If the bible was written so long ago and interpreted in many different ways and has been re-written so many times how can we be sure the version we read today is not complete fiction?
Question: If the bible was written so long ago and interpreted in many different ways and has been re-written so many times how can we be sure the version we read today is not complete fiction? Answer: I have answered this question a number of times and in various ways at the web site. I […]
What evidence is there for Jesus outside the Bible?
Question: What evidence for Jesus is there outside the Bible? Answer: Let me supply a set of notes I just put together for a class I am teaching on the subject this weekend. They may not be fully edited, but the notes are fairly complete. John Oakes Extra-Biblical references to Jesus: 1. Tacitus, Roman historian […]
If Tacitus and Seutonius do not mention the persecution of the church under Domitian, how can we be sure it even happened?
Question: I read "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" recently and was quite awestruck by the prophesies! I’ve been reading online that the Christian persecution under Domitian was historically uncertain and debated. Although the early church fathers routinely mention Domitian, the persecution is seemingly absent from the writings of Tacitus and Suetonius (and other Roman historians). […]
What about Acharya's claim that Pliny, Seutonius, Josephus and others do not reliably prove Jesus was a real person?
Question: I just read an article that puts forth some pretty convincing evidence that places the validity of Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius and a few other well known historians that many apologetics use to help confirm the existence of Chirst into question. Just wondering what the names of the other non-christian scholars are to […]
Can you respond to some Muslim arguments against the deity of Jesus?
Question: A- Deuteronomy 30:11-12 says: "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?" […]
How to rebut the attacks of atheists on the reliability of the Bible? (specifically from the web site humanknowledge.net)
Question: I’m a Christian but I’m finding it hard to rebutt some contradictions of the Bible I believe atheist are taking their questions from this website. http://humanknowledge.net/Philosophy/Metaphysics/Theology/Christianity.html Can the Bible challenge his theories? Answer: It is obviously not possible for me to respond to all the criticism of biblical Christianity at this web site. However, […]
If there is so much evidence supporting the validity of the Bible. Why do some Biblical scholars still remain so skeptical?
Question: If there is so much evidence supporting the validity of the Bible. Why do some Biblical scholars still remain so skeptical? Answer: Those who do not accept the validity of the Bible ought to speak for themselves. It is not my place to determine the motives of other people. Obviously, the reasons people choose […]
How do I know that particular verse in the Bible or a particular manuscript is the Word of God?
Question: Would you help me? I see many answering the questions: Is the Bible true? Is the Bible inspired? Is the Bible the Word of God? I have a different question that I do not find answered anywhere — at least, not answered in so many words. Those other questions start with the Word of […]
What about the two different and contradictory authors of the creation accounts and the flood account (other supposed contradictions as well)
Question: The work that I have been reading a great deal about is that of Christina Hayes, who is absolutly brilliant. Also, the work of Naham Sarna is another of my favorite biblical scholars. They both are finding many examples of symbolism and contridictions. You say that these things are simply not true, but I […]
Is it true that Genesis was written by four different competing groups and that it is very contradictory? What about the idea that it borrows from the Gilgamesh epic?
Question: I learned that the Pentatauch is attributed to Moses was, in fact, a compilation of 4 very different sources, which reflect the interests and biases of the author. This is a highly accepted theory and can be found everywhere in the Pentatauch if you know where to look. Like the story of the ark, […]
A friend asked me about the story of Jonah. She said that the story of the fish is impossible. How do I respond?
Question: An athiest friend asked me about the story of Jonah being eaten and thrown up by a fish. She said that this seemed imposible. How can I explain this to her? Answer: Your friend is right that the story of the swallowing and later regurgitation of Jonah alive on the third day is impossible. […]
Who are the "subjects of the kingdom" in Mathew 8:12 (one of 18 questions from Matthew!!!
Questions and Answers: 1] In Matthew 8;12 Who are the subjects that Jesus is talking about? "The subjects of the kingdom" are the Jews who do not receive Jesus. One can generalize this to include anyone who has been saved but later chooses to ignore his own calling, but in the context, Jesus is telling […]
Did scholars at the time of Constantine and the church councils change the Bible to fit their agenda?
Some of my friends say there is evidence that during the reign of Constantine and the meetings at that time, many scholars met and decided which books to put in the Bible and eliminated others that didn’t fit their agenda and they changed the wording of many of the verses and deleted others. Yet the […]
Why is Enoch's prophecy quoted in Jude 14? Why was Enoch not included in the Bible?
Question; I have question about the Book of Enoch. In Jude 1:14, Enoch’s prophecy is quoted from. Why was the book of Enoch not included in the Holy Bible? Answer: We do not have a detailed account of the process by which the Jewish scribes chose what books to include or to not include in the canon of the […]
What should I think about Muslim claims that God cannot have a Son, and that Jesus was only a prophet?
