Question: Were people literate in the time of Jesus? Answer: This is a good question. As I understand it, the answer will depend on who you are talking about; whether the Jews themselves, or their Roman, Greek and other cultural neighbors. By the time of Christ, the chief institution among the Jews was the Synagogue. […]
Question: I am interested to know what is your opinion on the Earth’s approximate age in view of the fact that creationists believe it to be not more then a few of thousand years. They oppose the scientists’ claims that the Earh could be as much as 4,5 billion years old. They oppose this on […]
Question: Who is God talking to in Genesis 1:26? Answer: That is an interesting question. There are two aspects to this question. The first question is what is the implication of the use of the first person, plural (us, our) in this passage? The second question is who is the audience of the statement? Let […]
Sylvia; No, it definitely is not true that only 144,000 people will go to heaven, despite the fact that the Jehovah’s Witness has famously interpreted the passage that way. First of all, you should know that most of the book of Revelation is in what is known as apocalyptic language. This is a type of […]
I just read the article by Professor Geisler about early monotheism and had a few questions. I’m guessing that the author is assuming that Adam and Eve were the first ‘homo sapiens’ , and that the levant civilizations, particularly that of the ancient ‘habiru’ was the very first. I have read that the Chinese and […]
I have a theory regarding the passages in John 8 & Mark 16 not being in the Codex Vaticanus & Sinaiticus I would like you to comment on. Isn’t it possible that the previous version, from which these were copied, had John 8 & Mark 16 torn out, resulting in incomplete manuscript copies?;Maybe younger Codex […]
The bible teaches in Acts that the miraculous gifts were given at the laying on of the apostles hands. Therefore, they could have still been in existence in the late 2nd century (up to 100 years after John the apostle died). Is there any reference to miraculous gifts by the early ‘Church Fathers’ in their […]
What is Acts 10:44-46 talking about? Some people use this scripture to support that baptism is NOT neccessary for salvation, but I belief that baptism is indeed necessary for salvation. The context of Acts 10:44-46 is that this is the event through which God was able to convince Peter that salvation was for the Gentiles […]
In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven and what it is like. The mustard seed starting out small and growing into something big(a tree that grows 10-15ft high). My question is what do “the birds of the air” symbolize in this passage? Is there any reference in scriptures that would help identify […]
Someone asked me this question, i am not even sure if it makes any sense, but here it goes, Jesus being all knowing (you know; God in the flesh) would he have said that the world was round or flat and why? At first glance this seems like a very easy, almost a silly, question. […]
To what race did Mary and Joseph belong? The concept of “race” did not really exist in the ancient world. As far as I know, the Jews did not have words for different races. The Bible certainly does not hint at the race of Mary of Joseph. I believe we can assume that they were […]
Como puedo contestar biblicamente sobre los extra-terrestres? Un companero de mi trabajo dijo que Dios es extraterrestre porque no pertenece a la tierra, aunque el la creo. Tu que piensas sobre este tema? Gracias. Puede contestarme en Espanol. Gracias!!!!!! si no puedes esta bien. Yo me esfuerzo por leer ingles. Dios no es extraterrestre. Un […]
I’ve decided that there has to be a creator of everything due to the complexity of life and all creation, but how do I know Christianity is the right religion and not Islam or Judaism? This is a very good question. It is a bad assumption that one can simply leap from belief in God […]
I have studied out baptism very thoroughly, and I know that to become a Christian one must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. In recent conversations with disciples from different locations around the U.S., however, I’ve encountered a lot of dispute about who has done this. For example, say there was a […]
I was wondering about 1Tim2:9-10 and its relation to 1 Peter 3:3-4. I do not understand whether it means we are forbidden to wear pearls, gold and/or have our hair braided, or whether it is just a lesson that our obvious beauty should be of good deeds, etc. What do your think God is teaching […]
If Christianity is the one true religion why is there an Allah and other names for religions? For example, are there other religions that follow God and Jesus but just have them with different names, and how do we know which ones they are or aren’t? There is a common philosophy of religion which, in […]
