General – Page 11 – Evidence for Christianity

Why is there sin offering in the Ezekiel temple in Ezek Ch 40-48 if Jesus is our sin offering?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A .

Question: I have a question about the Temple mentioned in Ezekiel Ch 40-48. It says that there will be sin sacrifices, but how can that be so if Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice? I know that there are both literal and figurative interpretations, but everything I have seen has favored the literal view of these […]

Why was the Book of Enoch taken out of the Old Testament and why has it been forgotten since New Testament times?

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

Question: Why was The book of Enoch taken out of the Old Testament and why has this book been forgotten since New Testament times? Answer: The answer is that the Book of Enoch, also known as 1st Enoch, certainly has not been lost, and neither has it been forgotten. It was not taken out of […]

How do I respond to Dr. Kauffman’s ridicule of Dr. Laura’s statement that for a Jew homosexual behavior is blasphemous?

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

Question: How should I respond to Dr. Kauffman’s clever and humorous attack on Dr. Laura when she says that, as a Jew, homosexual behavior is blasphemy to God? [Editor’s note: Kauffman’s criticism is contained in the response] Response: I will have to say that I agree that this letter is clever, but I am not […]

What is the name of God according to Exodus 6:2 according to the Hebrew and the Septuagint translation?

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

Question: What is the name of God according to Exodus 6:2-3 based on the Hebrew Old Testament and the Septuagint? [Editor’s note: this is the early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible in the late third century BC] Answer: God has many names in the Bible, as I assume you know. He is called El, […]

What did Jesus mean when he said, that if we live and believe in him we will never die? It seems believers are still dying!

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

Question: What did Jesus mean he said “I am the resurrection and life and those who believe in will live and those who live and believe in me will never die? The fact is that those who believe in him are still dying. So, what did Jesus mean? When he said that those who follow […]

Many of my Muslim friends tell me that Jesus did not die on the cross and that this came, not from Muhammad but from the second century. Your response?

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

Question: I want to know about the reliability of the Bible because many of my friends who are Muslims tell me that Jesus did not die on the cross nor was he risen. They tell me that this is not written 600 yrs later but from 2nd century or the end of 1st century itself […]

What is the difference between a cult and a religion?

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

Question: What is the difference between a cult and a religion? (Simple question, I know, but this is a topic commonly brought up by atheists and I was just wondering what the real answer is). Answer: The word cult is one of the more “loaded” words in the English language. The connotations in today’s common […]

If the Catholics were the first denomination of Christians, why do they do everything contradictory to the Bible?

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

Questions: We know that the Bible prohibits idolatry. If Catholics were the first denomination of Christians, why then do they do everything contradictory to the Bible? Can we trust the additional books of OT in the Catholic Bible? Why did Protestants came years later after Catholics? It seems to me that they should have come […]

Can we prove that Jesus claimed to be God from the gospels other than John, which was written latest?

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

Question: I have a question. Muslims always say that Bible corrupted, but there is no evidence for it, in fact there is evidence for reliability of the Gospels. Now in gospel of John we can see how Jesus made claims about His divine nature, but is the Gospel of John reliable, since it latest of […]

How can I respond to criticisms from the Muslim apologist Shabir Ally that the Bible contradicts itself and that the resurrection did not happen?

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

Question: In a recent debate Muslim imam Shabir Ally tells us that John’s gospel is contradictory to synoptics because in John Jesus said to the people who arrested him I am he without forcing his arrest but in synoptics it’s different. In John, Jesus carries his cross, indicating that he was strong, but in the […]

Atheists and Muslims claim that Christianity has been hijacked by Paul. What is your response to this?

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

Question: My question is this. I have been seeing claims, specifically by atheists and Muslims, that the Christianity that exists today is Pauline. Paul interpolated on everything that Jesus taught, contradicted Jesus’ teachings on the law, and changed the gospel. Their ultimate point is, the critics, that the Christianity we have now is from Paul, […]

Muslims, including Shabir Ally, say that Jesus was not crucified, and that Muhammad was only saying what had been said before. Your response?

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

Questions: I’m not being able to protect my faith because of Muslims and they are telling that the Bible I hold in my hand is corrupted and the original manuscripts are lost. They showed me the video of a debate of Micheal licona a Christian apologist and Shabir Ally who is a Muslim apologist. They […]

Can I be saved just by choosing Jesus as my savior, asking for forgiveness and repenting of my sins?

