General – Page 18 – Evidence for Christianity

Please explain to me in layperson’s terms what you mean that a vacuum/space is not nothing–and therefore the universe came from nothing.

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

Question: I was reading your recent article on Hawking’s theory/speculation https://evidenceforchristianity.org/steven-hawking-proposed-spontaneous-quantum-creation-of-the-universe-your-thoughts-on-this/ For one with a non-physics background like myself, most of us would equate vacuum in space with nothingness. That is why the question was posed to you and even why Hawking (I’m actually surprised on this) concluded that a vacuum in space is nothingness. But in […]

Isn’t the Song of Songs too sexy to be inspired? How to I answer Muslim critics about this question?

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

Question: My question is about the book of Song of Songs. This book is always criticized by Muslims. They say that it is a sexy book especially chapter 7. Solomon describes the breasts, thighs… etc. Can this be the word of God? Christian apologists in my country always say that this book can’t be interpreted literally. It […]

Our Old Testament comes from the Septuagint Greek translation. Isn’t that a problem? Wouldn’t translating from Hebrew be better?

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

Comment: With regard to the concept of hell and Greek understanding, while we know that all Scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, The “all Scripture” that is being referred to is the Hebrew Scripture. The King James Version was written by using the Septuagint (Hebrew to Greek translation), converting the Greek into […]

Is Al Hsu correct when he claims that Jesus was not forsaken on the cross–that this is a misinterpretation?

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

Question: What do you think about the claim below about the cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” by the author Al Hsu below? The Cry of Vindication By Al Hsu When the Jesus film is screened in cultures that have never heard of Jesus, viewers often love the […]

How can we know if Mark wrote Mark or John wrote John, given the criticisms I am hearing from Muslims?

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

Question: My questions are about authorship of the gospels. We know that the first man to say that the second gospel was written by Mark was Papias, However some skeptics say that it’s a long time between Mark (who may have died in 60s) and Papias (who may have been born at about the same […]

Steven Hawking proposed spontaneous quantum creation of the universe. Your thoughts on this?

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

Question: I’ve been reading an article by Stephen Hawking on his theory of the “Spontaneous Quantum Creation of the Universe” and would love to hear your comments and a way of refuting this theory. I know you have a greater knowledge of science than I do, so I believe you are in a good position […]

Some say that the supposed messianic prophecies are all ambiguous. For example Isaiah 53:10 when it says that Jesus will have offspring. Your response?

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

Question: Some people say that there are no unambiguous prophecies about Jesus in the OT, hence such verses are open to interpretations. For example, even in one of the strongest prophecy about Jesus, Isaiah 53:10 it says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord […]

Why are there so many translations of the Bible and why are there so many denominations?

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

Questions: Why are there so many translations of the Bible and why are there so many denominations? Did God actually walk the earth with Adam and Eve? Answers: You are asking three different questions, with very different answers. The reason there are so many translations into English is, quite simply, because there is a market […]

What is the meaning of the old and new wineskins in Luke 5:33-39?

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

Question: What is the meaning of the old and the new wineskins in Luke 5:33-39? Answer: In Luke 5:33-39, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God, and its specific realization in the church. The “old wineskin” is a metaphor for the Old Covenant, or it is the Jews who follow the Law of Moses, […]

How many disciples followed Jesus at the peak of his ministry?

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

Question: How many disciples followed Jesus at the peak of His ministry? Or more precisely, how many were there at the time of John 6:66? “After hearing this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” Answer: That will depend on what you mean by “disciple” and by what you mean […]

In Daniel 8:26 what date corresponds to “the distant future?” Also, in verse 17 what is “the time of the end” a reference to?

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

Question: My wife and I recently were having a conversation about the book of Daniel. She had been reading Daniel 8, and was wondering what it meant, especially about the part with the goat overthrowing the ram. After pondering the imagery for a while, I recalled a few points from your teaching on the subject […]

Is all food clean? Was Mark 7:18-19 added to the scripture?

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

Question: Is all food clean? Did Jesus declare all food clean? In mark7:18-19 it seems to say Jesus made all food clean but I was told that in the Niv that sentence was added on to the scripture, I wanted to know is this scripture telling us that all food was clean. Answer: The simple […]

Tengo dudas sobre el plan de Dios para mi vida

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Apologetics, General, Q & A, Spanish Articles, Spanish Content, Spanish Q&A .