Question: I am a 23 year old Christian but I feel I am getting carried away by the talk of Muslims who say that Jesus is a prophet only and God can never have a Son. Answer: I have heard Muslim arguments that God cannot have a "Son" because God is one and for God to have […]
Who put all of the books of the Bible together in one book, and how do we know that they were right?
Question: Who put all of the books of the Bible together in one book, and how do we know that they were right? Answer: The logic of the answer to this question is fairly simple, but the evidence is a bit involved. In order to give you a sufficient answer, I suggest you read the […]
Where in the Bible does Jesus say he is God? Why do people believe the Bible is corrupt?
Question: Where does Jesus say he is God? I haven’t seen a verse in the Bible where Jesus says he is God. Also I am sure that you are aware that many people think that the Bible is corrupt, it this is not true, where are they getting this belief from? Answer: The answer is that Jesus […]
Some say that Christianity is "false" because the Gospels were written to conform with the political views of that time. What is your response?
Question: I have heard a lot of people who argue that Christianity is false, say that the Gospels were written to conform with the political views of the time, and each author wrote to get his political views accross. What do you say about this? Answer: This is a very good question. I have not […]
Were the prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament altered by followers of Jesus to suit their needs?
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 […]
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?
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. […]
Muslim apologist Yusuf Estes says the Bible is full of contradictions and the Koran has no errors. How do I disprove this?
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 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?
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?
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 […]
Did the apostle Matthew write the Gospel of Matthew and when can we assert he wrote it?
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 […]
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?
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 […]
Why does the Bible give the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph if he was not the father of Jesus?
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 […]
When was 2 Peter written?
Question: I have recently heard that many scholars believe 2 Peter is pseudepigraphical and was written around 100-150AD. Is there any evidence that shows that it was written around 64-65 AD which is another possible date that it was written? Answer: The date of writing of the New Testament books will always generate some controversy. We […]
Is the Egyptian figure Imhotep actually Joseph? Is there any evidence of a seven year drought in Egypt?
Question: I read an article by a Christian scholar who believes the Egyptian God Imhotep to be none other than Joseph in the Bible, deified and exaggerated to fit Egyptian beliefs. The step pyramid, which was the first pyramid to ever be built in Egypt, is historically credited by the Egyptians to be the work […]
Is it true that the armor Goliath supposedly wore in 1 Samuel 16 did not even exist at that time, making the story an anachronism?
Question: I watched a show on Discovery called "Lost Kings of the Bible". They claimed that Goliath couldn’t have worn the armour that the Bible says he was wearing at that time. The show claims that they didn’t wear heavy metal armour on their bodies at that time. I believe the Bible, however I was wondering about your response […]
Paul (1 Cor 10) says 23,000 were killed, while the writer of Numbers says 24,000 were killed. How do you explain this discrepancy?
Question: I was wondering when Paul refers to the 23,000 killed in one day in 1 Cor 10, is he referring to the incident in Numbers. In Numbers it says 24,000 were killed. I’ve heard different explanations. 1) Paul says one day and so the remaining 1000 were killed the next day 2) it […]
Can the Bible be inspired without being inerrant?
Question: Would you say the Bible is inerrant but it doesn’t HAVE to be inerrant to be inspired by God? i’ve always thought the Bible had to be inerrant. and by God’s grace i still do. but i guess what you said has made me think it doesn’t have to be for us to know […]
If the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) occurred, why does Paul never mention it?
Question/Comment: Please explain why "nowhere in his writings does Paul appeal to the decisions of such a Council, which were clearly so completely in his favour, nor does he ever appear in the slightest allusion or reference to be conscious of their existence." (S G F Brandon p.131). Galatians 2 speaks of no Council, only a […]
The Pilate presented in the Gospels is very different from Pilate in Josephus. Why do the evangelists give a false portrayal of Pilate?
Comment: The actions reported of Pilate in the Gospels bear no relation to the character of the Roman official depicted in Josephus. All you need to do,is look up every passage in Josephus where Pilate is involved and then compare the difference in personality and action between the man in Josephus and the Gospels. When […]
How then do you explain the LXX & MT versions of Daniel & the story of Bel & the Dragon?
Question: How then do you explain the LXX & MT versions of Daniel & the story of Bel & the Dragon? Dennis; God used the Jewish teachers/rabbis as the arbiters of what is to be considered an approved text. They said no to the additions to Daniel. I agree with their assessment by looking at […]
How can Matthew 24:36 (only the Father knows the day and hour, not even the Son) be true if Jesus was God and omniscient ?
Question:,How can Matthew 24:36 (only the Father knows the day and hour, not even the Son) be true if Jesus was God and omniscient ?,Answer:,To be honest, I do not know exactly how this worked. Jesus lowered himself in ways which I do not throroughly comprehend when he came to earth and took on a […]
Is it true that the Catholic Church has hidden evidence of other gospels, and possibly one from Jesus himself?