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

Question: Can I be saved just by choosing Jesus as my savior, asking for forgiveness and repenting of my sins? Answer: The best thing I can do for you is point you to the first gospel sermon ever preached. Surely the means of salvation was clearly laid out in this essential sermon. After preaching about […]

Is Rezin,the king of Aram in Isaiah 7:1 confirmed by extra-biblical sources?

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

Question: I have a question concerning the kings of Syria as mentioned in Isaiah 7:1, it identifies the kings Uzziah, Pekah,and Rezin. Do we have evidence for these three kings? My special concern is for Rezin, the king of Syria. Do we have evidence for Rezin as a Syrian King? Alexander: Yes we do. He […]

How can it be that the miracle of turning water to wine at Cana was the first miracle, when it obviously came after the miraculous catch of fishes in the synoptic gospels?

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

Question: I always get confused and I’m also asked by skeptics regarding the first miracle of Jesus and he selecting his apostles. If we read the Synoptics they say that after being baptized Jesus went to wilderness and was tempted by the devil, rejected at Nazareth in a synagogue and then he selected his apostles […]

Did the Phoenicians bring knowledge of Hinduism to Palestine, influencing Judaism and the Old Testament?

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

[Editor’s note: The questioner is from India and is attempting to respond to unsubstantiated claims that Judaism and/or Christianity have ideas substantially borrowed from Hinduism] Question: 1.Is it true that the Phoenicians traveled to India and brought some arts and ideas of Hinduism and conveyed them back to Palestine where they had influence on Judaism […]

What is your response to those who day that Daniel was written in the second century BCE?

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

[Editor’s note: This question involves a personal Bible study which has been used in the International Churches of Christ called the “kingdom study.”] Question: I’ve been writing an article for my blog, theWitheredFigTree.com, about the Kingdom-related prophecies in Daniel. In the process of researching this, I found several articles on the web about the authorship […]

Do you have a literature reference for your earlier claim that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in 567 BC, fulfilling Ezekiel 29 and Jeremiah 43?

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

[Editor’s note: the one asking this question did some follow-up research, finding his own really useful additional information on what Nebuchadnezzar did to fulfill the prophecies in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. His additional information is at the end of my original response.] Question: I want to ask some things relating to some answers you’ve given on […]

A friend tells me that Islam came before Christianity because of Ishmael. Your response?

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

Question: Bible says that the disciple whom Jesus loves was at the cross. But it doesn’t specifically mention the name so how do we know that it’s John?And some of my friends who are Christians and pastors also say that Islam came before Christianity because of Ishmael. They say that Ishmael traveled to Arabia with […]

How can we reconcile the different accounts of the anointing of Jesus?

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

Question: How can we reconcile the account of Jesus’ anointing at Bethany near the end of his life? Where, when and by whom was Jesus anointed?Was is at a Pharisee’s house as said by Luke, at the house of Simon the leaper, as said by Matthew and Mark, or was it at the house of […]

If the evidence for the Bible is so strong, then why to Christians convert to Hinduism, Islam or Buddhism?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, General Apologetics, Other Religions, Q & A, Reliability of the Bible, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: How can I keep my faith strong when people of great faith are walking away from my faith? And if we have historical evidences for Jesus outside the Bible that are more convincing than any other religion, why is it that people who are Christians convert into other religions like Hinduism or Islam? If […]

Acts 8:37 is in none of the ancient manuscripts, but it is in the King James Version. How can we trust this or any other version of the Bible?

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

Question: As for Acts 8:37 none of the most ancient manuscripts include this material. The King James Version is the one which got it wrong. You are telling here here that the King James Version of the Bible is wrong. So how can we trust the other versions of the Bible because KJV is the […]

When Jesus said to Thomas, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed,” is he encouraging blind faith? Is the search for evidence a sin?

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

Question: When Jesus said to Thomas “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed” what does he mean? Does he mean that we should have a blind faith without looking for facts? Today we search for answers regarding the evidences of Bible’s reliability, we find solutions for apparent Biblical contradictions, we search for […]

Is there any historical or archaeological evidence outside the Bible for the prophets of Israel such as Daniel and Jeremiah?

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

Question: I am a Christian but I have become very doubtful. I ask you to pray for me, and maybe you will be so kind and answer one of my questions. Is there any other historical documents or archeological evidence that tells us about the Prophets of the Old Testament? For example Daniel became a […]

If Matthew and John were eyewitness accounts, then why do they not identify themselves in the gospel? Why do they say “they” not “us” and Matthew, not “I”? How can we believe, therefore, that these are eye witness accounts?

