Question: Why should Israel punish heretics with death? in the NT it does not seem to happen in the same way. Should a Christian country tolerate pagan philosophies and religions, or should you pursue for the good of all? Answer: First of all, let me acknowledge that the distinction you notice is certainly real. The […]
Question: I recently stumbled upon a theory that the story of Jesus as the Messiah is borrowed from people before him who also claimed to be the Messiah. Two claimants in particular were mentioned. The first one is called Simon, some aspects of his life are extremely similar to those of Christ. The second one […]
Question: In reviewing one of your Q/A online I saw you refer to “original sin” as a false doctrine? What is your basis for this statement? Are you meaning that you don’t believe that sin originated with Adam and Eve? Do you believe that creation was perfect before Adams sin–that mankind did not, sin creating […]
Class: The Book of Revelation Evidence For Christianity is putting on our first live broadcast beginning this Saturday 4/18 at 9:00 Pacific Savings Time, for six consecutive weeks. Dr. John Oakes will be teaching a 10 hour class on the Book of Revelation. The theme of Revelation seems particularly appropriate to these times. To come […]
Question: First I’d like to thank you for your teaching and answers on the Evidence for Christianity website. You helped me in understanding some parts of the scriptures that troubled me. I have had paranoid schizophrenia for several years and I can easily get fearful of the future. I can feel that I could be […]
Question: Dear Sir, Please help! I have two questions: 1. Some like Bart D. Ehrman don’t believe in the empty tomb. Ehrman posted on the internet google page stating that the tomb of Jesus Christ was lost. Is the tomb of Jesus Christ actually lost and not found by his disciples or by other people? […]
Question: I have a question I hope you can help me with. It’s probably one you’ve answered before but I didn’t see any like it posted on your site. With so many great scientists not believing in God it sometimes makes me doubt my faith. I read somewhere it’s 30/70 for belief/non belief for scientists. […]
Question: William Marrion Branham is considered by some to be an end-time prophet. They say that in order to be taken up by Jesus, every Christian must believe his end-time message. What do you think about ? Answer; I have come across the Branhamites in both West Africa and in Central Africa, especially the two […]
Question: How do I explain to someone who doesn’t believe in the inspiration of the gospels, how it is that John was able to write his gospel in Greek even though he was called “unschooled” Acts 4:13? “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they […]
We are excited to announce a brand new book by Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo. It will be available in two weeks, but can be pre-ordered now from Illumination Publishers, International. www.ipibooks.com Here is the link for purchasing the book. https://ipibooks.ecwid.com/#!/Hebrews—Living-By-Faith/p/168762906/category=18671191 See below for a brief excerpt from the introduction to the book. Hebrews: Living […]
Hebrews: Living by Faith. A new book published by Dr. John Oakes and Robert Carrillo We are excited to announce that as of mid-February John Oakes’ new book on Hebrews will become available. He has written the book in concert with Robert Carrillo, former CEO of HOPE Worldwide and evangelist in the Los Angeles International […]
Questions: 1. If an allegorical system of interpretation is applied to the creation story, that is 6 days is billions of years, how about the rest of the scripture? 2. God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning— the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31), […]
Many in our churches who spend time on our college campuses have come across the rather strange sect which teaches about the Mother Goddess. I had not come across this group personally until a recent experience while sharing my faith at Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, California. Normally, I like to avoid writing against groups I […]
This newsletter will feature some recent Q & As, an announcement about an upcoming conference and more Website Upgrade We have recently completed some upgrades to the web site. After much delay, we are finally https, not http which means that we have a higher level of security. Some of you have tried to become […]
Question: My friend asks if Jesus is the only parameter to get to heaven. Not everyone gets to know Jesus like some do in their privilege. So she finds it hard to believe in a religion that doesn’t give everyone a chance. When she asks how the people prior to Jesus were saved, she was […]
