Question: How long were the Israelites in Egypt? 430 or 215 years (Septuagint)? If they were in Egypt for 430 years, how do we reconcile this with Galatians 3:16-18? Answer: It is worth bearing in mind that the Near Eastern way of thinking about lengths of time and numbers in general is not as precise […]
Question: Tacticus wrote almost nothing about Jesus – just one small passage. Tacitus only said that Christians in Rome believed such a thing. It does not prove that Jesus was crucified. Further, we do not find any mention of Jesus in Seneca’s (4 BCE – 65 CE) writings and the historian Pliny the Elder (23 […]
Question: Can you give me factual references to scriptures/books using which I can use to refute reincarnation theory? I was born in a Hindu family. However God blessed me and I found my true faith. My entire family is Hindu. I have read Bhagavad Gita and Bible. Both have strongly written verses and theories in […]
Question: The editors of the Bible were not interested to preserve the history of Minor Prophets except Jonah. If editors mentioned the histories of Elijah and Elisha, then why were the Minor Prophets were left out? Answer: By “the editors” I assume you mean those who put together the historical books of the Bible. The […]
Comment: I have been questioning reformed theology for a few years. I have many books with historical evidence to show others why it’s heresy. I am in need of a deluxe Deep Bible study to combat this disease called reformed theology. Historically, I have traced back to Zwingli as one of the main culprits in […]
Question: I have an interesting question. What are your thoughts about the Bible Code? For example the Ivan Panin story: Ivan Panin, a Russian mathematician and linguist, noticed complex mathematical structures in the Bible, especially those based on the number 7. He believed that the biblical text contains a hidden, divine numerical code that confirms […]
Question: Adam’s sin was forgiven by God, according to the Koran (2:37), but Christianity says Jesus died for that sin. Does it mean Jesus’ sacrifice is meaningless? Answer: An interesting connection you have made! And a good question, I would say. Please understand that my answer is coming from a Christian, not a Muslim perspective. […]
Question: Can you give me factual references to scriptures/books which I can use to refute reincarnation theory? I was born in a Hindu family. However God blessed me and I found my true faith. My entire family is Hindu. I have read Bhagavad Gita and Bible. Both have strongly written verses and theories in supporting […]
Questions: 1. I believe there is good evidence for Christianity, but why do so many people not accept it if it’s true? Would a good answer to this question be that Jesus said most people would be condemned? (Matthew 7:13) 2. Does archaeology align well with the Bible? The New Testament is well supported by […]
Question; I have two questions that are troubling me. It concerns the passage from Deuteronomy 32:8-9. Please, answer if you can. 1. The ‘sons of God’—who are they in this passage? Are they divine beings, or are they Israelites? 2. Some critics say that this passage indicates that God El (the Most High in this […]
Question: God created humans and other living beings for nothing else but that they could serve him. He did not desire from them any provision or food. It was revealed to the Prophets to not associate any others with God in his Divinity. Didn’t Paul challenge OT teachings and make a mockery of them by […]
Question: NT writers contradicted the teachings of the Law & Prophets, and they have the nerve to say that they believe in Moses & Prophets. For e.g. NT directly contradicts with Deut. 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20. If Jesus’ sacrifice was pre-destined, then why did God say this before? Was God double-minded or did the NT […]
Question/Comment: The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) do not prove the inerrancy or historical accuracy of the Bible. The writings in DSS show a hugely different history than in the Bible. The Genesis Apocryphon is noticeably different from the Bible’s Genesis. Exodus, 1-2 Samuel and Jeremiah are extremely different in the DSS than in the Bible. […]
Question: I’ve been struggling for a while now to read the Bible itself but very often read commentaries, articles etc. concerning Scripture. I want to read Scripture itself but feel like I get the information so much ‘quicker’ from books etc. Any words of advice please? Answer: First of all, you do not need to feel […]
Question: Qadianis (Ahmedis) believes that Jesus escaped persecution and went to Kashmir where he lived to old age. What are your thoughts on this? Answer: People believe all kinds of things which are patently untrue, and this is one of them. There is literally NO evidence that Jesus ever set foot in the subcontinent of […]
Question: What is your take on Saturday being the Christian Sabbath, as taught by some Christian churches? Answer: Two things are true, which is that Saturday (actually, Friday sundown until Saturday sundown) is the Jewish Sabbath. The command for its celebration is found as one of the ten commandments (Deuteronomy 5:12). It is also true […]
Question: if Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time right now in 2024 , do you mean for example that Jesus knows and does not know at the same time right now ? God knows everything but man does not know everything. If Jesus is fully God and fully human, do […]
