General – Page 27 – Evidence for Christianity

Romans 12:2 suggests doing God’s will can be pleasant, but I thought it involves suffering. Can you explain?

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

Question: I have a question on God’s will. Romans 12:2 and many other passages suggest that doing God’s will can be pleasant, pleasing and perfect, yet It was incredibly hard even for Jesus to do God’s will. Also there are many passages that suggest that doing God’s will entails suffering and hardship. How do we […]

How can such a powerful God create such a messed up world and expect me to love him?

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

Question: I have been guilty of skipping over the Old Testament but am reading it now with renewed vigor. I love that I can now search for Jesus in the old testament as well. My problem comes in with Jesus’ teaching about the greatest commandment being that we must “love God with all our hearts”. […]

Acts 4:25 contradicts Psalm 2, which proves that Jesus was not crucified

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Editor’s note: The comment below comes from a Muslim who does not believe in Jesus. Comment: Acts 4:25 to 27 and psalm 2. God was angry with them because they plotted against his messiah. This means God did not want them to plot against his messiah. This means God did not send his messiah to […]

How do I study with a Hindu who believes in Jesus and in Ganesh?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: Hello Dr. Oakes, I am studying the bible with a friend of mine that is Hindu. He is not very devout in his faith (he grew up in America most of his life and has never really grown into his beliefs). He was introduced to Jesus about a year and a half ago as […]

Celsus claimed that Mary was impregnated by a soldier named Pathera. Comment?

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

Question: In the works of Celsus recorded by Origen, Celsus tells of a Jew he obtained certain information from concerning the possibility that Mary was impregnated by a solider named Panthera. In addition the Talmud records an individual named Jesus ben Pandera or Pandira. Does this affirm that the Jews knew who Jesus’ biological father […]

Do DNA tests on the Shroud of Turin disprove the virgin birth?

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

Question: Do DNA tests prove Jesus had two human parents? Recently the Shroud of Turin has been re-dated within the range of 300 BC to 300 AD. As a result the blood found on the Shroud was type AB, and had both X and Y chromosomes. Where did the Y chromosome come from? If God […]

If evolution and abiogenesis have simple naturalistic explanations, then why can we not simply exclude God from creation of life and species?

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

Question: If evolution and abiogenesis have simply naturalistic explanations behind the origins and development of life itself, then wouldn’t this replace any need for a god? Abiogenesis for example gives forth purely scientific and naturalistic reasons behind how life came into existence, why at this point would there be a need for such a deity? Same […]

I believe the Holy Spirit tells me the understanding of the Bible. How can I be sure if I am correct?

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

Question: I believe my interpretation of the Bible comes from the Holy spirit not from man. Man may speak words but I think the Holy.spirit opens our hearts to hear his word. I have a hard time with people that say Gods word says such and such which it does but His word also is […]

How to I help someone with a quantum physics background come to believe in the Bible? My friend adheres to the work of Bruce Lipton.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Philosophy, Science and the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I was so grateful for your sermon yesterday in the Cape Town church. I was wondering how you would assist someone who comes from the quantum physics background to believe the Bible. In particular my friend adheres to the teachings of Bruce Lipton “The Biology of Belief”? Answer: Bruce Lipton is a well-qualified molecular […]

Can you explain Isaiah 11:14? Is it about a restored kingdom of Israel under Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, End Times, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: Dr. Oakes, I have a question about Isaiah 11. I understand that the chapter is a messianic prophecy, but how do you interpret verse 14? Is it fair to say that this would conjure up images of a restored kingdom of Israel (God) and is symbolic of the breaking in of the kingdom in the […]

Can you explain the translation of 1 Corinthians 7:36?

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

Question: (editor’s note: this question has to do with a Setswana (Botswana) translation of the Bible, as I just finished visiting there) Hi John. Obviously this is a very bad translation but I thought it would be interesting for you to see it. I have read translations that make better sense but please let […]

You are wrong when you say there is no evidence supporting the Left Behind scenario.

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

Question: I recently saw a question you answered in August of 2013 regarding the Left Behind movie remake. In it you remarked that there was not so much as a hint to support the idea that Left Behind teaches about the Rapture, that non-believers will be left behind on the earth. How can you say […]

Might Dec. 25th be the actual birthday of Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Question: A religious friend of mine shared this with me. Basically a “theologian” friend of hers wrote it showing “support” for Jesus actually being born on December 25th. “Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th? Dec. 25 was chosen because the 25th of the 12th month (Chislev) is the first day of […]

Did Christianity borrow its idea of punishment and judgment from the teachings of Plato?