La Pregunta: Si usted tiene algún comentario como respuesta a mi e-mail sera bienvenido. Sin embargo me gustaría dejarle saber que encontré una escritura que me resolvió las dudas al respecto, entonces tranquilo, no es tan necesaria su respuesta. Solo si usted considera correcto decir algo sera bien recibido. Muchas gracias y por favor excúseme […]

If God is a God of love, then why can’t He forgive sin without a blood sacrifice?

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

Question: If God is a God of love and forgiveness, why can’t God forgive sin without a sacrifice of blood? If God is a God of Justice, then how can it be just for Jesus to die for my sins? What I am really really struggling with why it is that, if God is Love, […]

Is the reliability of the Gospel of John in doubt, and therefore the conclusion that Jesus is God?

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

Question: I have a question regarding Jesus as being God. It is clearly stated in the Gospel of John, and in some of the epistles that Jesus is God as well as the Son of God. But after some research I found that the reliability of the Gospel of John and of those epistles are […]

What is presumptive sin?

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

Question: What’s presumptive sin? Answer: Do you mean presumptuous sin? I assume that you are using the term presumptive and presumptuous interchangeably, but let me know if I am not correct. I had heard of this term, but had never given much time to considering the definition or implications. So…. I did some research and […]

Since the Jewish Sunday started on Saturday evening, should we observe the Lord at that time?

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

Question: Since Jesus lived under the Hebrew calendar, does this imply that our “Sunday” begins on Saturday evening and the Lord’s Supper should be observed at that time? After all, when the church was established in Acts, they all lived under the Hebrew calendar. Since most Christians today have their Sunday services on the actual day […]

What is the Holy Grail, and how is it relevant to Christianity?

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

Question: What is the holy grail and is it relevant to Christian doctrine? Answer: Classically, the Holy Grail is the actual chalice used for drinking the wine used at the Last Supper on the night before Jesus was killed. During the Middle Ages many people became fascinated with relics. These were physical objects which were […]

Can a person be moral without God?

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

Question: Can man be moral without God? What about atheists who claim one doesn’t need religion to be moral? Does every bit of morality we have stem from the Bible? What about cultural differences? Answer: Please forgive the slow response. I believe that it is possible to be moral without being a Christian, however it […]

Why did God send an evil spirit into Saul, as described in 1 Samuel 19:1-10?

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

Question: What is the evil spirit that God sent on Saul in 1 Samuel 19:1-10? Why would God send an evil spirit to Saul ? Answer: This is a good question. At first glance, the scene depicted in 1 Samuel 19:1-10 does seem surprising, given what we know about God. It can seem to imply […]

Should I visit a Hindu temple to learn about that religion?

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

Question: I have been debating with a Hindu friend about the concept of forgiveness in Hinduism and Christianity. I said that Hinduism, with its concept of karma, does not offer forgiveness. He says that I am just narrow-minded. He says, ‘Why don’t you come to a temple with me and see?’ He has been to […]

Might God have created other humans besides Adam and Eve, and might this explain who Cain married?

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

Question: Have been doing some thinking about this whole area of science and the bible. Is it theologically/biblically sound to believe that although Adam and Eve were certainly the first man and woman made by God, they may not have been the only. the reason I say this is because in Genesis 2, two lands […]

How does God view the sinful behavior of those who are addicted?

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

Questions: I have some questions that have been hindering my relationship with God and have made me struggle for several years. How does God view those who have an addiction as a believer? Does Hebrews 10 talk to the addict when it says those who continue to deliberately sin? It is difficult to believe God […]

Why does God not intervene to clear up doctrinal matters? For example, eight million died in a war over Christian doctrine right after the the Reformation.

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

Question: Among Christians there are so many doctrinal disputes. Many died making wars because of these different opinions. Why did God not intervene to clear up our understanding in order to avoid wars and disputes? Just after the Protestant Reformation eight million Christians slaughtered each other because God did not communicate the correct doctrine doctrine clearly to them. […]

When was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem issued? (Daniel 9:25)

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

Question: When was the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem issued? Answer: This is somewhat debatable, as there are at least three “decrees” in the Book of Ezra. The first is in Ezra 1:1-4. This is a decree of Cyrus that the Jews can go back to Judah and Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This […]

How can Octavian, a Roman, be the one referred to in Daniel 11:45, since the prophecy is calling him a “King of the North?”

