Who are the Gnostics?   ?For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.?  If he had not given himself away before this, the writer of Judas makes it clear what his philosophical perspective is when he put these words into the mouth of Jesus.  This is a clear statement of the Gnostic idea.  It […]

Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 6:04 PM Subject: RE: Da Vinci code book   Thanks my brother – another great resource is the one put out by John Oakes’ wife in the form of the newsletter from last month – I just finished the Da Vinci code book last night, and it was fun to […]

Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 6:04 PM Subject: RE: Da Vinci code book   Thanks my brother – another great resource is the one put out by John Oakes’ wife in the form of the newsletter from last month – I just finished the Da Vinci code book last night, and it was fun to […]

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Question: Mark 16:16 says that signs would be with those who believe and John says that we can do greater work then Jesus Christ. What are these greater works? Answer: Although I can certainly see how one might make the connection, I would be cautious about using Mark 16:16 to interpret John 14:12. Let me […]

ARS Evidence For Christianity Newsletter Letters to the editor Sun 4/9/2006 12:41 AM   Letter to the editor   Greetings to you all.   May God continue to bless you for your love for us all.  The site is very helpful.  I ?lead our church in Warri, Nigeria.  Please can you help me with the […]

Brown makes a number of other equally unsubstantiated claims, but probably the most outrageous is that Jesus had sexual relations with Mary Magdalene which led to her giving birth to a son.  He claims the ?Holy Grail? which Christian mystics searched for the past two thousand years was actually the secret that Mary Magdalene had […]

I was rereading your article on the ID debate after reading through an interesting article found at the link below   http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/0 0002583/  It made me reconsider your statement: "There is no experiment one can even conceive of which can test the design hypothesis. What could one do in a laboratory to test whether a system […]

Letters to the Editor, December Edition Is Christmas A Christian Holiday? When people claim a late date for NT writings, another great question for them is why there is no mention of the Jewish Temple being destroyed, the ritual sacrifices with it, and the scattering of the Jews. To most people who understand the Jewish […]

                Consider a second example of a criticism of the Qur’an which was raised by a questioner.  This involves what the Qur’an appears to say about the nature of earth’s mountains and their purpose.  Examples include Suras 16:15,21:31,31:10,78:6- 7.  Sura 16:15 says, "And He has cast great mountains in the earth lest it might be […]

AIM WEST COAST Registration Form Apply by downloading, completing form, then emailing it to:  joakes01@san.rr.c om.  Or print and complete the following form and mail it to AIM WEST, 1074 7 Cariuto CourtSan Diego, CA92124.  Include:  $50 fee.  Make checks or money orders to Apologetics Research Society.  Memo: For AIM WEST   1. Full name (as […]

ATHENS INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY AIM WEST COURSE DESCRIPTION & READING ASSIGNMENTS   CHURCH HISTORY As one wise person said, ?Those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat them.?  There is so much to learn from two millennia of church history?a valuable course indeed.  Includes sections on; the early church, Patristics, Restoration Movement, […]

BOOKS ON APOLOGETICS  Book titles which are highlighted are linked to a book review or to a place to buy the book. GENERAL APOLOGETICS Reasons for Belief:  A Handbook of Christian Evidence, by John M. Oakes, PhD (GCI Books, 2001) The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999) Know […]

What was the birthplace of the prophet Daniel?               That is a good question!  Because I wrote the book, "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" I have had to research this question somewhat carefully.  The best I can tell, the Bible gives absolutely no direct information as to the lineage of Daniel, or where he […]

Where in the Bible does it say that the disciples will sit at the right hand of Jesus?             The answer is that the Bible says that they will NOT necessarily sit at his right hand.  The relevant passage is in Matthew 20:20-23 in which James and John, "the sons of Zebedee" asked Jesus to […]

? 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 […]

? I know Joshepus was considered a Jewish historian or should I say a historian?  Who were some others and were they different than the "writings of the fathers?"         Josephus was a Jewish historian of the late first century AD.  He began his career as a partisan zealot for the Jews rebelling against Rome.  […]

 Note:  This is a very long question about Behe and Intelligent design.  The question is a few pages down (look for the indented material) I study medicine, and I am in the second year this year. I am a lot interested on questions about creation/evolution. I am a Christian and take seriously me faith in […]

 Note: this is a very long question.  The answer is way down the page!!!  Beyond the basic Christian labeling/dismissal which you demonstrate.  My own reasons for doubting God’s existence are based on the very same premise I am accused of suppressing, that is truth.  My chief dissatisfaction with Christianity and Christians as a whole is their […]

? By reading the Old and New Testament what can I learn?         This is such a broad question it is hard to begin.  Let me answer your question by making one suggestion.  I would suggest that if you read both the New Testament and the Old Testament carefully, you will find that they have […]

? What happened to King Belshazzar in the book of Daniel?             The book of Daniel relates that on the very night of the idolatrous feast at which the writing appeared on the wall, Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took over Babylon (Daniel 5:30).  It is not at all surprising that the former […]

