General – Page 54 – Evidence for Christianity

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 […]

A Muslim friend told me the original NT word for cross meant stick, and that the meaning changed over time. Is that true?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: I was talking to a Muslim and he told me that the word that was used in the original Hebrew New Testament for the cross actually meant Stick and that the word has changes over time to mean cross, is this true? Also I am readibng your book “Reasons for Belief.” It is very […]

How did we get light on the first day when the sun was not created until the fourth ?

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

Question: How did we get light on the first day when the sun was not created until the fourth ? Answer: I have studied current theories of the early earth and its atmosphere. As far as I understand it, the early earth most likely had much higher quantities of sufur dioxide, methane, ammonia and so […]

Who added Mark 16:9-20 to the Bible? Did the NT writers make up the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey so they could claim he is the Messiah? (etc.)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Philosophy .

Questions (there are several here): Let us take the final 11 verses of Mark for which the earliest evidence is non-existent. Why and by whom were they later added? Why was Jesus described as riding on a donkey? Because the writer knew it would be seen as the fulfilment of OT prophecy and would therefore […]

How can you disprove Mormonism? Why are there so many different versions of the Bible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Versions of the Bible .

How can you disprove Mormonism? I am currently a Mormon now. Also, why are there so many diffrent versions of the Bible? I have produced a fair amount of material on Mormonism at the web site. One can consider the validity of this religion from two main perspectives. First of all, are the teachings of […]

Isn't the gospel writers claims about what Jesus did just "spin?" (i.e. the gospels are unreliable accounts)

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

Question The earliest Gospel was written c. 70 AD. We have only purported reports of what Jesus said – see for example Geza Vermes ” The Authentic Gospel of Jesus” or further ” The Jesus Mysteries” by Freke & Gandy. Even evangelical writers such as Mark Stibbe talk of “redactors” and “interpretations.” The claims you […]

Could Daniel 12:11 be a prophecy about the building of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem?

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

Question: I was looking on the internet and i saw some intresting books in PDF form at this website, http://www.ellisskolfield.com/downloadable-books.shtml, they are intersting but I would like to know what you think of them. Answer: This person’s arguments work as long as he is only talking with people who already agree with him and who […]

Did Domitian help to subdue Galba, Otho and Vitellius, or was it just Vitellius? Do you have historical sources you can mention?

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

Question: In your section on the 10 horns-the 11th being Domitian, what historical sources can you site that show that Vespesian and/or Domitian subdued Otho and Galba? I have only been able to find sources for Vitellius’s overthrow by armed forces who supported Vespesian. Could the three who were subdued actually be ordinal… For example, […]

Why do you say that belief in the historical Adam and Eve is based only on faith, not evidence?

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

Question:Please comment on three quotes I found in your book, “Is There a God?” Page 23. ” If in asking questions about the Bible one is unwilling to reach the conclusion that the Bible is wrong, then it is easy to predict what conclusion will be reached. Page 25.” Belief in Adam and Eve can […]

How does one reconcile the accounts in Matthew and Mark of the demoniac, as one mentions two and the other only one man being possessed?

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

Question: I’m trying to reconcile an apparent discrepancy/contradiction between Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts of the Gerasene demoniac. Matthew says there were two while Mark says there was just one. I’m conviced the Bible is inspired, but it seems strange (to me at least). Wasn’t Matthew an eye-witness? And isn’t Mark’s Gospel Peter’s (another eye-witness) memoires? […]

What is your take on mitochondrial Eve?

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

Question: What is your take on mitochondrial Eve? Answer: My take on “mitochondrial Eve,” is that there is evidence that all human beings are related by direct descent to a single female progenitor from about (this is not my area of expertise) 20 or 30,000 years ago. The fact which forms the basis of this […]

Doesn't denying macroevolution fly in the face of the evidence? Could Dawkins and others be deceived?

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

Question: Does the denial of macro-evolutionary theory fly in the face of decades of evidence & research? Isn’t the idea of ‘theory’, in regards to macro-evolution, really a fact on balance of probabilities (considering paleontological discoveries)? Is it incredibly simplistic & naive to say that people like Richard Dawkins (who wrote ‘The Selfish Gene’ & […]

My college religion professor says the Jews were originally polytheists. Is this true, or is it a biased interpretation?

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

Question: I am currently a college student and have taken several religion courses. Often I find information that bothers me. One is that it is often very biased due to the teacher. What has been bothering me recently is some information that has been presented to us, and claimed as “factual.” It is said that […]

Could the Islamic idea of the messiah/perfect one who will return to lead an Islamic world be the antichrist?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in End Times, General .

Question: Some Muslims believe that soon everyone in the world will be Islamic, and this will be started by the return of the perfect one who they regard to be Jesus. Could this supposed Jesus be one of the anti-Christs, who we are warned of repeatedly in the Bible? I was also thinking that maybe […]

If Intelligent design is not strictly scientific, then what about string theory or evolution? Do they have similar problems?

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

Question: I was rereading your article on the ID debate after reading through an interesting article found at the link below http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00002583/ It made me reconsider your statement: “There is no experiment one can even conceive of which can test the design hypothesis. What could one do in a laboratory to test whether a system […]

Are Muslims right that the trinity is not biblical teaching: that the New Testament does not say that Jesus is God?

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

Question: I have a friend who is a Muslim, and as most people know, they believe in only one God. My friend asked me if I thought that Jesus was God and further emphasized that the Bible does not talk about the trinity. He also pointed out that Jesus never refered to himself as God. […]

Is heaven a worldly place as described in the Qur'an. Isn't Muhammad appealing to people's darkest desires?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question: With regard to Islam, it seems the religion shows a worldly image of heaven. This thought came to mind when I looked at your power point on Islam at the web site. I think Muhammad wanted to build on people’s darkest desires in order to make converts, while still trying to keep some kind […]

How do I know the Bible is accurate, and that it was altered and that it is not biased history?

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

Question: I just recently shared my faith with a man who claimed you cannot trust the Bible as it is just a theory. He also holds that history has been altered and that the stories of the New Testament were most likely alteredt. I told him about the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in […]

When did the three wise men came to see the baby Jesus? It seems like it was a few years later–is that right?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I was wondering when the three wise men came to see the baby Jesus? It seems like it was a few years later–is that right? Answer: To begin with, you have noticed what many miss, which is that the wise men did not come to the stable on the night of Jesus? birth. Tradition […]

How can I explain God's justice given that people who commit worse "crimes" receive the same punishment?

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

Question: I have a colleague at work who professes to believe in Christ and yet lives a lifestyle which does not reflect this. During discussions on the issues in the Bible I am repeatedly confronted by the accusation that God cannot be just and still punish people for different crimes in the same way (I […]

Could the earthquakes and famines happening today be evidence that Judgement Day is near?

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

Question: Do you think that it is possible that Judgement Day is near because many of the signs are happening such as earthquakes famines and pestilences? Also, it is now possible to have battles of 200,000,000 men as described in Revelation. Answer: I think it is possible that Judgement Day is near, but I do […]