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

Question: It is my understanding that Octavian, otherwise known as Augustus died in Rome. This does not seem to agree with Daniel 11:45 and therefore does not support him as being the final “King of the North.” What do you say about this? Thanks and God bless. Answer: You are doing a great job here of […]

How do you respond to Shabir Alli’s claim that the Qur’an contains number miracles in its text?

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

Question: Shabir Ally frequently uses the ‘number miracles’ in the Quran to prove that it is the word of God. Here are 2 clips which shows what he’s trying to claim: 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEmCZ968PQI 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qunUypvBQ4 How would you respond to this claim? Answer; Actually, I have met Shabir Ali personally. We arranged a debate between […]

What is your view on the local versus the global flood explanation of the Genesis flood account?

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

Question: I would like to hear your thoughts in regards to the matter of Noah’s Flood. In the past, I embraced the idea that the Flood was a global event and that the local flood view was unbiblical. However, after reading some articles by various Christians, I’ve come to approve of the local flood view. […]

Does the Bible indicate that Paul actually killed Christians?

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

Question: Does the Bible indicate that the Apostle Paul actually killed Christians? Answer: The Bible does not say that Paul himself actually killed any Christians. It does say in Acts 7:58 that he was present at the stoning of Stephen and that he approved this act. Whether he actually threw one of the stones is […]

How much of a role does God play in appointing political leaders?

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

Question: How much of a role God play in appointing political leaders? If the authorities that exist have been established by God (Rom 13:1) why do conservative candidates or the more Christian candidates not always win the election? Surely there were far more prayers being offered up for the Christian candidate than the liberal one. […]

Why do scholars say Revelation is about things that happened in Roman times? The sea beast in Revelation 13 is Japan.

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

Question: I believe that in Revelation 13 the sea beast is Japan and earth beast is the USA. The “Dragon” is the U.S. aircraft carriers. Crowns and horns are the Japanese automobile/truck industry. “Blasphemous names” are the essential design of the autos and are alike among their “corporations” forming an unequal balance to the remaining […]

Can mentally handicapped people be saved if they are incapable of understanding the gospel? Or if they do not need to be saved, then why was I cursed with a healthy mind, as it means I could go to hell?

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

Question: How can [editor has added: mentally] handicapped persons can be saved if many of them could not know Jesus because they are incapable of understanding the gospel and reason correctly? If the answer is that handicapped persons are surely saved, then why did God curse me so much in giving me a healthy mind […]

You claim the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew is through Mary, but it says “son of Joseph.” Please explain.

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

Question: At your website, I read your answer to the question “Why does the Bible mention Jesus’ geneology from Joseph’s side when Joseph is not His father?” In your answer, you say that Luke gives a genealogy from Joseph’s side since the Greeks prefer the father’s side and Matthew wrote from Mary’s side for the […]

The religions of Egypt, Rome, etc. have archaeology to support their faith. How is this different from Christianity?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, Other Religions, Q & A .

Question: A coworker of mine make a point I do not know how to reply to. He said that other cultures such as Rome, Egypt and Greece have records and archeology to prove their faiths exist and we do too. That being true, what separates ours from theirs to help us win souls for the […]

Who is God speaking to when he says “us” in Genesis one?

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

Question: Who was God speaking about when he said “let us make mankind in our image” who is “us” and did God intend for us to be gods like him. Answer: Good question. There are three theories concerning the use of the plural here. 1. God is using the “royal we” (or more accurately us) It […]

Muslims claim that Jeremiah 8:8 is evidence the Bible is corrupted. Your response?

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

Question: Recently, I read a Muslim’s article and the writer stated that the Bible itself says that it is corrupted using Jeremiah 8:8. How would you respond to this? Answer: First of all, almost without exception Muslim writers are disingenuous in their treatment of the Bible. If they study the Bible, they only do so […]

If God forgives our sins at baptism, why does 1 John 1:9 say we are forgiven of our sins by confessing?

