QUESTION: How do we know that Satan didn’t write the Bible? How do we know that the true religion isn’t Buddhism for example and the Old and New Testament are the works of a devil/demon/Satan trying to trick us into doing wrong things like stoning adulteresses and non-believers? Satan could reveal himself as Jesus, claim […]
Question: “I have two questions for you, what is the doctrine of Soul-Sleep and did the thief immediately go to Paradise with Jesus? A friend of mine believes in the doctrine of soul-sleep.” Answer: Thanks for the questions, below are my answers I hope this helps! What is The Doctrine of Soul-Sleep? The (false) doctrine […]
Question: Hi, John! I want to ask you about the informaiton at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Roerich What do you know about this teaching and her influence on Christianity today? (In my church there is a member who believes in this teaching. And she doesn’t want change it) Your book about Daniel is very good! I am enjoying it! Answer: […]
QUESTION: Since the birthplace of Jesus is too far from the Indian subcontinent, there is a viable chance for him travelling to India or Tibet. All the story of Jesus is mythological like Indian mythology. Hence, there is solid proof that Jesus Christ came to India and has made a deep study of Hindu religion. After returning […]
Dr. John Oakes taught a six-week class on World Religions on six consecutive Saturdays beginning on 2/23 9:00-11:00. See below for suggested reading and schedule. World Religion Notes World Religion PPT World Rel Audio 1a World Rel Audio 1b World Rel Audio 2a World Rel Audio 2b World Rel Audio 3a World Rel Audio 3b […]
Question: May I know why God did not send anybody to India or some other countries just like he sent Jonah to Nineveh? Some good people in India such Gauthama Buddha searched for truth. Why did the true God Jehova did not respond to them by sending some angels to inform them? Answer: God did send […]
Question: What is freemasonry? Is it a religion or is it a fraternity? What are their beliefs? Can a christian be a freemason? Or are they anti-christ? Answer: The definition of freemasonry is complicated. It is a fraternal order with very strong religious overtones. The essence of the group is that it is a service organization. […]
Question: I have had a discussion with a New-Age friend. Jesus is the only way to God (as opposed to New-age belief many roads lead to God) mainly based on Jesus’ statement in John 14:6. and also from Acts 4:12. My New-ager friend is aware of these passages and asks “How do you know that Jesus hasn’t […]
QUESTION: Can you please tell me how to share the gospel in a simple manner? My friend is a Hindu but does nt particularly believe in it Answer: My experience tells me that most Hidus respect Jesus, but do not understand who he was and what he said about himself. You should start with theatcommon […]
MESSAGE: How could Jesus be GOD even though he used to defecate in his clothes when he was an infant? How could Jesus be GOD even though he used to urinate in his clothes when he was an infant? How could Jesus be GOD even though he could NOT even walk properly when he was […]
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 […]
Question: What is the name of the person who received the message of Jesus from Theophilus? Editor’s note: This letter is coming from a Muslim who is trying to show that one cannot trust Luke because we do not even know who the book was written to. This will explain some of the answer below. […]
Challenge: I CHALLENGE you to prove to me that GOD and his son are ONE GOD. This is something you can NEVER do. Be a man and accept my CHALLENGE. HOW CAN GOD AND HIS SON BE ONE GOD? Response: I am sorry, but I get the very strong sense that you simply want to […]
Question: The fad of Astro-theology is really starting to take a hold with some ex-Christians and other people I know who’ve studied the Bible but never became Christians. Here is the Facebook post from someone who has left Christianity. This is going to be a new form of false theology that many in our ministries is going to […]
John Oakes just published a brand new book on Mormonism as of Nov. 2. To order a copy, go to www.ipibooks.com
Question: I am getting hit with this subject more often. The bassist in my band who I basically live with when on tour sent me this video after a long talk we had on the tour bus. There are a lot of claims with no evidence to back it up however I think it’d be great […]
QUESTION: Did the ancient Jews believe that Satan never rebelled against God and is not evil? Is the idea that Satan rebeled just a Christian idea? Answer: I am a bit confused about your question. Is there anyone who has suggested differently? Going all the way back to Genesis 2, Satan is a figure of […]