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

Question: If we are 100 percent sure that the 4 gospels are written by authors whom we attribute them to, why don’t they identify themselves in the gospels? Let’s exclude 2 and 3rd gospels (Mark and Luke) because they were not eyewitnesses, but let’s take 1st and last gospel (Matthew and John) if these gospels […]

Why would God create someone, knowing the he or she would separate themselves from Him?

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

Question: Why would God create someone knowing that he or she would separate themselves from God? Answer; The reason we exist at all is because God is a relational being. This is indicated by the trinity itself. We exist because God wanted to love us, he wanted us to love him and he wanted us […]

Does Philippians 2:6-7 support the deity of Christs, as many apologists claim, or is this mainly supported by a mistranslation?

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

[Editor’s note: This is a rather long question, the essence of which is that the questioner doubts that the deity of Christ is established in Philippians 2:6-9. The questioner thinks that this is the principle support in Paul of Christ’s deity, but he believes that this claim is not supported by the passage] Question: How […]

How can we trust the Bible? What are the historical records of Jesus outside the Bible? What about the fact that Jesus went to India?

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

Question: How can we trust the Bible? We know that Jesus existed for sure which every historian would agree but what about what he did ? If his miracles were true as gospels record them why don’t we have historical records of them outside the Bible?There were books that say that the 1st prime minister […]

Will there be a New World Order government in the end times?

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

Question: Will there be a New World Order government over the United States in the end times? I watch the end times show on TBN and the host says the United States will end up backing out of New World Order or One World Government? Revelation makes it clear of the Antichrist’s role in end […]

In Matthew 11:25-27 Jesus says that God hides things from us. Why would he do this? Wouldn’t he want us to know all things?

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

Question: In Matthew 11:25-27 (Luke 10:21-22) Jesus says, “I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned…this is what you were please to do…no one knows the father except the son and those to whom the son chooses to reveal him…come to me all…” […]

How do you reconcile the contradictory accounts of Peter’s denial of Jesus? What about other unresolvable contradictions?

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

Question: If the gospels are eyewitness accounts how do we deal with contradictions in them? Most of them can be reconciled but what about things that cannot be reconciled? For example, the denial accounts of Peter differ heavily. Is this not a contradiction? The possible solution would be Peter denied Jesus 6 times and if […]

Do you think that the killing and eating of animals is ethical?

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

Question: I am a vegetarian and I believe that slaughtering innocent animals is unethical, but the bible didn’t prohibit eating meat. Jesus ate fish. What’s is your opinion? Do you think that killing animals is ethical? Personally, I can’t understand how killing any living creature (unless I have no other choice, as defending myself or […]

The Westar Institute claim that Jesus was an exceptional man but not the Son of God. What do you think about their methodology?

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

Question: John, have you heard/do you have thoughts about the Westar Institute material? They claim that Jesus was an exceptional man, but not the ‘son of God’. They are very learned and seem less ’emotionally motivated’ than a Bart Ehrman type account. https://www.westarinstitute.org/projects/the-jesus-seminar https://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-documents/carson/1994_five_gospels_no_Christ_Jesus_Seminar.pdf They are saying, yes Jesus existed, and he said and […]

In Acts 22:9 it says that Paul’s companions did not hear the voice, but in Acts 9:7 it says that they did. Can you help to resolve this problem?

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

Question: Can you help me to resolve this problem? “And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.” (Acts 22:9) “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.” (Acts 9:7) In […]

How do I connect with God emotionally, not just intellectually?

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

Question: I am reaching out to you today to ask a question. Sometimes it is easier to meditate on God’s Word intellectually but harder to connect to God through His Word emotionally or in a deeper level that produces transformation, which then leads to aligning myself to God. How do you gain the knowledge about […]

Is Critical Theory a worldview? Is it appropriate for Christians to use CT to expose racism and racial injustice?

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

[Editor’s note: This is a series of questions on Critical Theory, which is a philosophical method developed in Germany in the 1930s, but which has been mentioned much lately as a means to evaluate and propose solutions to the racial issues in the US today.] Question: I have a question for you. I have been […]

Why did God need to sacrifice his only Son in order to forgive people’s sins? Couldn’t he have done it a different way?

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

Questions: 1) Why does God need to sacrifice His only Son in order to forgive other people’s sins? He is God, so couldn’t He do this without sacrificing his son? 2) Is the trinity a contraction? (How can God sacrifice Himself to Himself?) Answers: You are asking some really big questions here. I am answering […]

If all humans descend from Noah, when did the first humans appear in the Americas and how did they cross the ocean to get there?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Anthropology, General, Q & A, The Flood .