Who is Muhammed and why does he play such an important role in certain religions? Muhammad was an Arab trader who became the chief prophet and founder of the Muslim religion, also known as Islam. He lived in the sixth and seventh centuries AD. At the age of forty, while living in Mecca, he claimed […]
1) Christianity holds that at one pointing time, the Old Testament was the truth and the Jews were the chosen people. What changed this? The Torah states 23 times “this is an eternal law for all generations” (to name a few, Exodus 12:14, 12:17, 12:43, 27:21, 28:43). If the Torah was at one point true, […]
Who was Susanna, martyr in Spain? I am afraid you will have to give me more specific information for me to answer this question. I did some research and the problem is that with Roman Catholic history, there are literally thousands of “saints.” There is the Susanna in Luke 8:3. I also found information about […]
I was wondering how one could prove that both chapters one and two of Genesis were correct. Not knowing how to correlate these two chapters is a serious impediment to sharing my faith with skeptical educated people. I have already answered this question. To save you some work, I will copy and past the previous […]
Is there any implication in the Bible that Jesus will come again as an infant? I was always led to believe that the 2nd coming of Christ would be on a cloud. No, there is absolutely not a shred of evidence to cause us to believe that Jesus will come back again as an infant. […]
What are the types of English translations (literal, interpretation, literal+interpretion): Holman (HCSB), King James, Contemporary (CEV), Good News (GNB), God’s Word (GW), The Message (MSG)? We see the MSG translation as interpretation and the KJV as a literal translation. Is that correct? (I am Romanian and my wife is Hungarian) About Bible versions, it is […]
I was posed with a question that I did not know exactly how to answer, one of many that I am unable to answer is; “If you discovered a truth that was truer than the Bible, would you go for it?” In other words, if you were to discover there to be a higher truth […]
What was Paul’s purpose for writing Romans? What was the pleasues soughted? What principles stressed? What are the potential for today? Most commentators believe that with Romans, although the letter is addressed to the church in Rome, it is a general epistle. In other words, the letter was intended all along to be a letter […]
I would like to know difference between choice and fate in our Christian walk. Starting from Adam to Judas. This is certainly one of the most significant theological/doctrinal debates in the history of Christianity?indeed in all religions. Given that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, and given that he exists outside of time, it seems logical […]
1. Cro-Magnon lived up to 100,000 and Neanderthal up to 300,000 years ago. What was the most recent dates for those species and when were they extinct? What year was Homo-Sapien on the scene – 45,000 years ago? Cain was the first agricultural farmer as far as evidence in the Bible, were the Homo-Sapiens the […]
I really enjoyed the book From Shadow to Reality. It gave me a more global perspective for the whole Bible and tied up some loose ends for me. I did have a question though about something you wrote. At one point, you wrote that Jesus fulfills the prophecy of coming from the lineage of Judah […]
As I was reading Genesis, I came across a scripture that I don’t quite understand. In Genesis 1:3, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light… there was evening and morning the first day” However, the sun was not created until the fourth day, right? In Genesis 1: 14 “Let there be lights […]
I receive the “Does God Exist?” periodical. I am one to agree with the notion that the Bible does not say that the earth/universe is 6,000 years old. It seems to me that many arrive at that conclusion based on the time dating back to Adam. By taking the age that the Bible says Adam […]
In Matthew 26:40-46; how many hours did Jesus pray in the Garden of Gethsemane? only one or three? I had a hard time imagining why it would be important to know how long he prayed in the garden. Normally when such a question is asked, there is some underlying issue behind the question, such as […]
I was conversing with a friend the other day about the Bible. He said he prefers to read the New Testament over the OT because the latter is less historically accurate. He cited as an example the Hebrew exodus from Egypt: he said that the Egyptians recorded everything (historical events, that is), and there is […]
I can’t seem to find any information on this, any comments or suggestions? What happened to the people in Matthew 27:52-53? The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city […]
How can there be a God if there is no proof? I know there is the Bible, but we have no way of knowing it is real. Several comments. First of all, there is overwhelming evidence that God exists. I have written a book on the scientific evidence for God. It is Is There a […]