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

Question: Did the concept of punishment and judgement in Christianity originate from the teachings of Plato as expressed in this article? Thanks http://www.bibleorigins.net/millenium.html Answer: The simple answer to this question is no, the concept of punishment and judgment in Christianity did not originate with Plato. This idea came to Christianity from God–the one who […]

Is it true that Josiah removed polytheistic elements from the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges and Kings?

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

Question: I recently came across a video titled “A History of God” and it suggests that Josiah ordered religious reforms commanding the Deuteronomists to delete all Polytheistic themes in the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, and Kings. Additionally the Israelites were supposedly always polytheistic and that the “Yahwists” apparently enforced strict monotheism as late as the 8th, […]

Does the account of the Last Supper as a Passover meal indicate a biblical error and historical unreliability?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: Does the account of the Last Supper as a Passover meal indicate biblical errors and historical unreliability? 1. Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, and Luke 22:7-38 call the Last Supper a Passover Meal as described in Deuteronomy 16:5-6, occurring on Thursday Nisan 14, and that Jesus was crucified on Friday and resurrected on Sunday.2. John 13:1 […]

Can you give me some information on the Moonies/Unification Church?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Practical Christianity .

Question: I really need an information about the Family Federation (Moonies/Unification Church). I am going to meet a student who invited me a couple of days ago. We decided to meet for a coffee and as I don’t know anything about them, I am thinking to let her share what she believes. But in the […]

Can science be used to evaluate the occurrence of miracles? Would accepting that miracles are real impede scientific progress? What criteria can be used to evaluate miracles?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Miracles, Q & A, Resurrection of Jesus, Science and the Bible, Supernatural .

Question: If miracles are to be considered divine singularities, is the scientific method appropriate for evaluating the occurrence of miracles? Does recognizing the occurrence of miracles halt scientific progress since doing so would require recognizing the miracle as a divine singularity instead of a repeatable regularity, and also result in the scientist’s giving up being […]

What was the effect of John’s baptism?

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

Question: I was talking about John’s baptism with a friend recently. I asked, what was the nature of the metanoia (repentance)–the change of thought and attitude of the ancient Jews. He expressed the understanding that John was able to baptize people because they turned away from their sins. I am confused. I looked into John’s […]

If quantum events are random, how can God know who is going to heaven and how can free will exist?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Miracles, Philosophy, Q & A, Supernatural, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Does god play dice? Quantum events are random. So how can God know who is going to heaven? The Bible mentions that those who are saved have been written in the book of life before creation. You also mention the universe has a sort of free will so how does God know about events […]

Is John 16:7 (Holy Spirit not sent yet) a contradiction with Luke 4:1 (Holy Spirit already sent)?

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

SUBJECT: Contradictions in Luke and John according to Muslims In (John 16:7) the criteria for the coming of the Holy Spirit is that Jesus has to go away, but it was already present as stated in (Luke 4:1,14,18) for example. Isn’t this a contradiction? Please reply as soon as possible because I am in […]

Can you comment on a wikipedia article claiming that early Judaism included worship of a number of gods?

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

QUESTION: Recently I was browsing an article on Wikipedia titled “History of ancient Israel and Judah” and I read some passages I extracted and wanted to know of you could tell me if there is any actual historical credibility to them. 1 The religion of the Israelites of Iron Age I, like the Canaanite faith […]

Does the “last days” refer to end times or to the time of the end of the Old Covenant?

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

QUESTION: This is about the phrase “the last days” in Isaiah 2:2 and Acts 2:17. When I first studied the Bible, I thought it referred to end times. It didn’t make sense to me because if that’s what the Bible meant, then it seemed like a weird time to inaugurate the Church. But since I […]

What do you think about a recent Muslim service at the National Cathedral or the Pope praying toward Mecca at a Mosque?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Practical Christianity, Q & A, Social Issues .

Question: I would like your opinion on two recent news items. First, is the situation at The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. where Muslims were allowed to hold service. Secondly, the story of the pope praying at a Mosque while facing Mecca. Would these be considered blasphemy? Can’t see where Jesus would approve of such […]

What is the main theme of the Gospel of Mark?

