General – Page 45 – Evidence for Christianity

Why did God wait to send Jesus to the earth–letting so much sin happen and giving Satan so much room to make trouble? Also, after God creates the new heaven and earth, will people populate this earth again and will Jesus have to come again–a cycle of the universe?

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

Question: If God/Jesus Christ has great power and can perform everything as he would want, why did he delay to come to the earth? And he certainly knew that the humans are full of sins, why did he need time to come; why he let people sin further before he comes, why did he let Satan stay on […]

Why should one believe in Christianity and not the hundreds of other faiths that exist in the world?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Other Religions .

QUESTION: It seems that I have been having some difficulty explaining to a friend of mine why exactly I believe in Christianity and not the hundreds of other faiths that exist in the world, why our faith is the "correct" one. He wants to know how is it that God can condemn people who believe […]

If Jesus and God are one, why did he preach against the rules in the Old Testament?

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

Question: Do all Christians confirm that God (ie. one who creates the heavens and earth) and Jesus Christ are one? If God and Jesus Christ are the same why when Jesus Christ was on earth did he preach sometimes opposite to the old rules and regulations in the Old Testament? Answer: It is my opinion that, […]

Is hell real, or a tool conjured by men to produce fear? Also, I heard from an author I read that the early church did not believe in eternal punishment, is that true?

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

Is Isaiah 29:12 a prophecy of Mohammed, as a Muslim I talked to claims. It mentions someone who says "I am not learned" which Mohammed also said.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question: A Muslim that I talked to argues that Muhammed was predicted in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12: "And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned." He claims that this is exactly what happend when Mohammed recieved […]

Can you explain the idea of the chosen nation from either the Old or the New Testament?

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

Question: Could you explain to me about the chosen nation either in Old Testament and New Testament? Answer: The Jews are known in the Old Testament as a "chosen people." They were chosen by God because of the faith of Abraham. The promise that the family of Abraham would be chosen is found in Genesis […]

Is there any validity to the idea of a supreme Antichrist who will come during a seven year period of Tribulation?

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

Question: Is there going to be one supreme Antichrist who is above the previous ones? Many futurists have been linking the 70 weeks of Daniel into a 7 year period of Tribulation where the antichrist shall rise up and claim the world. Is there any validity to this theory? Answer: No, there is no validity […]

My religion professor said Jesus used the word Synagogue rather than church in Matthew 16:18. Is this true? If so what is the significance?

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

Question: I have been discussing original texts with my History and Development of Early Christian Thought Professor. He made the point that the original word that Jesus used was synagogue instead of church. For example, "On this rock I will build my synagogue" versus "On this rock I will build my church". What Understanding do […]

Is there any evidence in the Bible that dinosaurs really existed?

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

Question: Is there any proof in the Bible that dinosaurs really existed? Answer: Dinosaurs are not mentioned in the Bible. Some say that leviathan (Job 3:8, 41:1, Ps 74:14, etc.), is a dinosaur, but this does not make sense. Whatever leviathan is, it surely is not a dinosaur. It does not even make sense that […]

What about baptismal congizance? If a person is unaware at the point of baptism that this is when we are saved, is that person therefore not saved?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I was just reading an excerpt out of the book "Who is My brother" by F. LeGard Smith, I believe you are familar with this book. He states that those who are baptised even without the knowledge that they are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins are still saved in God’s eyes. So […]

If God will destroy the universe, how will humanity survive this disaster?

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

Question: God is one who created the Universe and at the end he will destroy the Universe. Why does he do this? Does He have any choice not to destroy the Universe? If the Universe is destroyed, how can humanity can escape from that giant disaster? The Universe exists, then after a very, very , very long time it will […]

Were the prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament altered by followers of Jesus to suit their needs?

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

Question: Were the original prophecies of the Messiah altered? Jews state that Jesus did not fulfill all of the prophecies realting to the Messiah. They also claim that the followers of Jesus in the early ages sincerely believed he was the Messiah, and altered the Old Testament to suit their needs. Answer: It is true […]

Are there any specific prophecies that have been fulfilled? Many skeptics claim that prophecies are too broad to be reliable.

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

Question: Are there any specific prophecies that have been fulfilled? Many skeptics claim that prophecies are too broad to be reliable. Answer: The answere is a resounding yes. You will find a wealth of information on this topic in three of the books I have published. The three are Reasons for Belief, Daniel, Prophet to […]

Is Historicism correct? Do prophecies already fulfilled in the past have greater magnitude fulfillments during the Great Tribulagtion?