? Every one knows the story of Noah and his ark.  Some believe it, some don’t, but that is irrelevant. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the first written story ever found. This epic describes how Gilgamesh took two of each animal plus his family into an ark to avoid a world wide flood sent by […]

Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God?s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God?which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1   Old Testament Ritual Sacrifice Points to New Testament Sacrifice One evening a chicken and a pig were having a deep  discussion about  breakfast the next day […]

??????????????????????????????? Evidence For Design In The Universe from Limits for the Universe by Hugh Ross, Ph.D. in Astronomy 1 ??????????????? Gravitational coupling constant??????????????? ??????????????????????????????? If larger:??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????? No stars less than 1.4 solar masses, hence short stellar lifespans???????????????????????????????????????????????   ???????????????  ??????????????? ??????????????????????????????? If smaller:??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????? No stars more than 0.8 solar masses, hence no heavy […]

DESIGN   To those willing to see it that way, the physical universe and the wonders of life surely cry out that there is a creator.  Truly, the words of Romans  1:20 are confirmed by the virtually every aspect of the physical world.  AFor since the creation of the world God=s invisible qualitiesChis eternal power […]

What are God’s reason why He created different insects and even rats and cockroaches? I would not presume to speak for God on why he created rats and cockroaches. I would say that from a biological perspective every creature has its part–even bacteria and other microbes which can at times cause diseases–are essential elements in […]

BOOKS ON APOLOGETICS  Book titles which are highlighted are linked to a book review or to a place to buy the book. GENERAL APOLOGETICS Reasons for Belief:  A Handbook of Christian Evidence, by John M. Oakes, PhD (GCI Books, 2001) The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999) Know […]

? Can an ex-Christian who commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit ever be saved again?         The simple answer is no. Jesus calls this the "unforgiveable sin." To quote Luke 12:10, "but who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." This naturally raises the question, what does it mean to blaspheme against the […]

I think you need to ask yourself some careful questions. What is true? There are many belief systems, many religions, many philosophies out there. How do you know what is true? I believe the Bible shows incontrovertible (how’s that for a big word!) proof that it is from God.? I believe this based on the […]

In reading I noticed that one answer for question 5 had this response: 1. The Codex Vaticanus, or Codex B. The Codex Vaticanus is a vellum codex on 759 pages in uncial script. The manuscript has been dated to around 350 BC. It contains the entire New Testament, except Hebrews 9:13-end, I and II Timothy, […]

Since, I want to make my time studying as useful as possible, my question is this: When studying the Bible with non-Christians, what "Christian apologetic subjects" have you found to make the greatest impact? The subject I have found to make the most difference, by far, is prophecies; especially prophecies about the Messiah. This material […]

Unicorns, Dragons, and other creatures we normally associate with fantasy are mentioned in the Bible. Did they really exist? Editor’s note: This answer is copied and pasted from Yahoo Answers as it is actually a significantly better anwere than the one I originally gave to this question! John Oakes Best Answer – Chosen by Voters […]

[<em>Why do some some believe that you must speak in tongues in order to have a great relationship with God?</em>] First of all, I would refer you to the book by my friend Douglas Jacoby who is certainly much more the expert on this subject.? His book is The Holy Spirit.? It available at www.ipibooks.com. […]

That is a good question! Because I wrote the book, "Daniel, Prophet to the Nations" I have had to research this question somewhat carefully. The best I can tell, the Bible gives absolutely no direct information as to the lineage of Daniel, or where he was born. For this reason, one is left to speculate […]

 Question:  Why did He really create us? He knew most would reject Him. He knew all would fall short. He knew they would eat that apple! And if we say He created us because He wanted to love us, etc.. then that means He has needs. I am really trying to ‘believe’ that God is […]

In the year 2000 Robert Ballard, famed for discovering the Titanic, made an astounding discovery.? Several? hundred feet below the current later level in the Black Sea, he discovered an ancient coast line and even signs of human habitation.? Both of of these discoveries strongly suggest that several thousands of years ago there was a […]

(Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were the co-winners of the 1978 Nobel prize for physics and the co-discoverers of the cosmic background radiation in 1965. Penzias is currently the Vice-President of Research for AT&T Bell Laboratories; Wilson is the astronomer for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) For this interview session Fred Heeren, president of the Day […]

(Robert Jastrow was Founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute and director of Mt.Wilson Institute and Observatories) " … we know now that the universe had a beginning, and that all things that exist in this universe?life, planets, stars?can be traced back to that beginning, and it’s a curiously theological result to come out of science." For […]

THE PROBLEM OF EARLY MONOTHEISM The Bible teaches that monotheism was the earliest conception of God. The very first verse of Genesis is monotheistic: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). All the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, reflect an early monotheism (Gen. 12-50). This reveals one God who created […]

I would have to agree that this is off the subject of a Christian evidences web site, but since you ask, let me give at least some sort of answer. I am extremely uncomfortable making some sort of blanket statement of condemnation about a particular choice of lifestyle which is not specifically mentioned in the […]