Q & A – Page 43 – Evidence for Christianity

Isn't the evidence from the geology of the Hawaiians Islands proof that the young earth view is wrong? Did God create false evidence to give them over to their unbelief?

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

Question: On the Discovery Channel I saw a show on the subject of Hawaii. The show touched on how the Hawaiian Islands were formed. According to the dominant view among geologists, the crust or plate on which the Hawaiian islands rest, is slowly moving north and each island was formed when the crust or plate below the future island […]

Muhammad fulfills Deuteronomy 18:17-19 and is the prophet who will come, not Jesus. What do you say to this?

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

Question: And the Lord said unto me. They have well spoken that which they have spoken, I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to […]

What do you think about the Gospel of Barnabas? It clearly states that Muhammed is the prophet of God.

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

Question: What do you think about the Gospel of Barnabas? It clearly states that prophet Muhammed is the messenger of God. Dont tell me that it was written by a Muslim or changed by a Muslim. I think no gospel was changed by Muslims. Only Christians change it as per the church. Answer: It is […]

Can we be sure that Babylonia Sanhedrin 43a in the Talmud is about Jesus of Nazareth?

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

Question: I’m am reading your book,"Reasons for Belief" and I had a question on p.38… Can we be sure about Babylonia Sandhedrin 43a in the Talmud is refering to Jesus of Nazareth? Do we have any Jewish sources confirming that it is Jesus of Nazareth? The Talmud certainly fits very well with what we know […]

According to the NIV and TNIV, Apollos was a Jew and an Egyptian (Acts 18:24), while the GNB says he was a Jew, but born in Alexandria. Which is correct?

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

Question: According to NIV & TNIV, Apollos was a Jew & an Egyptian (a native of Alexandria) (Acts 18:24) but GNB says he was a Jew but born in Alexandria. Is NIV & TNIV correct to say a Jew is also an Egyptian? Answer: Now, that is an easy one. In the first century Alexandria […]

Is the "moon turning to blood" in Acts symbolic or an actual event? Might it be a lunar eclipse? How is this related to the three hours of darkness?

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

Question: I’ve been doing some research on extra Biblical evidences as I continue studying the Bible with Chinese people. In my search I came across something about the moon turning to blood. Every time I study out that section in Acts 2, I’m not really sure whether that’s going to happen in the future, or […]

Luke has Jesus’ birth in 6 AD when Quirinius was governor of Syria, while Matthew has it before 4 BC when Herod died. How do you resolve this apparent contradiction?

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

Question:A lot of anti-Christian biblical skeptics often use this objection to the Bible: “The Bible tells the story of Jesus being born when Herod was king (Matthew) and traveling to Bethlehem (Luke) for the census as if the two accounts were compatible but, they are actually ten years apart. Luke has Jesus born at the […]

Why Did God allow the Jews to hold slaves forever and to pass them to their children?

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

Question: In your article on slavery you state "Therefore, for his own reasons, God chose to regulate the cruelty of slavery rather than to ban it outright for the Jews under the Law of Moses. He commanded that slaves be set free automatically after a certain amount of time But I read in Lev that […]

Where and when did the Catholicism begin?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, History .

Question: Catholicsm is a tradition which has been passed for a long time. Where was its origin and the approximatly when did it begin? Answer: I will assume you are talking about the Roman Catholic Church. There is also the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church and the Coptic Catholic Church. These names are in a sense […]

Many non-Christians see the Bible as just another book rather than accepting that it is inspired. What do we say to the non- beliver about the Insipriation of Scriptures?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics .

Question: Many non-Christians see the Bible as just another book rather than accepting that it is inspired. What do we say to the non- beliver about the Insipriation of Scriptures? Answer: To be honest with you, Randy, this is really too broad a question for me to frame a reasonable answer. My simple answer is send them […]

Quisiera Entender un Poco mas Aquello de que Dios nos elige, entonces que ocurre con los que no elige Dios?

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

Pregunta: Quisiera entender un poco más aquello de que Dios nos elige, entonces que ocurre con los que no elige Dios??… Si Dios no los elige son culpables? Dios endureció el corazon del faraon, si? No se trata de que el hombre quiera y se esfuerce sino de que Dios enga compasión. Respuesta: Dios elige […]

I understand the King James Version is not a very good English Bible, but what about the New King James Version?