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

QUESTION: I will like to know what is the main theme of the gospel of Mark and what possible outline can I draw to help me study it better. thanks. Response: The main theme of the Gospel of Mark is this: Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the savior of mankind. This is the theme […]

Do the ethnic depictions of biblical figures matter?

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

Question: Do the ethnic depictions of biblical figures matter? I had a discussion with someone regarding an allegedly “white-washed and racist” depiction of biblical figures in a recent movie. Putting aside Hollywood or possible racial agendas, do we really need to be concerned about what color Bible characters are depicted as? Or could history provide […]

Can you explain the parallels between Isaiah 14:4-20 and the Ugaritic story of Athtar, Baal, Mt. Zaphon and the Morning Star?

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

QUESTION: Hello there, I was just kind of confused why Isaiah 14:4-20 seems to parallel exactly how Athtar overthrew Baal Hadad and enthroned himself atop Mount Zaphon in the Baal Cycle of Ugarit. This is kind of troubling me since it is so similar to the Canaanite account. Why are the mountains the same? and […]

Can you respond to the claim that the Bible condones slavery, child abuse, misogyny, war and rape-marriage?

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

Question: I’ve been interacting with a lot of punk rockers on facebook and on occasion one will post something anti religious and I’ve been making some gentle answers. However, I am hoping you can help me with the question below. Do you either have verses for me to cite or some short hand answers for this […]

Does it make sense to call the death of Jesus a human sacrifice?

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

Question: In an article at the site you mentioned that Jesus’s death wasn’t a human sacrifice. In the article you claimed “A human sacrifice is a situation in which a human being kills another human being with the purpose of appeasing a god” True, but didn’t Jesus die to appease the wrath of God […]

Do you have any resources on the authorship of Isaiah?

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

Question: Was wondering if you had any resources I could check out about the authorship of the book of Isaiah? Answer: Any good commentary on Isaiah will discuss this. Some claim that Isaiah Ch 1-39 has a different author from Ch 40-end. They do so both because they claim there is a different style of […]

Does the Old Testament apply to Christians today, or is it only the New Testament that really matters?

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

Question: Does the Old Testament apply to Christians today or is it only the New Testament that really matters? Answer: Of course the Old Testament applies to Christians today. It comprises over three fourths of our Bibles. Our job is to understand how it applies, not to decide if it applies. Evidence that it applies […]

Does the word “complete” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refer to the Bible?

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

Question: Does the word completeness in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refer to the Bible? 1 Cor 13:10 – but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. Answer: There has been much debate about this. I certainly will not settle this debate by my response to you. To me, I believe that he is stating a […]

Is Bart Ehrman right that the evidence for the martyrdom of the apostles is not strong?

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

Question: Hi Dr. Oakes. I have a question about apostle martyrdom. It has been asserted by people like Bart Ehrman that the evidence for the martyrdom of the apostles is not very strong. I hope this is not true. For which apostles do we have the best evidence that they were martyred, and what are […]

Are 2 Samuel 24:13 (7 years of famine) and 1 Chronicles 21 (3 years of famine) a biblical contradiction?

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

QUESTION: In II Samuel 24:13 God told David that he could choose 7 years of famine but in I Chronicles he could choose three years. Is this a contradiction? Answer: In the case of 1 Chronicles 21:12 the manuscripts are unanimous that the proposed time of discipline was three years. In the case of 2 […]

How do you explain examples of “unintelligent design”?

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

Question: Hello! In my biological anthropology classes at university, the argument of unintelligent design has cropped up a couple of times. In a lecture on primates, the example that came up was that our spine is designed to be horizontal so when primates moved to being bipedal due to erectness it led to many spinal […]

Can one be saved by implicit knowledge of Christ? Do you agree with CS Lewis and Karl Barth on this?

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

Question: Is implicit knowledge of Christ saving? Specifically, is it necessary to have explicit knowledge of Christ or is it enough to have faith in God (belief in one leads to the other)? If explicit knowledge is necessary for salvation, what is the soteriological effect of being unable to adequately describe the nature of the […]

How does a Christian balance “religious tolerance” with calling people to repent? Is religious tolerance a Christian quality?

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

Question: As a disciple of Christ, I want to understand the expression “religious tolerance”? We live in a country [editor’s note: the questioner lives in Russia] where we have a lot of the world’s religions. On the one hand we need to preach the truth, and on the other hand we need to be tolerant. […]

What is the meaning of the 70 years of rest for the land found in 2 Chronicles 36:21? Is it related to 490 years, found elsewhere in the Bible?