In John 3:5 Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. In John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” In my opinion its […]
How did Christianity play a part in slavery? I am afraid that this is a fairly complicated issue. The simple answer is that true Christianity never condoned or supported slavery in any way. However, such a statement deserves an honest treatment of history as well as exegesis of the relevant biblical passages. The fact is […]
Where did the word “Bible” came from? The English word Bible comes from a Greek word which transliterates as biblios. The Greek word biblios means “book.” So when you are reading your Bible, you are reading your book. The Bible is The Book. John Oakes
Note: This is a very long question. The answer is several paragraphs down the page. I am presently taking a Comparative Religion course on the New Testament and have been struggling with some of the themes that have surfaced so far. Our course text is “The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to Early Christian Writings” […]
Had a thought while reading, “Is there a God?” – you list ‘Elementsessential for life’ as carbon and H20. I’m interesting in your thoughtsabout adding oxygen to the list. First its ability as an aerial solvent(to help create/sustain an atmosphere – and seems as strong an argument as H20 in the solvent arena?) & essential […]
Here is something I have wondered about. What is the history behind “totally immersion” baptism? I understand how infant baptism does not mold with the Bible?s teachings on baptism, but I always wondered what did the first century Christians do if there was not available water? Or not enough water for them to be totally […]
I am still in doubt about the age of OT descendants. Several hundred years seem a little hard to swallow. Is there any evidence, or other interpretation I should consider? On your question, I do not have an easy answer. One thing I try to keep separate in my mind is the things I know […]
Why was 1 John 4:1-3 written? Which people does he refer to who did not believe Jesus came in the flesh? If this was written in the first century, why would anyone not believe that he came in the flesh with so many eye-witnesses still alive? Is it because they could not understand or believe […]
I have heard that the word “he” and “him” is not a proper translation in John 1:1, but that it is the word “it.” If so, then “it” is a reference to the word logos and would not be a person, so, in a sense is not God. Is this true? Let me begin by […]
I have heard the claim that the early church fathers were from pagan backgrounds and their basis for explaining the godhead come from Plato and Aristotle and cannot be trusted in terms of their view of God. Is this true? First of all, the statement that the early church fathers were from a pagan background […]
I have heard of a conspiracy theory that argues that Jesus’s body was taken by the Romans and then some sort of stunt was pulled using someone who looked like Jesus to make the 500 mentioned by Paul in 1 Cor 15 believe he had risen from the dead. The argument then says that church […]
I was hoping you could give me a good answer why in Leviticus 11:6 the Lord told Moses that the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. Technically a rabbit does not chew the cud like a cow because it only has one stomach. […]
Could you make a good summary for the evidences to support the Luke 2 account of the census decreed by Caesar while Quirinius was ruling that would have forced Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem from Nazareth? I have read so much about the topic. I do see support that it could have happened, […]
The following four questions all came at once, presumably from the same person, and will be answered together, as they are all related: 1. In John 5:18, John says that Jesus was accused of calling God his own Father; making himself equal with God and that is why they wanted to kill him Don’t we […]
1. I have been told that only the apostles had the ability to lay their hands on people to give the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, Ananias laid his hands on Paul to restore his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Maybe he laid his hands on him to restore his sight […]
I understand that Psalm 2:7 is talking about Jesus but what do the words “Today I have begotten you” mean? Is he referring to physical birth? If not what is it talking about? I would say that the most obvious place to look for an answer is in John 1:14. “We have seen his glory, […]
In what way will the earth be destroyed as described in 2 Peter 3 and other scriptures? Will it be destroyed in the sense of non-existence or in the sense of being destroyed like in the days of Noah where the earth wasn’t totally destroyed, but the people were? Should this be a matter of […]
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: DVD
Buy Now: MP3
