Question: Recently, I was reading the book of Hebrews and I found a few verses in the first chapter hard to understand. In Hebrews 1:8-12, is God the Father talking to Jesus and calling Jesus God? Hebrews 1:5-13 seems like a mixture of certain Old Testament verses, so I suppose verse 5 through 13 shouldn’t […]
Question: Hey there, The below is a question asked on a site that I am getting emails for. It is Hermeneutics/Stack Exchange. What do you think about it? One nuance of the meaning of the serpent’s question hinges on the translation of מִכֹּל עֵץ (Gen 3:1). Translated as “from every tree” or “from any tree” basically determines […]
Question: The “Trinity of God”–is it a biblical formulation of God or is it a human formulation that emerged later? Answer: The answer will depend on what you mean by your terms. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, of course. So, before anyone answers whether the Trinity is of God or of humans, […]
Question: I’m struggling to understand the application of Hebrews 12:17 (and Genesis 25) about Esau’s repentance being no longer acceptable to God even though he sought it diligently with tears. It seems harsh that God would not forgive him even though he begged God and sought repentance. This makes me afraid that if I mess up […]
Question: Can you prove that Shiloh in Genesis 49 is Christ? Can you prove that this prophesy was fulfilled in Jesus? A Jewish website claims that it wasn’t fulfilled. What’s your comment? https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/the-scepter-of-judah-shiloh-and-the-messiah/ Answer: We cannot “prove” that the Shiloh in Genesis 49 is the Messiah and that it applies to […]
Question: Is there proof that the prince in Daniel 9:27 is not Jesus of Nazareth? Is there hard proof that psalm 22 is speaking about the Messiah? Answer: First of all, such things do not lend themselves to “proof.” Anyone who claims he or she has “proved” who the prince in Daniel 9:27 is should […]
Question: Someone asked me a question this weekend that I really thought I had a better answer for, but I didn’t. With God’s new covenant, what parts of the law are abrogated and which do we still follow (if any)? I know Hebrews 8 says the first covenant is obsolete with the bringing of the […]
Question: My first question is about John 3:1-8. I was sharing this scripture with a friend and he said the water here is the same living water referred to in Jeremiah 2:13. Therefore the water is not literal but being born again by God who is the living water. I believe the scripture in John […]
Question: I live in Dubai and have a lot of great Muslim friends. Sometimes we get in discussions on who Jesus is and as you know their view of Jesus is different. They are using Bible quotes to argue that Jesus himself said that he is not God. I can argue that there are many […]
Question: About prophets in our present day, the New Testament had prophets like Agabus and Anna. What about our present day? Could God still appoint prophets to guide and direct his church? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This gift can be a blessing to the […]
Question: I have a question about the creation account of Adam and Eve. I read some at your website and also your book “Is there a God” (www.ipibooks.com) and while I can’t explain everything that I understand from these sources, if I may draw a short conclusion it is that you believe based on faith […]
Question: My question is about Calvinism. Romans 8:29 makes it pretty clear that God does predestine some people to be saved. What I think about this verse is that those predestined people are the ones who received the calling and it is their duty to bring other people to the faith regardless of who they […]
Question: Lord Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 28:18, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” I have 2 questions: 1- Some critics like some Unitarians say that it’s impossible that Jesus said this because the […]
Question: My son has been asking a lot of questions regarding a guy named Mauro Biglino, who, I understand, has translated a number of books from the Old Testament. His conclusions, in essence, are similar to those of Erich von Denizen and Zechariah Sitchin. Basically they say that we were created by an alien race. […]
Questions: 1) In your answer of my previous question, you said that Original Sin is unbiblical. But doesn’t the Bible say that all humans inherit the evil tendencies/desires ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God for the first time? 2) In the book of Joshua, it is mentioned that God stopped the sun from moving […]
Question: I would like to ask about John 20 : 28. While I was searching in Islamic websites, I found one that claimed that there are some manuscripts that don’t contain the word “the”, so the verse will mean that Thomas thought that Jesus was a god not God, like Moses. What is your […]
[Editor’s note: The context of the two questions below is a Christian living in the Middle East, debating about Jesus with Muslims who use Catholicism against Christianity] Question: What does the Holy Bible say about Mary? Did she marry after Jesus’ birth? Who are Jesus’ brothers? And does this verse “The LORD said to me, “This […]
