QUESTION: In Revelation chapters 2 & 3, there are 7 churches mentioned. Is there any reason why these particular churches were included in the list? Why only seven? Are they the only churches that was persecuted by the emperor that time? Why were the church in Rome or Jerusalem or other churches that we commonly know in New […]
What can I say to a Hindu friend who practices idolatry who says that the Christian use of the cross is the same thing?
QUESTION: When I told my friend who is a Hindu that idolatry is wrong, she said that as we Christians take the cross as our representation we take a idol and worship it. How am I supposed to answer such a question? Although its not the cross itself that we worship, but it represents faith in […]
Does the book of Daniel support the premillenial doctrine?
Question: I have been reading your book Daniel : a prophet to the nations and I found it to be very educational. However, I sent a part of the book about premillenialism to a premillenialist. I thought it would be proper to get a response to some of the questions you raised and that I […]
Is the new Coptic manuscript recently announced evidence that Jesus was married?
QUESTION: I read this article and wondering is it true?? Here is the link: http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/14893067/early-christians-believed-jesus-wed-harvard-expert/ Answer: The article is “true” in the sense that a fourth century papyrus with seven partial lines of script in the Coptic language was found. It is also true in the sense that the papyrus manuscript has a phrase “Jesus said […]
What is your response to a comment at Yahoo Answers that the New Testament is completely unreliable?
Question: I know Yahoo Answers isn’t a very reliable source, so I am asking you about an answer that was there. Someone commented on a question that was asked. The question was ” Where were the Gospels written?” One of the answers was “Tons of people compiled, copied and translated and edited the gospels all […]
Was the prayer for forgiveness of the Romans (Luke 23:34) in the original of Luke?
Question: Does this not give you something to think about ? [editor’s note: some personal info about where the questioner got this info and generated the question is left out here] Bruce wrote: “There are texts which may have lacked the Prayer of Forgiveness on the Cross in Luke (so like Luke to invent this in the […]
What is the banned book of Enoch?
QUESTION: I was recently browsing youtube,and found a video about a banned book called Book of Enoch. What is it? Answer: As far as I know, no important group has banned the book of Enoch. Just so you know, some call this book the 1st (1 Enoch) because other pseudepigraphal books (books with a falsely-claimed […]
What did the Anabaptists teach on baptism?
Question: I have been wondering about the Anabaptists. To your knowledge, did any of them teach a thorough biblical baptism? Answer: The Anabaptists were a back-to-the Bible offshoot of the Reformation which came from the Ulrich Zwingli wing of the movement. What made them differ from other “Protestants” was that they were committed to separation […]
What do you know about the Ebionites and the Nazarenes?
QUESTION: What do you know about the Ebionites and the Nazarenes? I know that both were a minor sect alongside Gentile Christianity and that the Ebionites denied the majority of the deity claims made about Christ. I wanted to also ask did they both believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead? Thanks. Answer: I […]
Why does the Septuagint include additional books such as Maccabees, 3,4 Kings and Psalm 151,152?
Question: Why does the Septuagint Bible consist of additional books (3 Kings, 4 kings, Maccabees,etc.) and psalms (151,152)? From my understanding some of these books and psalms were found in the DSS, so why wasn’t it included in the canon? Answer: The question of what the content of the Septuagint is/was is not an easy […]
Please explain the prophecy in Isaiah 45:14 about Cyrus, much of which was actually done by Cambysses?
Question: I was hoping you could answer my a question on Isaiah 45:14. It seems to say that Cyrus the Great would gain tribute or conquer Egypt, Cush and the Sabeans (which I believe are Ethiopians). But Cyrus the Great never conquered Egypt. Rather Cyrus’ son Cambyses invaded Egypt and conquered Egypt. He then tried […]
How do I respond to Catholic family members who insist that the Communion is literally the body and blood of Jesus?
Question: I come from a VERY Catholic family. This Christmas was naturally a very…interesting time. ANYWAYS, they brought up a statement/question that I felt ill equipped to answer. They made the statement that back in OT days, when Jews made a sacrifice, they would have to partake (i.e. eat) the sacrifice to consummate the covenant. […]
Many skeptics claim that Nazareth did not even exist in the first century. Is this claim true?
Question: I recently read a report prepared by an archaeologist from the Israeli Antiquities Authority which stated that Nazareth could not have been occupied during the Herodian Period (the time of the birth of Jesus Christ) because no ruins or other archaeological evidence from that period had been found in or around Nazareth. He did […]
Does Isaiah 53:8 imply that Jesus was celibate?
Question: I have a question regarding the translation of Isaiah 53:8 and whether or not Jesus had children. The only reference that I’ve found to Jesus never having children is in Isaiah 53:8; however the only translation that indicates such is the 1984 NIV, all other translations render it differently making no reference as to […]
What does the fact that Jude (vs 14-15) used 1 Enoch say about it being an inspired book?