Question: I noticed you discussed some Baha’i prophecies on your web site. I noticed some sites produced by some Christians that you might be interested to look at: http://www.ministryofhealing.org/FreeDevotionals/ChristianDevotionalNewsletter. http://a233.webs.com/apps/blog/show/prev?from_id=5310025 http://www.bibleprophecytruth.com/prophecy-resources/bible-prophecy-charts.aspx They all seem to start with the year 457 BC as the starting year of the prophecy and they also mention the year 1844 […]
Question: I have been dealing with cancer. Morman missionaries have been coming by to offer to help me. Their women arranged meals….etc. Super sweet and loving. I tell them my convictions and read to them in Romans where it begins”Love must be sincere”. They have assured me that they will continue to love me and […]
This lesson was given by Dr. John Oakes for the Iglesia de Cristo de Tijuana April 20, 2012. Translation is by Mauricio Garcia. The class is about hte reasons that the early church, starting with a small group of poor, uneducated people without power were able to conquer the entire Roman and Greek world. Hechos […]
What about Atlantis, the Sphinx, Ring of Power, Joseph is Amen Ra and other similar theories? Question: It appears there is physical evidence for great floods – submerged cities all over the world. Many cultures speak of the great floods, isolated by location and time, these cultures seem to share similiar beliefs and architecture (i.e. […]
What do you think about the Jehovah’s Witness group? Question: I have a question to ask you if you have the time. Jehovah’s Witnesses often knock on my door; unlike a lot of people, I invite them in. We have friendly discussions and I advise them that there is not the faintest chance of them […]
Question: Do plants have a soul? Should we use animals for food? Answer: No, plants definitely do not have a soul. Neither do animals have a soul. According to the Bible, human beings were made "in God’s image" (Genesis 1:26). This God-likeness includes having a spirit and a soul. Animals definitely do not have the […]
Question: Could you explain the Quran prophecy about the Byzantines and Sassanids at this Islamic site http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/347/ Response: We should call this a prediction rather than a prophecy. The fact is that if you look at the history of the Sassanid Persians and the Byzantine Empire you will see that they fought continuously for over […]
ARS will be sponsoring a six-hour class on Islam 9:00-4:00 Saturday May 4th. The location is 15610 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena, CA 90249. Teachers will include Dan Conder and John Oakes. The cost for the class is $20. Suggested reading, schedule, registration and more information will be posted soon. For more information, contact Jan at joakes01@san.rr.com
Question: I was wondering your position on a natural route of healthy living. I was reading a response you had about how it is not a sin to use modern drugs to help with physical pain or psychological disorders. What about alternatives to it? The more I get into natural ways to resolve health issues […]
Question: I am a Jew who lives in Israel, in recent times I began to wonder why my way, Judaism, is true. I talked with some rabbis, and their best claim against the other religion was that Judaism has survived thousands years. Despite all of the pogroms, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, even though they were […]
Question: Dr, a Muslim presented me with these arguments. I find it difficult to refute. There are too many coincidences.. Can these be true Sir? And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. (Isaiah 29:12 KJV) Truth stands out […]
Question: A Muslim gave me this. What are your thoughts? The similitude of Jesus pbuh is of Adam pbuh. Even Adam pbuh had no mother nor father. If following your logic, then Prophet Adam would be a greater God because he came into existance with no father nor mother. You see for God( The Father) […]
Question: Is jesus the only religious leader who performed miracles? Answer: No, Jesus is not the only religious leader who performed miracles. However his miraculous ministry was absolutely unique in at least one sense, as I will discuss below. Let me start with a list of famous religious leaders. I will only list ones who […]
Question: Proverbs 6:6-8 says that an ant has no ruler. Is this a scientific inaccuracy? Would the conclusion be different if God were to say this instead of the wise man? Would it be a biblical error when Jesus asks "Why are you thinking these things in your heart?" Would it not be more accurate […]
Question: Talking with Jehovah’s Witness always gets confusing. My question is in Daniel when he says that Michael the Archangel will lead the people, how do I explain to my aunt and cousins that Jesus is NOT Michael and is fully God and fully man even though they interpret most angel verses in the Bible as Jesus […]
Question: Can you explain the Baha’i prophecies in this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_prophecies Response: I have looked at these "prophecies" of Baha-ullah. To be honest, I am not all that impressed. For example, he predicted in the 1860s that the Ottoman Empire would fall apart. The reason this is not all that impressive is that by the […]