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

Question: Most biblical scholars claim that the King James Version isn’t the best to use today because of the archaic terms and non-usage of the latest surviving documents. Are there any flaws within the New King James Version? Answer: You have the right scoop on the KJV, otherwise known as the Authorized Version. The principle […]

Does the Bible teach that Christians should only drink unfermented grape juice rather than wine?

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

Question: In studying the Bible carefully, I noticed that the type of wine which is mentioned in the New Testament is actually the unfermented grape juice. Certainly this is evidence that the Bible forbids the consumption of wine. You seem to say in your book Reasons for Belief that moderate consumption of wine is not bad. on what basis […]

How should we interpret 2 Corinthians 8:5? Who should we give to?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: In 2nd corinthians 8:5 at the end I don’t quite understand if it means to also give yourselves to the people or just to God. I was wondering if you could help since i am teaching a class on stewardship. Answer: In the passage in question, Paul describes how the Macedonian Christians had given […]

How should one approach those who believe that Christians can achieve sinless perfection at some point in their lives?

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

Question: How should one approach those who believe that Christians can achieve sinless perfection at some point in their lives? Answer: It is hard to know how to answer this question. My answer would depend on where the person who believes this is coming from. Is this someone who knows very little of the Bible? […]

Must a Christain marry a Christian? What about marrying one from another group?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Practical Christianity .

Question: Is it true that a Christian must necessarily must marry a Christian? What about a member of a particular church marrying within their group? What the Bible says on this subject? Answer: The Bible clearly teaches that a Christian must marry a Christian if he or she is to be married. Many use 2 Corinthians 6:14 […]

Why is Mark 11:26 in brackets in my Bible?

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

Question: Why the Mark 11:26 in brackets? Answer: What an interesting coincidence. I got two questions on Mark 11:26 in the same week. I am copying my answer to the other question below. Actually, he was asking about a different aspect, so I will add a couple of thoughts on your question as well. Like […]

Why did God place the treee of knowledge of good and evil in the garden?

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

Question: Why did God place the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden? Answer: This is a good question. Of course, we do not have a direct answer to this question, either in Genesis or anywhere else in the Bible. Yet, I believe that from what we know of God elsewhere in […]

Do you have any scientific curriculum I can use in home schooling my 4th and 6th grade boys?

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

Question: We are about to begin homeschooling our 4th and 6th grade boys and are looking for a great science curriculum that honors God and is also scientifically sound. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: I get many requests for this. I would love to have the time to produce such materials, but have not […]

If Mark 11:26 was added by a scribe and not in the original NT, how can we be sure the Bible is perfect?

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

Question: I read your article on why there is no Mark 11:26, and it made me wonder, how than can we be sure that the Bible hasn’t been altered by other scribes somewhere else down the line. If scribes tryed to insert their own verses, han how can we be sure that the Bible is perfect […]

What is the background of the Essene religious group?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History, Other Religions .

Question: What is the underlying issue that influenced the formation of the Essene religious group? Answer: It is hard for us to trace the roots of the Essene group. As far as I know, its history is not well known at all. We know quite a bit about the history of the Pharisees, a bit less […]

You say transubstantiation is false doctrine. What about John 6:55?

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

Question: Transubstantiation has been described on the website as a false doctrine of the Catholic Church (a doctrine I am not convinced of one way or another). Please, allow me a moment to play devil’s advocate… Several close Catholic friends of mine have explained that the doctrine for Transubstantiation was extrapolated from several biblical verses […]

How do I accept Jesus as my savior?

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

Question: I just got back from a Bible camp I go to each summer. Every time I go I feel close to God and I almost accept Jesus as my savior. Then I drift away as the year goes on. I would like to know how to accept him as my savior. I’m almost there […]

A recent article by Sameulssen says Jesus was crucified on a pole, rather than a cross and no nails were used. What do you think?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I recently saw an article in the telegraph stating that a scholar had claimed Jesus was not crucified on a cross but rather a stake like the Jehovas witnesses believe, explaining that "stauros" does dont mean cross but pole or stake. While I couldn’t care less on what shape the wood was that Jesus was […]

Can we infer from Acts18:24-26 that Apollos was baptized in the name of Jesus at that time?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: Can we infer from Acts 18: 24-26 that Apollos did what was required to be saved? Did he undergo baptism in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins? Answer: If we take Acts 18:24-26 together with Acts 19:1-5 together, then we can reasonably infer that Apollos was baptized into Christ in […]

Is it possible for a baptized, saved Christian to lose the Holy Spirit?