Question: You preach everywhere regarding the means of Jesus’ death, but my Muslim friend said to me: “They are spreading lies which will lead them in Hell.” That would include you. What should be our response? Answer: Your Muslim friend is claiming that when we Christians teach that Jesus died on a cross in Jerusalem, […]
Question: I am studying the Scriptures. Now, following your guidance, I am using a biblical dictionary, interlineal Greek-English Bible, and two Bibles (Scofield RV-1960 and Peshitta). I have a question. What is the difference between grace (xaris) and mercy (eleos)? I read someone (Danilo Montero, is an evangelist singer) who said: “Grace means to get […]
Question: What is it called when someone believes that God manifested himself in the Father, the Son and the Spirit, but that they are not separate persons? Answer: The most common technical name for this theology is Modalism, or the more technical name, which is Monarchical Modalism. It is called this because the teaching is […]
Question: In the Gospel of Matthew 11:19, one version says wisdom is justified of her children(KJV) and another version says wisdom is justified by her deeds(ESV). Please explain this variant “children and deeds” Answer: This is a familiar example of a textual variant with a fairly well-understood explanation. The explanation of the textual variant is found […]
Question: I am a Christian living in Latin America. Thanks for sharing God’s truth all these years. I have a question: Should I biblically visit my dead parents or relatives or am I falling into idolatry, or waste of time? What could be the best approach to the correct understanding? Thanks. Answer: This is a […]
Question: According to the Koran (3:146-148), there were many Prophets who have done Jihad and large numbers of God-devoted men have fought alongside them. They did not surrender to the non-believers merely because of their numerical inferiority and lack of resources. Can you show me such Prophets in Biblical history who have done Jihad? Please […]
Question: The teachings of the Koran are not a new or strange thing. All former prophets and messengers have also taught the same, that real life is the life of the hereafter and no soul bears the burdens of another soul, and the same has been said in the former books, the books of Abraham […]
Question: God promised paradise to those in the Torah and the Gospel who are killed in a holy war, or who kill others in a holy war as stated by the Koran (9:111), but paradise is missing from the OT (including the Torah) and holy wars are missing from the NT (including the Gospels). Have […]
[Editor’s note: I am doing the reverse of what I normally do here. The question is so long, that I despair anyone would read to the end of it to find my response. So, I am doing something that might be a bit confusing here, which is to publish my response before the question] Response: […]
[Editor’s note: This comes from a Muslim believer who claimed that Muhammad fulfilled the prophecy that one like Moses would come to save God’s people. I responded by giving him several ways that Jesus fits the description quite well, but asked him to provide “evidence” for the parallels between Moses and Muhammad. I also explained […]
[Editor’s note: This is a two-part question. The first question needed clarification, which was given, allowing me to give a more nuanced answer to the original] Question: According to Duet. 13:1-3, if a prophet appears among the Israelites and announces a sign and if that sign takes place, and then that prophet orders them to […]
Question: In reading the book of Jude, I discovered this: Jude 1:14 Enoch, the seventh of our ancestors after Adam, spoke of these people in advance, saying: “Behold, the Lord is coming with millions of angels” There are two questions to ask in this text: 1-Do you think Enoch is seventh in the Genealogy […]
Suggestion and Questions: Last night I took my nen’s Genesis Bible study group on a “field trip” to see “The Ark in the Darkness”. We really enjoyed the movie. It was laden with great supporting technical data and evidence. On our way home though, I raised a couple of questions that remain unanswered, and I […]
Comment: The Messiah depicted by the Hebrew prophets was NOT verified in Jesus. Their Messiah was a warlike conqueror, who should slay and subdue the Gentiles, and deliver Israel from the enemies. Who is right, the prophets or Christian apologists? Response: What can I say? I believe that you are simply mistaken in your stated […]
Question: According to Philip R. Davies, a British biblical scholar, prophetic books are primarily the product of scribes who imitated the traditional style of intermediaries and wrote for their own interest. Does it mean our prophetic books are fake? Answer: Philip R. Davies is an unbeliever. He is not a Christian and it is not […]
Question: I have been doing a lot of research on Biblical authorship. Recently, I came across an article entitled “A biblical text with ‘new’ facts about Jesus was found — and Christians ignore it.” In this article the authors claimed that Luke wrote a document called “The Dialogue of Jason and Papiscus.” Apparently, it was […]
Question: From where did keepers of the Dead Sea Scrolls get prophecies other than 16 prophetic books? The Dead Sea Scrolls contain prophetic texts identified as 2Q23, 6Q10, 6Q12 and 6Q13. Please respond to this because my Muslim friend asked me this and I’m confused. Answer: This Muslim person is not your friend, at least […]