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

Question: If God forgives our sins at baptism, why does 1 John 1:9 say we are forgiven of our sins by confessing? Answer: 1 John 1:9 does not say that we are forgiven of our sins by confessing. This is an incorrect interpretation of this passage. What John is saying is that “If we walk […]

Does the Lord’s Prayer imply that God will tempt us? How is this consistent with James 1:12-14?

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

Question: How can I understand the meaning when the Lord’s Prayer says- lead us not into temptation. This is confusing to me because of what James 1:13-15 suggests, which is that God does not tempt us. The Lord’s prayer seems to clearly say Jesus is telling us to ask God, “Please don’t lead us into […]

Since both of Moses’ parents were Levites, why was Moses also called a Hebrew?

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

Question: Since both of Moses’ parents were Levites, why was Moses also called a Hebrew? Answer: This is a fairly easy question. Both statements about Moses are true because the Levites were Hebrews. The Jews had twelve tribes, or actually thirteen of them if you count both Menasseh and Ephriam, the two “half-tribes.” The Levites […]

The Christian sect known as “The Twelve Tribes” teach that communal living is required of all Christians. How can I show that this is not biblical?

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

Question: There is a group of people called ”The Twelve Tribes” who believe that in order to become a true disciple you have to sell all you have and live together in a community. They quote Acts 2:41-47 that all those who believed sold all they had and shared everything in common, neither rich or […]

Can you respond to the claim that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because no one can die for someone else’s sins?

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

Question: Hello, I was watching a video between a Rabbi and a Pastor recently, where the Rabbi stated Jesus could not be the Messiah because no man can die for another man’s sins. There is also a article on why Jesus could not be the Messiah, I was wondering if you could help me a […]

Are Christians under the “moral law” of the Old Testament?

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

Question: I have 2 questions: 1) As you know, in the earlier Bible translations 1 John 5:7 ‘these three are one’ (referring to the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit) and this is not found in the later Bible versions. But when I read this verse in the Interlinear Bible, it corresponds to the […]

Was Jesus able to sin when he was tempted by Satan?

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

Question: When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, could He have sinned? Was it possible? Here is how I see it: If it was not possible for Him to sin, we would not learn anything from his temptation. On the other hand if he did not resist the temptation, He could not have […]

Is being a Goth a sin?

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

Question: Is being A Goth a sin? Answer: The Goths were a cultural.ethnic group from ancient times. There were the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths and other Gothic groups. These were Germanic tribes who invaded the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries. Eventually, they captured Rome itself. Many Goths were converted to Christianity, including the […]

What should the Christian take be on Trump’s decision to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel?

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

Question: Since the announcement from Trump that he would move the US embassy to Jerusalem, there has been an uproar in the media about how this pushes back the effort for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I am aware that the Jews have violated human rights in the occupied West Bank, but somehow deep […]

Can you comment on the claims that Christianity borrowed the idea of the Messiah from Zoroastrianism?

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

Question: I have recently had some doubts in my faith. I am worried about the many similarities between Christianity and Zoroastrianism. I have already read your posts on the subject, but I have also seen how the major scholars of this religion like Mary Boyce unanimously believe that Zoroaster lived in 1200 BC. I am […]

Is the science in other religions, especially Islam, evidence of their inspiration?

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

Question: I have a question regarding science and religion. I know that there can be some scientific conclusions drawn from the Bible. I wonder though are there any other religions that come close to the Bible in its scientific reliability or that make the same claims. I know in particular that Islam is very vocal […]

How can I best teach the gospel here in India to Hindus?

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

Question: I have always wondered about how a certain culture can be a hindrance for the Gospel, and how it can it be made relateable to various cultures. I would like you to give me some advice on how the Gospel would suit my Indian culture?. Answer: I have visited India three times to teach […]

The AI robot Sophia was recently given citizenship. What issues does the production of ever-more-intelligent AI machines like Sophia raise for Christians?

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

Question: Recently I’ve read some news about Sophia, the first AI (artificial intelligence) robot to be ever granted a citizenship. [editor’s note: the questioner is referring to Sophia being given citizenship in Saudi Arabia] Do you think this could be the first step toward a robot getting to be more human? As a believer, I […]

Does what we know of neuroscience leave room for the idea of soul?

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

Question: I had a question regarding the concept of the soul. It is currently my study in anatomy that has brought this topic back to mind. I looked for some resources on the site regarding the topic and gathered what I could from it. It has been a few years since I looked at this […]