Question: What do you think of the Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri? Apparently he was Israel’s leading religious teacher up until 2006 when he died at 108 years. Supposedly during the latter years of his life he focused very intently on the teaching of the coming of the Messiah and how to recognize him. He wrote a […]
Question: What does the Holy Bible say about Saint Mary? Did she marry Lord Jesus’ birth? Who are Jesus’ brothers? And does this verse “The LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of […]
Question: I have read your interpretations of Revelation and I find them interesting but I have some questions I would like to ask. Who is the man of lawlessness? Has he already come or has he yet to be revealed? Did Christ give any clues about when he would come back and what do we […]
Question: I have a question that have been pondering. Are African Americans the true Israelites ? Here’s why I ask: Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (KJV) “And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt (also meaning bondage) again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye […]
Question: In Luke 8, Jesus is touched by a woman who was subject to bleeding for 12 years. If Jesus was touched by her, wouldn’t that make him “unclean” as stated in Leviticus 15:25-27? Is there a punishment for unclean persons who break the law by making others unclean? Answer: This is an interesting question. […]
Question: On what basis do some commentators say the 70th week of Daniel 9:27 is still in the future? Why would the 70 week prophecy be broken down as 69 continuous weeks with the 70th week potentially some 2000 years detached from 69th week? Answer: Good question. There are two reasons that many commentators delineate the […]
Question: This question is about the Law of God, which is pretty controversial among the people. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus states that He has come to fulfill the teachings of the Law of Moses (the Torah) and the prophets. He also states that “not the least point of the Law will be done away, not […]
Questions: If the Passover of the New Covenant (Jesus flesh and blood) is the only way to receive forgiveness of sins, then why did the Council of Nicaea remove this important teaching in AD 325? If the Passover of the New Covenant (Jesus flesh and blood) is the only way to receive forgiveness of sins, then […]
Question: Who are the 24 elders in Revelation? Are they human beings or supernatural creatures? Answer: As in virtually all of Revelation, the 24 elders are symbolic, so asking a specific question is perhaps not all that helpful. I believe that these are symbolic of God’s people. The number 12 is the number of God’s […]
Question: In John 5:26 it says For as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. So if God gave Jesus his life then doesn’t that just make him another prophet? Also God had life always so that’s why he’s God so why is Jesus God if he was […]
Question: What is the meaning of the altar mentioned in (Hebrew 13 : 10)? Catholic and Orthodox Churches use this verse to prove that there is an altar in the New Testament–justifying their use of an altar in their worship, and the idea that the Eucharist is a sacrifice. In Arabic translations, the word altar […]
Question: Please tell me whether the concept of the “second death” means a complete disappearance or eternal torment in a lake of fire? Answer: I believe that the biblical “second death” is neither merely a complete disappearance, nor is it eternal torment in a literal lake of fire. First, I must address what Bible says about the […]
Question: I have a question regarding Mat 5:33-36 where Jesus forbids us to take oaths of any kind. Would this include pledges of allegiance to our nation, especially for immigrant Christians who would like to become American citizens? Answer: I believe you may be putting words into the mouth of the Jesus. He did not say that […]
Question: In Matthew 14:25-26, it looks like the disciples believed in ghosts, though Jesus never mentions it? Does the Bible validate or invalidate the existence of ghosts? Any evidence that ghosts roam the earth, haunt houses etc? Mat 14:25-26 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.26 When the disciples saw him […]
[Editor’s note: This question is coming from a person responding to Muslim claims that Jesus never claimed to be God] Question: I’d like to ask you 2 questions. 1 What’s your comment on the New World Translation of Zechariah 12:10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem […]
Question: I was always taught that there is priesthood in the church in the New Testment, (because I grow in the coptic orthodox church) But a short time ago I read a book for a person named Ibrahim Elkhebty who said that there is no evidence that there is priesthood in the Bible. However, if there is no […]