Questions: Could you do an exhaustive defense of Sola Scriptura? I heard Roman Catholics using arguments, claiming that Sola Scriptura is never mentioned in the Bible. I also have heard that since the Bible doesn’t give us a list of what is inspired scriptures, we have to look outside to know what is inspired and […]
[Editor’s note: This is a list of several questions, with the answers interspersed between them] Is the idea of crucifixion and resurrection originally a Judeo-Christian view? The idea of a crucified saviour is unique to Christianity (not Judeo-Christianity), of course. In fact, execution by nailing to a cross was a fairly recent invention of the […]
Question: I’ve been hesitant to ask this question because I suspect this would be slightly annoying to do on your part, but here it goes… I read one of your past Q & As addressing unfulfilled prophecies on rationalWiki: https://evidenceforchristianity.org/can-you-explain-all-the-unfulfilled-old-testament-prophecies-listed-at-rationalwiki/ You may or may not know this, but some authors on rationalwiki have actually posted your […]
Question: What would you say to someone who is skeptical about “dual prophecy” where the prophecy was already fulfilled in a sense but could also refer to Jesus? For example, some Jews would assert that Isaiah 53 is about Israel and not about Jesus. I suspect this is not the only prophecy where this objection […]
Question: Jewish Christianity was the actual Christianity because Jesus was thoroughly Jewish, kept the Torah, and never disciplined [editor: discipled?] the Gentiles. The earliest Christians were all Torah observant Jews and saw Jesus as their Messiah, nothing else. Jewish Christianity, which emphasized keeping the Torah (among other ideas), came into conflict with Greek and Latin […]
Question: Did Alice Whealey prove conclusively that Agapius was translating the Syriac edition not of Josephus, but of Eusebius and did she refute the thesis that the Arabic fragment of the Testimonium supports its authenticity? Answer: I have not read Alice Whealy’s discussion of the Testamonium Flavianum in its entirety. In fact, I have only […]
Question: Why is the “God of Israel” fond of using woman’s metaphors, such as Babylon as a humiliated woman whose nakedness shall be uncovered (Isa. 47), Israel as an unfaithful wife who played the whore with many lovers (Jer. 3), Samaria and Jerusalem as two adulterous sisters who played the whore in Egypt (Ezek. 23), […]
Question: Is Christian mysticism biblical or is it ok to do? I am thinking of practices such as lectio divina and the theosis, for example. Answer: This is an interesting question. Actually, let me re-word your question if you do not mind. Let me ask two questions. 1. Are some or all of the practices […]
Question: Lately I’ve been thinking about the so-called “swoon” theory: the idea that Jesus survived His crucifixion, which you probably already know. I’ve been looking at what apologists are saying about it and have my own thoughts concerning their claims (the best source for apologetical arguments against the swoon theory I’ve currently come across is […]
Question: Thank you very much, Dr. Oakes. Thank God I found you. There are also 6 more objections I found and was wondering what you think of these: [Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to fourteen previous questions from the same person. The answers are interspersed between the questions.] 15. The historians who supposedly offered […]
Editor’s Note: This is a series of 14 questions, so I disperse my answers after the questions. Most of these criticisms are already refuted elsewhere at the web site, but since this poor unfortunate believer has been assaulted with so many false claims, I am including answers to all of them below. My responses are […]
Question: If Jesus was God’s son in a metaphorical sense, then Jews also called themselves God’s children. Israel was called God’s firstborn, and David was called God’s son. Thus, the reason of Jesus’ crucifixion depicted in the NT gospels seems baseless. And if Jesus was God’s literal son through spirit, then Adam also had no […]
Question: As an apologist, how do you always stand by your convictions and beliefs, as so often the arguments put forth to refute the Bible are so strong, rational and logical. Also, there is always the confirmation bias that could influence one’s judgement. Thank you. Answer: A very good question. I get literally thousands of […]
Question: Why does the book of Jeremiah have the appearance of being a medley of unconnected passages which are sometimes in contradiction to each other for e.g. chapter 37:11-21 and chapter 38 are divergent accounts of one and the same course of events? Answer: Part of your description is a reasonable assessment of Jeremiah, and […]
Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to a question in which the person said that Christians have stolen Jesus out of the Old Testament, and taken him completely out of context. I asked for specifics so that I could respond, and this is what came in. Question: Christians specifically misinterpreted Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12 […]
Question: Does Deuteronomy 12:30 forbid Christian apologetics toward other religions since we can’t inform ourselves about them? Does the verse apply for learning about other religious practices as a whole or simply forbid taking part in the practices of other religions? Answer: This passage appears to be a command to not even learn about other […]
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