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

Question: Is it possible for a baptized saved Christian to lose the Holy Spirit after receiving it like in Saul’s case who was disobedient and it was taken away from him? Answer: Yes, it definitely is possible for a baptized/saved Christian to lose the gift of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe what happened […]

Is abortion to save the life of a mother on in the case of rape acceptable for a Christian?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Practical Christianity .

Question: Most Christians generally agree that abortion is a sin. But what about abortion to save the life of the mother or abortion because of rape? I am stuck on determining these answers. In the first case, to save the life of the mother, I can see that it might not be a sin, yet […]

There is no biblical warrant for claiming inspiration of the NT. The existence of 200+ denominations proves it is not inspired. Comments?

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

Question/Comment: You say, with regard to the Letters, that "my assumption…. is that these are inspired writings." I have to point out that whenever God-inspired Scripture is spoken of in the NT, that it is the Jewish Bible that is spoken of. There is in fact no Biblical warrant for the inspiration of the NT […]

What is a fine tuningi argument for the existence of God and how does this work?

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

What makes Christianity different from other beliefs? Why the Christian God?

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

Question: I am a Christian, but I am tempted to let go of my faith. My faith is based on fear (eternal damnation, hell, etc.). I just want to know any evidence of the authenticity of Christianity which is different from other religions. Others also have their divine scriptures and revelations. What makes Christianity different […]

How do you address the problem of Israel's population in Exodus? I've heard that the increase in population from 70 to 600,000 isn't realistic?

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

Question: Out of curiosity, how do you address the problem of Israel’s population in Exodus? Supposedly I’ve heard that the increase in population from 70 to 600,000 isn’t realistic? Answer: I can see how one might wonder about this. Well, let us assume 430 years for the time in Egypt. I am not at all […]

Moses could not cross the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. This is a foreshadow of not entering heaven, yes? Does this imply that Moses will not be in heaven?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Types .

Questions: 1. Moses was prevented from crossing the Jordan and entering the promised land by God, because of Numbers 20. If the promised land is a foreshadow of heaven, and Moses did not enter it, are we to infer that Moses did not make it to heaven? 2. We can see how God has protected […]

If there was nothing before Adam and Eve, when did the dinosaurs exist?

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

Question: I’m just curious; if there was nothing before Adam and Eve when did the dinosaurs exist? Answer: According to scientific evidence, based on fossils radioisotopic and other kinds of data, we know that dinosaurs lived from about 240 million years ago until 65 million years ago, at which time it appears that the last […]

Looking at Mark 9:1 and 1 Cor 15:51 it is clear that Jesus and Paul were mistaken about the second coming. How do you cope with this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Reliability of the Bible .

Question: Looking at Mark 9:1 and 1 Cor. 15:51, it is clear that both Jesus and Paul were mistaken in expecting, the arrival of the Kingdom of God in the case of Jesus and in Paul’s case, the second coming, in the lives of some of those present in each situation. How do you cope […]

When did Jesus become sin and when did he "fulfill all righteousness?"

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: When did Jesus become sin ? 1)When baptised by John the Baptist? 2)When he was tempted by Satan was he carrying our sin? 3)What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? 4)When he was on the cross? Answer: Jesus "became sin for us" on the cross. This is why Jesus cried, "My God, My […]

How do you respond to claims found at www.pillar-of-enoch.com about prophecies in Ruth and Esther?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in End Times, General .

Question: I have recently come across this website apparently relating toward prophecy in the Bible (http://www.pillar-of-enoch.com/index.html). In the website, there are articles of apparent prophecies in Ruth, Ester as well as other books of the Bible. How should we respond to anyone who may bring these viewpoints up? Answer: I spent some time at this […]

Are there any specific arguments you can make that would make the possibility of an afterlife highly likely?

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

Question: Are there any specific arguments you can make that would make the possibility of an afterlife highly likely? For example, what about arguments for the soul, the resurrection of Jesus, or whatever? I keep running into people who say that when we die, we’re just dead. How would you respond to this? If we really […]

How can one refute the ideas presented in MIchael Drosnin's Bible Code?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in End Times, General .

