? Or, is it all reasoning? Answer: The answer to this question will depend on what you mean by hard, physical evidence. What do you mean by hard, physical evidence? What sort of evidence would this be? How would we judge such date? Are you thinking of […]

I have heard that the Mormons claim that when Jesus died he traveled in the time to preach to long-dead people in the Old Testament. Any comment on this claim?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question; The Mormons claim that when Jesus died he traveled in the time so that he was able to preach to long-dead people in the Old Testament. Any comment on this claim? Secondly what are those sins that do not lead to death? Thirdly, what kind of sins that are unforgiveable? thank you so much.. […]

Was Judas destined to betray Jesus? If so, in what sense is God just in this case?

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

Quesiton: About Judas , it seems that he was destined to betray Jesus? If so, then it seems that God isn’t just. Please correct me if I am wrong. It seems that God caused Judas to betray Jesus so the scriptures would be fulfilled. What do you think about this? Answer: You raise one of […]

What to you say to the claim of a Muslim friend that Deuteronomy 18:15-19 is about Muhammad, not Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions .

Question: A Muslim friend made an outrageous claim to me that in Deuteronomy 18: 15-19 it is speaking of Muhammed and not Jesus. One hole in this claim is that Muhammad was an Arab, not a Jew. (Genesis 22:18). He would be of the house of David (Jeremiah 21:5). What do you think of this? […]

Where can one find the books which are mentioned in 1,2 Samuel and 1,2 Kings, such as the BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, and HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History .

Question: Where can one find the book where the kings in the old testament such as David, Solomon and other prominent leaders were mentioned, such as BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH? Answer: These books have been lost. There were several books used as sources for […]

I heard that the Sphinx's base is eroded by water due to the flood of Noah. Is this true?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, The Flood .

Question: I heard that the Sphinx’s base is eroded by water due to the flood of Noah. Is this true? Also have they found Noahs Ark? Answer: I believe this is an example of a person who is scanning all available information to create a case for the flood. Such people tend to use extremely […]

Please comment on N. F. Gier's claim that the Bible writers believed in a solid "firmament" surrounding the earth.

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

Question: If you feel like a heart attack, go to the University of Idaho website, type N.F.Gier in the search box and then select GRE.It’s a reference to his book ” God Reason and the Evangelicals”. Then select Chapter 13. The point is that Genesis one describes the earth as surrounded by a solid “firmament.” […]

In Matthew 27:65, could the Greek word mean "I have" rather than "You have," which would prove that the guard at Jesus' tomb was Roman?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: I am currently studying the resurrection of Jesus in an apologetic manner and have started looking into the Greek texts. Matthew 27:65 mentions the guard requested by the Jews, I noticed that the word translated as “you have” appears to be “I have” (echo as opposed to the ete ending denoting you plural). Unfortunately […]

Can the two witnesses in Revelation 11 be symbolized by the two olive trees in Zechariah 4? Why do you think Revelation 4 is about Joshua and Zerubbabel? Could the two witnesses be Elijan and Enoch?

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

Question: My question is on your interpretation on the two olive trees on pg 102 of you book “From Shadow to Reality.” You said ” The two who are anointed are a reference to the high priest Joshua and the governor Zerubabbel, both of whom were foreshadows of the anointed one: the Messiah”. I was […]

How can you explain the contradiction in the Genesis story which has the sun and the moon being created on the fourth day, if there was already day and night on the first day of creation?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: How can you explain the seeming contradiction in the Genesis story which has the sun and the moon being created on the fourth day, if there was already day and night on the first day of creation? Isn?t this an example of the Bible being contradicted by science and by common sense? Answer: I […]