Question: Jesus said that if we don’t accept the kingdom like a child we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What did he mean by this statement?Also, when Jesus called himself Son of Man, what does that mean? Answer: When Jesus says that anyone entering the Kingdom must come into it like a child he […]
Question: I have a question on Matthew 19:28. Does this passage mean that Paul will have to judge the people of Israel? When Judas killed himself they chose Matthias, but Paul was also an Apostle. In a commentary I read Barkley and McDonald claim that God approved the selection of Matthias through Zareba. In Acts […]
Question: I am glad to be emailing you again on biblical matters. I found our conversations quite insightful. I wanted to ask you a question about the cause of disabilities per Exodus 4:11 and John 9:3 (about Jesus healing the man born blind). Some translations render the text in John as “this happened so that the works […]
Question: I’ve searched your site regarding marijuana use, and have found a few articles. However, they are a bit dated, and I’m wondering if you have any updated information given its current legal status in some states – and pending legal status in California. My husband and I lead a group where two women smoke […]
Question: In 2 Samuel 7, God didn’t allow David to build a house for Him to dwell in. In verses 12-16, God says He will raise up David’s offspring and build a house for His Name. So, is it referring to a single person, since the Scripture used the singular form: he? If so, who […]
Question: In Luke 3:3 it talks about John the Baptist preaching a baptism for the forgiveness of sins but Hebrews 9:22 mentions that the shedding of blood is needed for forgiveness of sins. How was the forgiveness of sins available for John’s baptisms without Jesus dying yet? Thanks! Any input would be appreciated. Answer: A […]
Question: Hello, thank you for your ministry. I have a question on when Jesus was called Messiah and when Simon was first called Peter. In John 1:41, Andrew tells Peter that Jesus is the Christ, but in Matthew 16:16-17, Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ and Jesus says flesh and blood did not reveal […]
Question: I’ve been a Christian for almost 4 years and I’m 19. Recently I have been having some doubts that I don’t want to have anymore and I really want to solve them…. I know that God is not forcing us to know him and have a relationship with him, and obey him…He has given us […]
Question: Is it plausible that John and the author of Revelation (presumably John) is praising Ephesus for their rejection of Paul as a false apostle in Rev. 2:2 with regard to Acts 19:8-9 and 23, 2 Tim. 1:15, and Eph. 1:1, and again in 1 John 2:18 as described in Acts 21:18-26 from a purely […]
Question: Is it fair to say that a substantial portion of James’ letter is a rebuke of Paul and his followers? As you know, Acts 15 describes a significant break between James’ leadership (likely including Peter, John, Mark, and Barnabas) and Paul’s doctrinal and dogmatic leadership as background for the letter; James 2:14-25 seems to […]
Question: Revelation 20 states that Satan will be defeated and locked up for 1000 years and then released for a short time. Did the 1000 years already happen or are we still waiting for it? Answer: I have taught a class on Revelation in which I address the question of the 1000 years in some […]
Question: Hey Dr. Oakes, I’ve got a friend that is trying to communicate with me about Oneness Theology as opposed to the doctrine of the Trinity. Even as he was attempting to explain it to me, I am having a difficult time understanding the differences. What is the difference between the two? What do you […]
Question: I’m a bit confused about what this scripture means by saying that “women will be saved through childbearing” does this assume that women who haven’t had children aren’t saved? I know that can’t be right I just can’t think of another interpretation. “But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and […]
Question: How would you build up an apologetic defense against a Unitarian argument about John 20:17? In John 20:17 Jesus is speaking to Mary Magdalene: Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, ‘I ascend to My […]
Questions: I was confronted with these questions. Did Paul teach that the law was over by Jesus’ sacrifice? Also, when will the ten tribes come back to Israel? Answers: Not sure if I would say it exactly that way: “the Law was over by Jesus’ sacrifice.” What Paul did say is, “When you were dead […]
Question: Is it possible that 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Revelation 20:7-10 describe the same event? Answer: I am afraid that I cannot give you a definitive answer. I will have to say that I cannot blame people who see some potential parallels between the “lawless one” of 2 Thess 2:8 and the deception of Gog […]
Question: I wanted to ask you about Matthew 15:3-6. What does Jesus mean when he told the Pharasees in verse 5 that “whatever help you might otherwise receive from me is a gift devoted to God”? Answer: This is a reference to a common Jewish practice of giving a sacrifice (actually, more accurately a gift) […]
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