Question: I wanted to ask you a question about several verses in the book of Jude. In Jude 1:14-15 Jude references an apocryphal book called 1 Enoch. I was wondering what you thought about this reference to the book of Enoch. And do you think that this might hint at an apocryphal book as being […]
You say that Clement quotes the gospels. This is pathetic and ridiculous. Where do you find these quotes?
Question: You write "All four gospels are quoted in patristic writings (a technical term which means writings by the early church "fathers.") before AD 100 in books such as the Epistle of Barnabus, the book of Clement of Rome and the Didache." There is nothing said about the four Gospels in the "Clement of Rome". […]
Is it possible that the disciples made up the story of Jesus? What about Matthew 27:9 and the 30 pieces of silver?
Question: Is it possible that the disciples made up the story of Jesus? I have heard several claims that the disciples could have just invented a Messiah-like figure based the Old Testament prophecies that predict the Messiah. For example the the prophecy on 30 silver coins (which is explained in Zecharia and not in Jeremiah, […]
Given the Historia Augusta, we have proof that all the early histories about Christianity are a lie.
Comment: The Historia Augusta is an astonishing piece of bogus history. It is perhaps showing us a Roman sense of humour, but I think scholars are generally unaware of why it was done. There are 130 fake documents and they even invent sources that disagree with them. Sounds a bit like Christianity to me. The Flavians […]
Is it true that Pope Gregory removed Hinduism from Christianity in the second century?
Question: I want to know why this scholar Sandra, said this in this site: http:/indiagestão.blogspot.com/2009/09/hinduismo-e-cristianismo.html partir do século II, os lideres cristãos resolveram enterrar a influencia hindu e São Gregorio destruiu publicamente deuses hindus, que passaram a ser considerados então, deuses pagãos. Lembrando sempre que o Hinduismo possui 7 mil anos e o cristianismo possui somente […]
Who put the Bible together, and what are the texts they left out so that it would not have contradictions?
Question: My father says he does not believe in organized religion because most churchs seem only to care for themselves and not other people. He also says that the bible is biased because it was written by man and that whomever put the bible together left out some of the texts because they didnt want […]
Are the four gospels historical documents? Is there any historical proof of Jesus from the first century?
Question: Are the 4 Gospels writen by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John historical documents? Can you send historical or any proof of Jesus from the first century when your N.T. claims the miracle worker, crucified and resurrected Jesus was here on earth? Answer: What do we know about Jesus from extra-Biblical sources? Let me list […]
My father says the NT was written to give the church power and asks why the other manuscripts are not included. Any help here?
Question: I am a believer, but have an atheist father who is searching. After a long conversation with him regarding the Bible, he is convinced that the Bible was formed by "church authorities" and is in fact not true writings (based on a TV show he saw). He believes that it was written only to give […]
Who prepared the oil in James 5:14? What do you think of Christian groups anointing a building and using James 5:14 to support the practice?
Question: My question is on the anointing oil referred to in James 5:14. What do you make of the olive oil the Pentecostals use to anoint different things including buildings? They always quote James 5 to substantiate their claim. Who prepared this oil in James 5 or what is its origin? If there is a […]
The Catholic Church changed Saturday Sabbath to Sunday Sabbath. We are still obligated to the Law (Matthew 5:17-20). How do you resond to this biblically?
Question: I have a question regarding something a friend in the Seventh Day Adventist Church said. Regarding the Sabbath day, you mentioned in a Q & A at this site: "Paul attended Synagogue on the Sabbath at times to preach Jesus, but all the evidence points to the undeniable fact that the church in the first […]
What influence did Paul have on Christianity? Did Jesus come to save Jews only?
Question: Is Paul responsible for Christianity? If so, what influence did he have? Did Jesus come to save Jews only? Answer: Obviously, the person who had the most influence on the direction of Christianity was Jesus Christ. One can argue for either Paul or Peter as the two humans who had the greatest influence on […]
Where and when did the Catholicism begin?
Question: Catholicsm is a tradition which has been passed for a long time. Where was its origin and the approximatly when did it begin? Answer: I will assume you are talking about the Roman Catholic Church. There is also the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church and the Coptic Catholic Church. These names are in a sense […]
There is no biblical warrant for claiming inspiration of the NT. The existence of 200+ denominations proves it is not inspired. Comments?
Question/Comment: You say, with regard to the Letters, that "my assumption…. is that these are inspired writings." I have to point out that whenever God-inspired Scripture is spoken of in the NT, that it is the Jewish Bible that is spoken of. There is in fact no Biblical warrant for the inspiration of the NT […]
The Deuterocanonocal book Wisdom has a fairly obvious messianic prophecy. Why is it not included in the Protestant Bible?
Question: I’ve recently learned about these so called Deuterocanonical books that are accepted by Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxs, but not by Protestants. I even came across this from an Orthodox Christian (not a friend of his btw) on Facebook who claims that this predicts the coming of the Messiah: "The Book of Wisdom was the […]
What is the evidence that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome?