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

Question: Is there any truth of historicism? It is the belief that the prophetic events on Revelation, Daniel, Matthew, etc. repeat over time. Some believe that the events which have already taken place will occur again in greater magnitude. The holocaust (3.5 years) was just foreshadowing the events of the true Great Tribulations (Second half of […]

What evidence do we have that the book of Daniel was written in the 600s BC, and what evidence is used for a later date of composition, after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes?

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

Question: What proofs are used to show the book of Daniel was written in the 600s and what evidence is used to prove a later composition, around the time of Antiochus Epi arephanes? Answer: There is no evidence to support the idea that Daniel was written in the 600s, as Daniel died in about 535 BC. […]

Did God know Adam and Eve would eat of the fruit and bring sin into the world?

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

Question: Did God know Adam and Eve were going to eat the apple and bring sin into the world? It seems to me we are all suffering for what they did. Answer: God is all knowing. If I understand the biblical view of God correctly, he is not affected by time and therefore he knows past […]

Is there any evidence outside the Bbile that Jesus was a real person?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History .

Question: Is there any evidence outside of the Bible that Jesus was real? Answer: A number of non-Christian historical sources mention Jesus of Nazareth, from as early as the late first century AD. This includes Jewish historian Josephus, the Jewish OT commentary known as the Talmud, and Roman historians, especially Tacitus and Seutonius. These writers […]

Why is it that miracles such as restoring a mutilated leg do not happen today?

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

Question: I assume that God allmighty is performing miracles right at this moment. He is curing cancer, AIDS, and all kinds of spiritual and physical illness. But, why God doesn’t answer the prayers of a person that has been mutilated? Why there isn’t any miracle performed by our Allmighty God where a limb that has been […]

Muslim apologist Yusuf Estes says the Bible is full of contradictions and the Koran has no errors. How do I disprove this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, General Apologetics, Other Religions, Reliability of the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: I was reading the website of Yusuf Estes. A muslim apologist who used to be a Christian Minister. He claims that in his study of the Bible he saw the Bible is littered with contradictions, and that after reading the Koran he saw it had no errors and so could only be from God. How […]

If Jesus had so many brothers, why did he appoint John to look out for his mom? Does this not make the Catholic teaching that Jesus had no brothers more believable?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: I noticed that you indicated in a question concerning how many were in Jesus’ family, that he may have had at least 3 sisters. My question is this. If Jesus had such a large family and Jews were noted to care for their parents, why does Mary go to live under the care of the apostle […]

Why does 1 Cor 11:10 say that women should wear a head covering because of the angels?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: The Bible says in 1 Corithians 11:10 "for this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head." Why does it say that a woman should have a cover on her head because of the angels? Answer: You should know that 1 Corintians 11:10 is […]

Why does the OT sometimes mention "the angel of the Lord" and then The Lord himself. Is the angel of the Lord actually God?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Question: Reading in the Old Testament I came across a few things: many times it is said that angel of the Lord came to people, then the next line it is said that it was God who came e.g. Genesis 18 – talking to Abraham (those 3 men were angels or God?), Exodus 14 – Numbers 9:15…, Judges […]

Why is it that Finkelstein and Silberman, in "The Bible Unearthed" flatly declare that the exodus and the conquest of Canaan never happened?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, History .

Why is it that the latest book published on the archeology of Palestine, namely "The Bible Unearthed" by Finkelstein & Silberman flatly declares that the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan never happened ? Answer: You will have to ask them. I have enough trouble explaining why I say what I say, never mind taking […]

If Darius the Mede (Daniel 6) is a real person, why does The Cambridge History of Judaism not mention him, as it lists all the rulers of Bablyon after the Persian conquest?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Daniel, General, History, Reliability of the Bible .

Editor’s note: Since this article was written, a new paper which appears to identify Darius the Mede as Cyaxares II the Mede has been published. This appears to more or less settle the question. We recommend you read this paper. It is at http://www.academia.edu/9787699/Darius_the_Mede_A_Reappraisal Question: Why is it that “The Cambridge History Of Judaism” knows nothing […]

Are the sayings of Jesus in the gospels an exact transcript of what he said? Did someone take notes while he spoke?