Our September newsletter will feature the journal from my recent teaching trip to Northern Europe. See below. New Materials available at EFC There is a lot of new material available at the web site. I have now finished a ten-part series of sermons from the Book of Hebrews. Also, a twelve hour class on Christian […]
Comment: I was reading some of your explanations as to why Paul was a valid apostle. I must disagree with you for a number of reasons. You made this claim, “Paul is described as an apostle multiple times, both by himself and by others” Paul describing himself as an apostle invalidates his claim because he becomes […]
Question: In Mark 13: 25 there is “And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.” Here Jesus said stars of heaven shall fall…. According to astronomy and science stars will not fall but asteroids can fall, and when I google the idea some websites say stars […]
Christian Teacher’s Conference, March 6-7, 2020 Conversations Dr. John Oakes is one of the organizers of a Christian teacher’s conference that will held at the beautiful Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas March 6-7. Although this is not an ARS conference, the style will be similar, with teachers from the ICOC, the […]
Request: I had a conversation with someone who knocked on my door from a “nondenominational” church. They meet on Saturdays. Can you point me in the right direction to figure out why meeting on Saturdays matter? Response: The answer is that meeting on Saturday does not matter. Christians can meet on Saturday or on Sunday […]
Question: I am trying to understand how the early Christians viewed the Sabbath, how the non-Sabbath keepers justified a neglect of the fourth commandment and particularly if we can really be clear that God doesn’t intend for us to continue upholding the seventh day as a day of rest (doing no work, also taking into consideration […]
Question: Is demon possession like in the gospels real? Does it still occur today? Answer: Yes, demon possession was and is real. The principle reason I believe this is that Jesus clearly believed in it. He drove demons out of the man called Legion (Mark 5:6-10), out of the boy after being on the Mount […]
Question: Some people think that Jesus was begotten by the father only at his resurrection because the apostle Paul said about Jesus that he was appointed Son of God by His resurrection ( Romans 1 – or the speech of Paul in the Act of the Apostle). I’m currently reading the Bart Erhman’s book “How Jesus […]
Dear EFC Subscribers: I have been traveling for nearly four weeks, and thus the lack of newsletters. Jan and I are moving three days after I get home, so I am afraid that this newsletter will be limited to the journal from my trip. There are dozens of power points and lessons, both in English […]
I am now on the last leg of my travels, in Lusaka, Zambia. Lessons are at the web site. Africa 2019 Journal Jan 3-10 Abuja Nigeria I arrive in Abuja at 5:00 AM. Abuja is a city of five million. It is the second city of Nigeria and is the political capital. It is a […]
Dr. John Oakes is on a missionary teaching trip to Nigeria, Togo, Republic of Congo and Zambia. Notes, PPTs and audio will be posted. Revelation-PPT Revelation notes Revelation Abuja audio 1 Revelation Abuja audio 2 Revelation Abuja audio 3 Revelation Abuja audio 4 Daniel PPT Daniel notes Daniel Abuja audio Hebrews Living […]
[Editor’s note: To readers who are not from the United States, please forgive the fact that this question and answer are somewhat between insiders to the US on this question. Hopefully, the principles will apply everywhere] Question: I have a question as immigration debates are heating up in America. Normally, I wouldn’t care as much. […]
Question: Regarding 2 Cor 12:1-7 many people believe that Paul went to the third heaven. But why would Paul speak in the third person here? Isn’t this his own experience? I have difficulty to believe Paul was saying he himself went to heaven because He wrote in the third person seemingly speaking of someone else. […]
Dr. John Oakes taught numerous lessons in Western, Central and Southern Africa in Jan, 2019. Revelation Abuja 1 Revelation Abuja 2 Revelation Abuja 3 Revelation Abuja 4 Daniel Abuja Living by Faith Abuja Freedom in Christ Abuja Acts 20 Sermon Jos From Shadow to Reality Jos Malachi Sermon Jos Acts and Church History II Acts...
Dr Oakes taught several lessons in French in West Africa. Acts Church History French Hebrews French 1 Hebrews French 2 Freedom in Christ French Acts 20 Sermon French Revelation French Audio Holy Spirit French Problem Pain Suffering French Daniel Pointe Noire...