Question: I have heard and seen articles so many times about the Catholic faith hiding evidence of other gospels and possibly a gospel from Jesus himself? This concerns me since I used to be Catholic (now a non-denomintated Christian) and still have many Catholic friends that may be oblivious of this information and frankly get […]
How can we know the date of an event or writing from thousands of years ago if the date was not recorded at that time? For example, someone may say, "this was written around 58 AD". How can we know that for sure?
Question: How can we know the date of an event or writing from thousands of years ago if the date was not recorded at that time? For example, someone may say, “this was written around 58 AD”. How can we know that for sure? Or even when someone says, “the book of ____ was written […]
How is it that God says that something will last forever (ex. Ex 12:14, Lev 3:17, Deut 12:1), but then God changes his mind and does something different? One example is with the Sabbath.
Question: The Old Testament declares many times in very explicit language that certain commandments shall be observed forever. (To name a few: Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 3:17, Leviticus 23:21, Deut 12:1) If so, how does it make any sense that the Creator would change His mind/contradict Himself and do away with these commandments!? If a religion […]
Why is the Book of Enoch not in the Bible if Jude quotes from it? Also, how could a modest sized boat such as the ark hold all those animals?
Question: There are two questions that have been troubling me. 1) The Ark – how could such a modest sized boat keep so many creatures alive for so long? 2) Why is the book of Enoch not part of the Bible. Surely if the apostles could quote from it it should carry some weight? Answer: […]
Is Leviathan a myth? If so, how does this fit with the claims that the Bible does not contain myths?
Question: Many theologians and teachers say that the Leviathan is a mythical sea creature yet you state within your book that the Bible never resorts to myth. I know that there is much picture language in the book of Job, but this has often troubled me. I would really love to hear your thoughts. Answer: […]
Is the Bible inerrant? Should I defend belief that it is inerrant?
Question: My pastor preached a sermon suggesting that we should not believe that the Bible is without error. I happen to disagree with his assertion however, he said that the numbers in the book of Numbers do not add up and used this as proof of his belief. He did not go into detail on […]
Explain how Daniel says Darius asked people to pray to him when we know from other sources that the rulers of Persian and Media were Zoroastrians and would never have allowed themselves to be worshipped
Comment: 1) The Medes became Zoroastrian before the Persians 2)Daniel 6;9 has King Darius signing a decree that no prayer should be directed to anyone except the king. This would be unthinkable for a Zoroastrian and therefore the account cannot be historical. 3) The word for king is totally separate from the word for governor […]
What about the evidence that deutro-Isaiah was written after the Persian conquest. (and other questions)
Comment: I notice that you do not include deutero-Isaiah in the list of books that were completed after the Persian conquest. In this, you differ from modern scholars of the Old Testament and I would be interested to know your reasons for so doing. I am currently in the process of reading through the old […]
Ezekiel 26:14 says that Tyre will never be rebuilt but it is there to this day and HAS been rebuilt. Can you explain this?
Question: Ezekiel 26;14 says that Tyre will never be rebuilt but it is there to this day and HAS been rebuilt. Can you explain this? Answer: Yes, but not on the original site. The original site is still basically a bare rock, even today. It has been excavated. The rock Tyre stood on lies just […]
How do you know Jesus was born in Bethlehem? Maybe the Gospel writers fit the details to match the prophetic passages.
Comments: What is interesting about the Gospel writers is the way in which they fit the details of the story to match the “prophetic” passages which are pre-existent to the story and are already selected as “must be” parts of the story. How for example do you know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem? The […]
We know that the Essenes interpreted messianic ideas in the Old Testament allegorically–wresting passages from their context. Isn't that exactly what the gospel writers did to make Jesus appear to be the Messiah?
Comment: One of the benefits of reading Essene interpretations of Scripture written 100/200 years before the Gospels, is that it enables one to see how religious Jews of the period would happily wrest any passage of Scripture from its clear ancient context and apply it allegorically either to the present or the future. The evangelists […]
What is the history and the importance of the four text types of the Greek New Testament? Is Bruce M
Question: My question is can you tell me where specifically did the four text types originate and when they originated and by whom or what local group are most likely to have done so? I understand by Bruce Metzger that using the fathers to locate a certain family of text or reading is also a […]
Please explain the differences between the Septuagint and Masoretic text in relation to your belief in the faithful transmission of Scripture. How does it impinge on your belief in the prophetic element in the OT ?
Question: Please explain to me the differences between the Septuagint and Masoretic text in relation to your belief in the faithful transmission of Scripture. How also does it impinge on your belief in the prophetic element in the OT ? Answer: I have found in my study that the transmission of the original has been […]
Is the burial custom in 2 Chron 16:14 an anachronism? I find no knowledge of such a Jewish burial custom.
Question: I detect an anachronism in the burial practice described in 2 Chron 16:14. To the best of my knowledge there is no Jewish custom recorded elsewhere regarding this clearly ongoing practice. What therefore is its explanation? Answer We do not know all the cultural practices of the Philistines. If the Bible were to mention […]