Question: If all humans descend from Noah, when did the first humans appear in the Americas and how did they cross the ocean to get there? Answer: The evidence from multiple angles, most importantly from C-14 data, but also from stratigraphic, the disappearance of megafauna and other kinds of evidence is that humans entered the […]

Please help me respond to a friend who disagrees with an article you posted about the doctrine of baptism.

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

[Editor’s note: I have posted an inordinate number of articles on the biblical doctrine of baptism lately at the site. This is, on paper, a Christian evidence website, which seems to not fit this question, but this is a serious question, and apparently many are asking about this important topic, so I felt I must […]

If the laws of physics can create matter on their own, why should we believe in God?

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

Question: I have a question about God and physics. I ask that you help me with this. I’d greatly appreciate your help. I heard (I’m not sure if it’s true) that the laws of physics can create matter on their own. Is this true? If it is why should we still believe in God? Why should we […]

Why is it better to acknowledge God and live an exemplary life than to simply live an exemplary life for its own sake?

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

Question: I am an undergrad at [unidentified prestigious American university] who has been having a discussion with some friends about the following question: Why is it so much better to be a Christian than a virtuous person in the world? Why is it better to acknowledge God and live an exemplary life rather than just […]

Church History in 57 minutes

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

Dr.John Oakes gave a lesson on an introduction to church history for the West region of the Los Angeles Church of Christ. This is a very short review, but it will be a good starting point for accessing this important topic. Dr. Oakes has a three volume series of books on church history, The Christian […]

How many Greek manuscripts in total do we have from the second and third centuries? How does this compare to all other non-biblical manuscripts?

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

Question: 1. How many Greek manuscripts we have dated before the 3rd century? I will be so happy if you give total manuscript numbers by century up to the 3rd century 2. How many copies do we have for the New Testament compared to secular ancient texts within the 3 centuries from the writing of […]

Why is heresy punished by death in the Old Testament but the New Testament is so different about this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Practical Christianity, Q & A, Social Issues .

Question: Why should Israel punish heretics with death? in the NT it does not seem to happen in the same way. Should a Christian country tolerate pagan philosophies and religions, or should you pursue for the good of all? Answer: First of all, let me acknowledge that the distinction you notice is certainly real. The […]

An atheist claimed that Jesus was an immoral man, using Matthew 5:39. What is your response?

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

Question: I have heard atheists make the claim that Jesus is immoral. One of them used Matthew 5:39 as their example. What is this verse saying? Answer: First of all, it is the consensus of Muslims, Hindus and even humanists, deists and most atheists that Jesus was one of the greatest people to have ever […]

What do you think of William Lane Craig’s hypothesis that Adam and Eve were the first of homo heidelbergensis?

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

Question: Hello I had a question regarding an interesting theory that I heard from Dr. William Lane Craig regarding the historicity of Adam and Eve. Dr. Craig stated that he has been studying the question of the historicity of Adam and Eve for around 2 years now. He has discussed information with scientists on a […]

If circumcision is a seal (Rom 4:11) of the Jew’s relationship with God and circumcision does not require faith, how does this affect the doctrine of baptism as a seal?

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

Question: I have been reading the book of Romans with some family members who believe salvation occurs by “praying Jesus into your heart” and that this salvation is not swayed by a lack of obedience towards God. It has been really exciting to go through Romans with them as it does not support these ideas […]

How do you explain the apparent contradiction between Matthew and Luke about the resurrection appearances and where the apostles were told to go?

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

Question: Can you help me with this supposed contradiction? https://infidels.org/library/modern/j_c_jackson/galilee-or-jerusalem.html [Editor’s note: As you will see below, this is a claim that there is a contradiction between the resurrection accounts in Luke/Acts and Matthew with regard to where and when the apostles went to Galilee and Jerusalem.] Answer The claim is that the post-resurrection accounts […]

What is the meaning of the talk about Libya and Ethiopia and the kings of the North in Daniel 11:43?

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

Question: I have a question concerning Daniel 11:43 where it talks about Libya and Ethiopia being at the northern kingdom leaders steps, do you have a clue what that means? Answer: This question is dealt with in my book, Daniel, Prophet to the Nations (www.ipibooks.com). You definitely should get a copy! But… I better answer […]

Is the story of Jesus created from others who claimed to be the Messiah, such as Simon and Judah?

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

Question: I recently stumbled upon a theory that the story of Jesus as the Messiah is borrowed from people before him who also claimed to be the Messiah. Two claimants in particular were mentioned. The first one is called Simon, some aspects of his life are extremely similar to those of Christ. The second one […]