Question: I have a question about God speaking to us in our dreams. What do you think of Job 33:14-18? “For God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, he […]
Question: Can you please make a helpful table showing contrast between the Gita and the Bible on basis of science, theology, teachings about human life and morality ? I am in need of this… So that we can understand ourselves and help others to understand at an easier glance… Answer: Normally I answer every single […]
Editor’s note: Jonathan Lichtenwalter is a student in our ARS Apologetics Certificate Program. This paper was submitted as part of the program. Enjoy Into the Nations: A Study of Foreshadows in the Book of Joshua Joshua is a book filled with campaigns and conquest, war and slaughter, judgement and wrath. The reader may be asking, […]
[Editor’s notes. I received a six-part set of claims from a visitor to the site. I will answer them in a series of responses Claims: 1. The Bible [Gospels] were not written until well after the purported events. 2. There was much dispute over the contents of the Bible. The early Church had many conflicting […]
Question: I’ve been doing some sermons on Revelation and it obviously intersects with Daniel 7. I’ve been reading some of your Q/A, and I have a few thoughts to offer regarding the following section of Daniel 7. “After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.” We understand this to […]
Question: It is written in the Bible that God never changes. But when you look at the Old and New Testament, God seems to be quite different in the two testaments. It is written that Jesus has always existed. So is it correct to say that God was not changing himself from what He was […]
A few helpful links from Jonathan Lichtenwalter Q&A: Acts 5 – No One Dared Join Them? | God Made Jesus? | Are Abraham and Moses Myths? Did the second coming of Jesus occur invisibly in 1914 as the Jehovah Witness claim? What a Christian Counselor Wishes Every Christian Knew Greetings to our subscribers: I taught […]
Questions: I have some questions. 1- The first question is historical and about Saint Mark the writer of the second gospel. Do we have strong reasons to think that he really visited Egypt? I think the first to say that Mark visited Egypt was Eusebius. Do you think he really visited Egypt? In addition, What […]
Question: Is the message below a correct understanding of the scripture with regard to a rapture/gathering of God’s people? [Editor’s note: A fairly lengthy and somewhat incoherent set of claims about a premillennial rapture is below. Normally, we would not put such stuff out there, but there are sufficient people who find themselves believing this […]
Question: I have a question regarding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Do we know if the disciple Christians fled to the mountains like Jesus advised or did they participate in the Jewish-Roman war? Mark 13:14-15 14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong– let the […]
Question: My questions are about authorship of the gospels. We know that the first man to say that the second gospel was written by Mark was Papias, However some skeptics say that it’s a long time between Mark (who may have died in 60s) and Papias (who may have been born at the same time). It’s […]
Question: My questions are about authorship of the gospels. We know that the first man to say that the second gospel was written by Mark was Papias, However some skeptics say that it’s a long time between Mark (who may have died in 60s) and Papias (who may have been born at about the same […]
Question: I have a question regarding Jesus as being God. It is clearly stated in the Gospel of John, and in some of the epistles that Jesus is God as well as the Son of God. But after some research I found that the reliability of the Gospel of John and of those epistles are […]
Question: There is a group of people called ”The Twelve Tribes” who believe that in order to become a true disciple you have to sell all you have and live together in a community. They quote Acts 2:41-47 that all those who believed sold all they had and shared everything in common, neither rich or […]
Question: Since the announcement from Trump that he would move the US embassy to Jerusalem, there has been an uproar in the media about how this pushes back the effort for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I am aware that the Jews have violated human rights in the occupied West Bank, but somehow deep […]
Question: I have a question regarding science and religion. I know that there can be some scientific conclusions drawn from the Bible. I wonder though are there any other religions that come close to the Bible in its scientific reliability or that make the same claims. I know in particular that Islam is very vocal […]
Pregunta: Existe profecías que no se haya revelado de la Biblia en el día de hoy. Tengo un amigo que me manda profecías que no sean cumplido como un terremoto que pasará el Añó 2018 por todo el mundo. Repuesta: Según entiendo el Nuevo Testamento, el don milagroso de la profecía casi con certeza ha cesado. […]
Questions: 1. Why would Jesus charge the blood of all the prophets since Abel on the generation of Jews at the time of Jesus? 2. What is the definition of a prophet according to the Bible? I thought prophet means messenger of God, perhaps much like an angel. If so, why would Abel be called […]
Question: I have recently been thinking about what we experience when we die. I understand that information on this is extremely limited and most answers are speculations. Also, it is my understanding that people do not possess a soul but “are” in fact a soul. God says that when man was first formed it took […]
[editor’s note: This is a paper submitted by Drew Tacher, who is one of the students in our ARS Apologetics Certificate Program. It was sufficiently well done that we wanted to publish the paper for your benefit. If you are interested in the program, click on the appropriate link at the front page of the […]
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: MP3
Buy Now: DVD
Buy Now: MP3