Question; The other day in a discussion with a friend, a statement was made that the disciple Peter was crucified upside down. I have heard this before, but after searching through my Bible I cannot find any reference to this event. The person I was studying with has since called me asking where this can […]
31 questions about Catholic vs Protestant teaching
Questions: I have compiled the following article of pure historical events as they relate to the Christian religion. Can you please proof read it and critique it? I believe it to be 100% accurate. Please let me know. Answer: Normally, I do not like to get into one denomination versus another denomination as this is definitely […]
How do I respond to the claims of parallels between heathen god/man myths such as Mithra and the New Testament?
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 is the origin of the doctrine of the trinity?
Question: Can you please explain the origin of the trinity belief to me? Answer: The extremely brief answer to your question is that origin of the doctrine of the trinity is the teaching of Jesus and the New Testament (with a little bit of support from the Old Testament). However, this is a grossly simplified […]
What is the evidence for the martyrdom of the apostles, which is often used to support the believability of the resurrection?
Question: One of the popular evidences for the resurrection of Jesus is the martyrdom of his disciples. It is claimed that eleven of Jesus’ twelve disciples went to their deaths defending their faith. It is later concluded that no one would die for something knowing it is a lie. I agree completely. However, this […]
What is the biblical meaning of Easter? Should we celebrate it?
Question: From the Bible’s point of view, what is the meaning of Easter? Should we celebrate it? Answer: From the biblical perspective Easter has no meaning. In other words, the particular celebration on a set day of the year of the resurrection of Jesus is not mentioned or even hinted at in the Bible. Having said that, […]
Who was the first to say that Jesus was God? What about the idea that the early church did not believe this?
Question: Who was the 1st person to say that Jesus was God? I’ve heard a lot of people say that early Christians believed that Jesus was nothing more than a great prophet. Which leads to the question, how do we know that Jesus really is God, and not just a prophet? Answer: That is […]
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 […]
When a baby miscarries or is aborted, do they go to heaven or hell?
Question: When a baby accidentally dies or is aborted are they are going to heaven or hell? Answer: I believe that infants and young children are innocent and that they will be with God. They will not be in hell. To me, this seems rather obvious, but the question had been confused by one of […]
I have heard that Christianity has a lot of pagan influence, can you comment on this?
Question: I have heard that Christianity has a lot of pagan influence, can you comment on this? Answer: Believe it or not, this is actually a fairly complicated question. There are several aspects of how to answer the question. First, how much Pagan influence was there in the original Christianity taught by Jesus and the apostles. […]
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?
Is it true that there are more than the four legitimate gospels; for example the Gospel of Judas?
Question: When one reads your materials you seem to claim(though not clearly) that the four gospels recorded in the New Testament are the only ever written. However, nowadays some reseach has proven the existence of other gospels for instance "the Gospel according to JUDEA". Do you have anything to say about this? Answer: Yes, […]
Why did Constantine and the Council of Nicaea choose to "edit" the Bible by removing certain books?
Question: Why did Constantine and the Council of Nicaea choose to"edit" The Bible by inserting and removing certain books? What was the real aim of canonization? Answer; This is an easy one! Constantine did not "edit" or change the New Testament in any way. Neither did the Council at Nicaea change the New Testament in […]
Several quotes if found from David Bercot from the second century imply speaking in tongues was still in use. What is your response to this?
Question: I read your discussion of why the gifts of the Spirit disappeared. By no means do I consider myself an expert on the Early Church Fathers (my personal library is limited to one book). However, in preparing a lesson on false doctrines for a ministry training class I’m teaching, I came across some quotes […]
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 […]
What is the history of the International Churches of Christ?
Editor’s note: The question below is from a person who is part of the same religious movement I (John Oakes) am part of. The question and answer should be understood in this context. Question: Can you tell me about the History of our church? Where did our Church came from? And why does another church in Cambodia […]
Why did Jesus give the care of his mother to John? Why wouldn't that
Questions:,1. Why did Jesus give the care of his mother to John? Why wouldn’t that,responsibility have fallen to one of his many brothers? James was,apparently close by as Paul refers to the resurrected Jesus appearing to,him.,2. It is said that the first churches met in homes and synagogues because it,was illegal for crowds to gather […]
Are the seven angels in Revelation 1:20 the "bishops" (head elders) of the churches? Where did the doctrine of the head elder/bishop come in?
Question; Why did the Christian Church begin to use a single pastor, elder, or leader in the second century, as opposed to the original leadership model used by the first church where several leaders, pastors, or elders governed each church? Was this switch a prelude to the clerical system? It appears likely. My search for […]
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: […]
What do you think about the identity of the ICOC?
Question: I am interested in your perspective that you considerus part of the Church of Christ, not the ICOC. I wonder if they agree. I am personally confused about church relations especially with Kip McKean?s new movement and establishment of churches. Response:I am, by nature, but also by biblical conviction, a believer in unity wherever […]
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 […]