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

Question: A new question has been submitted by Francisco (fjgoulart@gmail.com) on [08/21/08]: Everytime I read the gospels I wonder how possible it was to keep Jesus’s exact words in each of the writings. Thus, I have a question: Is it possible that someone took notes while walking around along with Jesus, maybe one of hs disciples? Answer: This […]

If all humans today are descended from Adam and Eve, what about the cavenen who predeeded them?

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

Question: I know that we are all descendents of Adam and Eve, but what about the cavemen who proceeded them? Aren’t they the earlier forms of humans or are they a different kind of species? (Similar to how gorillas are almost identical to humans genetically) When we look at the genealogy in the Bible, it shows that […]

Does Matthew 12:7 (I desire mercy, not sacrifice) mean that Jesus' sacrifice is not needed?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: How can you explain Matthew 12:7? Doesnt it say that God offers mercy and not sacrifice? How, then, can Jesus be the Sacrifice? Answer: As a general rule, when one finds what might appear to be a contradiction in the Bible, the first thing to do is to look at the context of the passage […]

Why is there no verse Mark 11:26 in my Bible?

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

Question: I noticed a curious thing tonight at bible talk. One of the passages we were asked to look at was Mark 11:22 – 25. I read a little further and noticed that there is no verse 26. Chapter eleven jumps from verse 25 to 27. What happened to verse 26? Answer: There is a […]

Did the apostle Matthew write the Gospel of Matthew and when can we assert he wrote it?

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

Question: I was wondering as a Christian, how sure are we that Matthew the Disciple of Jesus wrote the Gospel that bears his name and if he did, when can we assert he wrote his Gospel? Answer: I wish I could say that we know for sure that Matthew wrote this gospel and that we […]

If the Appearance of Age theory is to be rejected, what alternative ideas work?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General .

Question: If you agree that the “appearance of age” theory can be rejected, what are the alternative ideas that you do believe? I remember that you believe that there may still be dinosaurs in Africa dwelling in uncharted territories. Do you still believe this? Although I haven’t seen “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, […]

Why do some Christians believe Mark 16:15-16 is for us and Mark 16:17-18 is not for us but for the apostles?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Miracles .

Question: Why do some Christians believe Mark 16:15-16 is for us and Mark 16:17-18 is not for us but for the apostles? Answer: Before answering your question, let me point out something very important to know about Mark 16:9-20. Most scholars believe that it is quite likely this passage was not in the original book of […]

Genesis 6:2 says man's life span is no more than 120 years, but Jabob lived to 147 years. What am I missing here?

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

Question: A new question has been submitted by Karen (lilcricket229@aol.com) on [08/11/08]: In Genesis 6:3 God shorted mans lifespan to no more than 120 years, but Jacob live 147 years, and according to Exodus 6:16,18, and 20..three of Joseph’s brothers live 130+ years. Can you point me to what I am missing? Am I misreading […]

If the Book of Mormon is not true, they why has the LDS church prospered? Are they blessed by God?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question: The LDS church is very large. If The Book Of Mormon is not true then how come the church has been so prosperous? I am not saying that they are right but certainly they are doing goods things to earn God’s blessing. Answer: It is true what you say that Mormonism has grown fairly […]

If Christianity is the truth, why do some Christians convert to Islam?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question: This has been bothering me for a long time, if Christianity is the true religion, why are there Christians converting to Islam? Answer: The fact that Christianity is the true religion (ie that is tells the correct story about God) does not prevent people from being Hindu, Buddhist, Confucionist or Islamic. People reject Christianity […]

Is the Book of Mormon "another testament of Jesus Christ?"

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question: Is the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ? Answer: Joseph Smith certainly claimed that it was. This claim is found on the title page of the Book of Mormon. The simple answer is NO WAY. Joseph Smith showed no legitimate signs of being a prophet. He made no predictive prophecies which later […]

Can people be saved without baptism?

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

Question: Can you tell me About Baptisam? Without Baptisam can we be saved? Answer: All I can do on this one is go by what the Bible says. A good place to look is the first gospel sermon, preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, which is found in Acts chapter 2. After explaining to his […]

Is saving grace conditional or unconditional?

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

Question: Is saving grace conditional or unconditional? Answer: There is a sense in which this is a trick question, although I am sure you had no intention of posing a trick question. It reminds me of the situation in which Jesus was asked about whether one should pay taxes to Caesar. Simply saying either yes […]

Is it fair that God judges the world or a person before some get the chance to hear the message of Jesus?