Question: How can one refute the ideas presented in Michael Drosnin’s Bible Code or other premillennialist viewpoints? Don’t these types of concepts hurt the integrity and validity of scripture? Answer: My answer with respect to Michael Drosnin and premillenialists will be very different. I believe it is not fair to lump premillenialists together with Bible […]

Hay Alguna Base Biblica o Escritura que soporte que ayunemos parcialmente o de alguna cosa por determinado tiempo?

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

Pregunta: ¿Hay alguna base bíblica o escritura que soporte que ayunemos parcialmente o de algúna cosa por determinado tiempo? ¿es igualmente aceptable y agradable para Dios? Muchas gracias por tu atención a nuestras inquietudes. Respuesta: .No hay apoyo bíblico, por lo que yo sé de un ayuno parcial o para el ayuno de algo distinto […]

What is the meaning of Isaiah 55:6-7?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I want to know if you have a class on Isaiah 55:6-7. How would you explain this passage? Answer: Thanks for your kind words. No, I do not have a class on Isaiah 55. I believe that the passage you mention has a fairly straightforward interpretation. "Seek the Lord while he may be found; […]

Is there any solid evidence that Matthew, Mark and Luke were written after AD 70, like many scholars claim?

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

Question: Is there any [strong] evidence that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written after 70 AD? I’ve been browsing wikipedia and found that some scholars believe that those 3 gospels, specifically Luke, believe that it was dated sometime after 80 AD to maybe around 125 AD. Is there any [strong] evidence […]

If God hates sin, and if he know all before it happens, why did he allow evil to occur?

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

Question: God cannot and will not tolerate sin. "The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) If this is so, then why did God allow sin to occur? If he is all-knowing, before he created the world, didn’t he know that sin would occur? If he hates sin, and he is the creator of all […]

Genetic evidence seems to draw into doubt the Genesis flood. What is your response to this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Reliability of the Bible, Science and the Bible, The Flood .

Question: There is a link to an audio message by Darrel Falk available on Douglas Jacoby’s website. The title of the talk is “Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology”. In this talk, Darrel talks about Noah and the Flood as follows: "We can use science to test the story of Noah, and when we […]

The Deuterocanonocal book Wisdom has a fairly obvious messianic prophecy. Why is it not included in the Protestant Bible?

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

Question: I’ve recently learned about these so called Deuterocanonical books that are accepted by Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxs, but not by Protestants. I even came across this from an Orthodox Christian (not a friend of his btw) on Facebook who claims that this predicts the coming of the Messiah: "The Book of Wisdom was the […]

Logically, wouldn't it be better if we all just died as babies and went straight to heaven?

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

Question: I have searched the Q&A’s and have not found an answer to this question. Is there a resource or an answer that you have to the following: If the point of us being on earth is to give us the opportunity to choose God, and suffering causes us to become more like Christ(simplified for […]

Does secular humanism conflict with God?

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

Question: It seems that the ideal of secular humanism is to do whatever benefits the well being of mankind. Does the idea of secular humanism conflict with God? Or does secular humanism put people on a pedestal above God? Answer: Secular humanism is a philosophy and world view which includes an assumption that the physical/natural […]

Does the Big Bang imply creation from nothing? Doesn't that support Genesis? Also, isn't it arrogant to think the universe was created for us?

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

Question: I have a question about the Big Bang. Does the Big Bang state the the universe came from nothing? If so, would it support the idea of the genesis account? The reason I ask this is that I came across this on the internet and I wanted to get your thoughts on it: "Considering that […]

Does a Bible student need to have a Hebrew Bible because translations are corrupted?

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

Question: I have a friend who suggested that I should get a Hebrew Bible because of supposed corruption with the translations. While I find his reasoning questionable, are there any current Bibles with the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages that are trustworthy? Answer: This is a good question! I believe that you will not […]

Do you have any reference suggestions for a study of Soteriology?

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

Question: I am writing a paper on Soteriology for the Chicago MDA (ministry development academy)class I am in. Any research/book suggestions? We went through Shelley’s, ‘Church History in Plain Language’ for the class. Answer: You are giving me a rather broad topic. I assume you paper has some aspect of salvation theology involved. Is this a general paper or […]

Did Jesus not have the Holy Spirit before his baptism? What does it mean that received the Holy Spirit?

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

Question: Did Jesus not have the Holy Spirit before his baptism? What does it mean that he received the H.S.? Answer: That is actually a difficult question to answer. The Bible is somewhat vague about how Jesus developed. It is one of those mysteries about which we can speculate but which we can not provide a […]