Question: Does the Baha’i faith claim to have fulfilled prophecies? Answer: Yes, it does. The Baha’i faith began in the mid-nineteenth century, started by a Persian man by the name of Baha-ulla (actual name Mirza Hussein Ali). His work was preceded by a John the Baptist-like figure the Bab, who was also Persian. This religion […]
Question: Where did the concept of the soul, after-life, and triune God originate? Some say that the concept of the soul is only mentioned when David tries to stir up his troops before battle, giving them something great to hope for, that Heaven and Hell and scarcely mentioned in the Bible, and lastly that the […]
Question: Can you explain the concept of trinity? While Muslims believe in the Torah which we Christians and Jews do as well, they believe in a indivisible God. How can God be one yet be called trinity? Answer: Ihave already answered this question at the web site. I am copying and pasting a quick answer, […]
Question: I recently listened to your message on Islam. You mentioned that if we email you, then you would point us in the best direction for getting a translation of the Koran. I also have a Muslim coworker so I need this as he recently engaged me in conversation to disagree with your message. Thanks […]
Question: What can you tell me about the book Urantia? Answer: This is a very interesting story. A most anonymous group produced a book commonly known as Urantia (It actually has a longer title) in 1955. They claimed that the book was taken down by direct dictation from a man who recited these letters while […]
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 […]
Question: Please, I want to know if there are prophecies about other nations, and about India in the Hindu scriptures [editor’s note, I assme this person means to ask if there are prophecies of India in the Hindu scriptures], and why the Hindus say that a man in a white horse will came like a […]
Question: Where can I find (if exists) a philosophically based break-down of the Christian world veiw? Having read Plato, Sartre, Macmurray, etc. Im interested in comparing directly these philosophies and world views with something other than my own convictions, which are more intimate and less universal. Answer: By coincidence, I just taught a lesson on […]
Question: Shalom Dr. Oakes. I have a serious challenge for you. Can you show me any unique evidence for Christianity from anywhere in the Bible? What I mean by "unique" are beliefs, customs or any religious artifact that is unique to Christianity alone. If the same thing can be found among say the Pharisees, Nazarenes, […]
Question: Why is it that people try to compare the ancient Sumerian tablets, saying that they are similar to the book of Genesis? Why is it that people try to relate those gods to the God in the Old Testament? Answer: It is difficult to judge the motives of people I have never met. I am […]
Question: I have a question I hope you will kindly answer. I need an expert Bible opinion about the similarity of this Quranic passage that deals with the birth story of Jesus to that account we find in Luke. Thanks for taking my question seriously. Editor’s note: The passage from Surah 19 of the Qu’ran […]
Comment: This a more a human question than a theological one. Why is it that most of your responses are anti-Roman Catholic? At the least seems that way. Response: I want you to know that I take this very seriously. I REALLY do not want to be anti-Catholic or anti-any Nicene Creed accepting "Christian" group. […]
Comment: First of All, let me greet you with the greetings of prophet Jesus pbuh (Shalom Aleichem). Peace be upon you. In Arabic (Asalaamu alaikum). I have read your response where you compared Prophet Moses with prophet Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). I must say you have made invalid and biased points. […]
Dr. John Oakes did a class titled Genesis and the Christian World View in Detroit, Michigan 2/19/2011. Audio is available in the EFC store. Power point and notes are included. Genesis and Christian World View Power Point 2.11 Mb Notes
Question: I was watching a show on T.V. and the "experts" were arguing that the Christians borrowed their concept of Hell from the Greeks concept of Hades. According to these individuals, Hades has different levels and the last level is where individuals are punished eternally by fire and other ways similar to the way explained […]
Question: I was reading some Wikipedia articles about early Israel and came across and interesting section regarding the origin of Yahweh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_ancient_Israel_and_Judah#Religion Ill let you read it but I’m adding quotes from it that I was hoping you could respond to. "It is generally accepted among modern scholars that the narrative of […]