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

Question: One might say it is unfair, that God might judge the world before some people (who are so very remote) ever get a chance to hear the message. What do you think? Answer: This is a very common question. I get it quite often at the site. It is a good question. My response is […]

Is the situation in Israel today a fulfillment of a biblical prophecy? Should we as Christians have concern for the Israeli people?

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

Question: Is the situation in Irael just now, prophecy being fulfilled? Should we as Christians be concerned for the Israeli people? Answer: The quick answer is a definite no. I discuss in some detail the premillenialist view and the tendency to view modern events as fulfillment of prophecies in Revelation, Daniel or Ezekiel in an appendix […]

Should the annointing with oil by elders for a sick person be practiced today?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Practical Christianity .

Question: Should christians or Elders today practice putting oil on their sick (siblings or relatives) and pray over them for healing? Is this something we shouldn’t be doing or should be doing? Answer; You question, I assume, is a reference to James 5:14-15. Here, James advises those who are sick to call upon the elders […]

Why does the Bible give the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph if he was not the father of Jesus?

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

Question: Why does the genealogy of Christ go from Adam to Joseph, when Joseph was not the father of Jesus (The Holy Spirit conceived Christ)? Answer: Actually, the genealogy in Luke goes through Joseph, but the genealogy of Jesus goes through Mary in Matthew. That is what most scholars accept. The reason for this is […]

What are the dates when the four gospels were first written? How do we know?

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

Question: With all of the different dates that are floating around re: the manuscripts – especially those of the 4 major gospels – what dates do you rely on and how are those dated (e.g. carbon dating, etc)? Answer: One thing for sure is that we cannot use carbon dating to determine the date that […]

How can I prove evolution wrong (please give me the version appropriate to a 13 year old)

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

Question: I have been needing some evidence to prove evolution wrong. Could you help but put it in wording for a thirteen year old to underderstand? Answer: The problem with your request is that there is no evidence which proves evolution wrong. In fact, the scientific evidence in support of evolution is quite strong. Perhaps you […]

How are you so confident that hostages were taken by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC (Daniel 1:1) when no other source mentions this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, History .

Question: How, John, can you state so confidently that hostages were taken and that some items from the temple were taken." This clearly is what you would like to be able to establish in order to be able to clear up the conflict between 2 Kings 24:1 and Daniel 1:1. The author of Daniel transfers things that […]

How do you explain the historical error in Daniel with regard to Darius?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Daniel, General .

Question: 1) Dan. 5:30 Belshazzar dies – Darius becomes king of Babylon 2) Dan 6:28 Daniel prospers during the reign of Darius and (later) Cyrus (Daniel 1:21) 3) Dan 9:1 Darius is said to be the son of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) 4) It is a historical fact that the conqueror of […]

When did Jesus ascend; on the first day of the new week (Luke 24:51) or forty days later (Acts 1:3)?

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

Question: When did the ascension happen, on the first day of the new week as stated in Luke 24:51 or was it 40 days later, as stated in Acts 1:3? Answer: Of course, it was about forty days later. Luke does not say when it happened. The scene in Luke 24:33-49 takes place in Jerusalem, as […]

The Gabriel Inscription: How should I think about it?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy .

Question: I am currently reading your book on "Reasons for Belief" and I am learning so much new information that has been very faith lifting. I have recently come across a video on CNN about a certain tablet that looked similar to the one you talked about in your book. The reporters are calling it the […]

If God knows everything, why did he let Lucifer have prideful thgouths? (and more questions)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General .

Questions: 1. Our GOD knows everything; even all thoughts before it appear to mind then why did he let Lucifer have a prideful thought? 2. In the begining how did the marriage of Cain take place as there were no women in that time(except Eve)? 3. Paul has written in 2 Corinthians 12:7 that he has wounded in his body. […]

Why do 7th Day Adventists keep the Sabbath?

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

Question: I’ve been wondering with regards to the Sabbath. Why do the 7th day Adventists still keep the Sabbath? I had an encounter with one of them and found that they practice Christianity much like I do. The only thing was that of the Sabbath. I then wanted to do a study but couldn’t wrap […]

Is it true that parts of Noah's ark where found in Turkey?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, The Flood .

Question: Is it true that parts of Noah’s ark where found in Turkey? Answer: The simple answer is no. Many have looked all over the region of Mt. Ararat and a number of expeditions have been made to the top of Ararat. A number of people have claimed to have found the ark or evidence […]