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

Question: In 2 Chronicles 36:21 it says that “70 years this place will be a wasteland and so the earth will have its Sabbath rest.” What does this mean? If 70 years represents the Sabbath, then is it significant that this is 1/7 part of the 490 years? Does this figure in the Bible? Is […]

Where does a vow go when we speak it? Does someone hear it? What about if someone makes a vow to Satan?

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

Question: As I was studying the Bible this morning, I came up with a thought that I would like to run by you to see what you think. If we can make vows to God, is it possible that people can make vows to Satan or other evil beings? Have you read anything about that? […]

How do I explain to a Catholic friend why the Apocrypha is not part of the biblical canon?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apocrypha, General, Q & A, Versions of the Bible .

Question: How do you explain to anyone, specifically Catholics, the canonization of the Bible and the fact that the Apocrypha is not part of the canon? Answer: I suggest you read either my book “Reasons for Belief” which describes the process of canonization of the OT and the NT, or my book “Daniel, Prophet to […]

Is there historical evidence outside the Bible that Jesus was put in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb or that Pilate placed guards at the tomb?

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

QUESTION: Other than in the Bible, do we have any historical evidence that Jesus’ body was put in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and that Pilate placed guards around the tomb? Answer: The simple answer is no. We do not have external confirmation of this particular historical event. What we have is the record […]

God promised to drive out the Jebusites in Joshua 3:10 but Joshua 15:63 says that they were not driven out. How can both verses be true?

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

QUESTION: In Joshua 3:10 the Bible says that God will drive out the Jebusites, but only a little later it says this: “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.” How can […]

How can evil exist without compromising either God’s goodness or his omnipotence?

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

Question: Can you explain how evil exists in the world without either compromising God’s goodness, His omnipotence, and/or implying dualism? For instance, in Isaiah it is written “I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things,” (45:7) willed into existence by God “I have spoken […]

Is Daniel 2:43 parallel to Daniel 11:6,17? Is it about the Ptolemies and Seleucids?

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

Question: We have met in Berlin. This is a topic that seems to have stuck with me since being a teenager (I am 34 now) and I would be very glad if I could have some exchange with you on this. To equate the first three empires of Daniel 2 as Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece is beyond […]

Did Apollos write Hebrews?

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

Question: Hi Dr Oakes. Is there any reasonable evidence that Apollos wrote the book of Hebrews? Given the fact that he was one of Paul’s most eloquent associates, and was very scholarly, do you believe that there is a high likelihood that he authored the Book of Hebrews? Is it true that some scholars believe […]

If the flood of Noah in 1 Peter 3:21 is a type, then doesn't that mean that we are saved in baptism?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, The Flood, Theology and Doctrinal Questions, Types .

Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT. I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it. It had a link to this website, so here I am. I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]

If the flood of Noah in 1 Peter 3:21 is a type, then doesn’t that mean that we are saved in baptism?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Prefigures and Foreshadows, Q & A, The Flood, Theology and Doctrinal Questions, Types .

Question: I have become fascinated with the shadow and reality relationship between the OT and NT. I just bought your book, “From Shadow to Reality” and look forward to reading it. It had a link to this website, so here I am. I have a question/thought that I would appreciate your thoughts on if you […]

The Bible (for example Revelation) makes it clear that there were twelve apostles, yet Paul is a 13th apostle. Isn't this a contradiction?

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

QuestionIn my study this morning I came across your Q/A about Paul (the apostle). You say that John does not mention him in Revelation. John started the church in Ephesus and it was later “taken over” or “led” by Paul. This led me to a quandry. First, Paul would make the apostles number grow […]

A theory is a fact. Your claim that evolution is affected by the supernatural is a cop out.

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

Question: Do you know that a theory scientifically is a fact? Don’t confuse theory’s perjorative and colloquial use with its actual definition. Also, just to state the obvious, referencing your q&a on evolution… Introducing supernatural forces makes everything easier. duh. That fairies took my box of halloween decorations and hid it underneath a box of […]

Why is Hebrew a Semitic language when, biblically, the Jews are a Hamitic people?

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

QUESTION: Hello there, I just wanted to ask, why is the Canaanite language, Ugaritic specifically so similar Hebrew? The words such as Yam (Sea) Mot (Death) and Yarikh (Moon)are found exactly the same in Ugaritic and Hebrew writings. If the Canaanites are a Hamitic people why is their language classified as Semitic? Is it possible […]