Biblical Literature Final Exam
According to Paul, one problem with misunderstanding the resurrection is: a. People overlook the danger of sin. b. People will die. c. People need to be rebaptized. d. It leads people to worship idols.
A
According to both Jesus and Paul, how can the Law be summed up? a. Love one another. b. Obey those in authority over you. c. Do not question authority. d. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (i.e., the Golden Rule).
A
According to the Didache, the best way to baptize is: a. In cold running water b. In warm running water c. In cold still water d. In warm still water
A
Barnabas utilized the allegorical method of Scripture interpretation to _______________ Judaism. a. attack b. support c. denigrate d. dismiss
A
For what reason might Christian women in the first century have disliked the institution of marriage? a. They did not want to be subordinates, compelled by law and custom to serve the desires and dictates of their husbands. b. They disliked sex. c. They disliked being pregnant. d. They disliked housework.
A
In Nero's persecution of Christianity, Christians were accused of: a. Infanticide b. Arson c. Cannibalism d. Incestuous relationships
A
In the book of Revelation, Christ is depicted in all of the following ways except as: a. The Son of Man b. A king c. Ancient d. A high priest
A
Many churches probably developed a hierarchy of leadership because: a. The apostles had died and the churches no longer had leadership. b. Jesus ordained the clergy. c. The heretical groups had leaders. d. Paul instituted the hierarchy when he founded each church.
A
Most scholars believe the same person wrote all three Pastoral epistles. a. True b. False
A
One of the central concerns in the Pastoral epistles is: a. Administration of the church b. Explaining the delay of the parousia c. Establishing Paul's authority d. Establishing Timothy's authority
A
One way Paul argued against his Galatian opponents was: a. To point out that the apostles agreed with him b. To point to the Gospels c. To send Phoebe to them d. To work miracles
A
Opponents of Christianity claimed Christians held orgies and ate babies. a. True b. False
A
Opponents of Christianity suggested all of the following except: a. Christians held orgies. b. Christians committed infanticide. c. Christians committed deicide. d. Christians were guilt
A
Paul admits the superapostles could perform miracles. a. True b. False
A
Paul and Jesus each taught the love of one's neighbor as the means of fulfilling the Law. a. True b. False
A
Paul calls Junia: a. Foremost among the apostles b. A deacon c. A bishop d. An elder
A
Paul wrote Romans in the hopes that Christians in Rome would financially support his trip to Spain. a. True b. False
A
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the only thing that mattered to him was: a. Christ crucified b. Following the Law c. Approval from the apostles d. Jesus' teachings
A
Revelation is not pseudonymous. a. True b. False
A
Romans states that a person is not justified by: a. Works of the Law b. Obedience c. Good works d. Loving others
A
The Didache is our earliest source for how Christian rituals were performed. a. True b. False
A
The Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for a major fire for which he was most likely responsible. a. True b. False
A
The Epistle of Barnabas claims the world will last six thousand years. a. True b. False
A
The New Testament epistles are arranged by length. a. True b. False
A
The epistle of James is written to "the twelve tribes." a. True b. False
A
The first apocalypticist to write an apocalypse was: a. John, the author of Revelation b. The author of Daniel c. The author of The Shepherd of Hermas d. The author of the Apocalypse of Peter
A
The letter written by Jude is filled with: a. Invective and name calling b. Worship and lifestyle instructions c. Prophesies of the end time d. Historic accounts of the apostles
A
The number of the Beast is 616 in some manuscripts and 666 in others. a. True b. False
A
The primary point of Hebrews was to show that: a. Christianity is superior to Judaism. b. Christianity is the same as Judaism. c. Judaism is superior to Christianity. d. Christians must follow the Law.
A
The primary reason Paul wrote to the Galatians was: a. To insist that they must not convert to Judaism b. To insist that they must convert to Judaism c. To insist that they must be circumcised d. To argue against their view that they already enjoyed an exalted existence
A
The theme of shadow and reality in the epistle to the Hebrews is most similar to views expressed by: a. Plato b. Pliny c. Paul d. Peter
A
The worst insult that pagans used against Christians was considered to be: a. "Atheist" b. "Heathen" c. "Antichrist" d. "Saint"
A
What part of the human body does James say needs the most controlling? a. The tongue b. The genitals c. The hands d. The brain
A
What socioeconomic strata did the majority of early Christians come from? a. The lower classes b. The middle classes c. The upper classes d. Royalty
A
What two words in the English language are translations of the same Greek root, pist-? a. Faith and believe b. Love and hate c. Love and trust d. Trust and obey
A
Which book of the New Testament mentions the word "suffering" more than any other? a. First Thessalonians b. First Peter c. Second Peter d. Jude
A
Women were an important part of Jesus' ministry. a. True b. False
A
According to the original text of Romans 16:7, how was Paul related to Andronicus and Junica? a. They were his blood brother and sister. b. They were fellow apostles. c. They were his jailers. d. They were his enemies.
B
Apocalyptic literature is symbolic because it is trying to describe future events (and inventions) that ancient visionaries couldn't understand. a. True b. False
B
Apostolic succession means that: a. The apostles were in charge. b. Churches could trace their clergy back to an apostle. c. Paul's ministry to the Gentiles was divinely ordained. d. The apostles came after Jesus.
B
Christians were persecuted across the Roman Empire throughout the first century. a. True b. False
B
Colossians appears to oppose: a. Paul b. Jewish mysticism c. Gentiles d. Marriage
B
First Timothy makes Jesus' words authoritative by: a. Setting them next to Paul's teachings b. Setting them next to Jewish Scripture c. Setting them next to Gospel teachings d. Referring to them as divinely inspired
B
Galatians is unique among the undisputed Pauline letters because: a. It is a compilation of two letters. b. It contains no thanksgiving. c. It is not addressed to a Christian community. d. It contains no prescript.
B
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he calls Phoebe: a. Foremost among the apostles b. A deacon c. A bishop d. An elder
B
In the Acts of Paul and Thecla, Paul teaches that married people should grant one another conjugal rights. a. True b. False
B
In the judicial model, Jesus' death: a. Is a tragedy b. Is a payment for the sins of others c. Is meaningless d. Is a judgment against the Jewish leaders
B
In what church has the author of 1 Clement learned that there was a "vile and profane faction"? a. Philippi b. Corinth c. Rome d. Smyrna
B
Most scholars believe the epistle to the Hebrews was most likely written by Paul. a. True b. False
B
Most scholars believe the same person wrote 2 Thessalonians and Colossians. a. True b. False
B
Of the two main kinds of ancient apocalyptic literature, the "heavenly journey" type has the prophet/author: a. Taken on a heavenly tour by an angelic companion b. Receive a symbolic vision of the future course of human history c. Die for the sins of the world d. Meet God and Satan personally
B
Onesimus was: a. A missionary b. A slave c. One of Jesus' disciples d. A slaveholder
B
Paul claims God has replaced Israel with the church as his people. a. True b. False
B
Paul says Christ came so that no one would have to keep the Law anymore. a. True b. False
B
Paul says the Law is impossible to keep. a. True b. False
B
Paul taught the Corinthians that the resurrected body: a. Was a disembodied soul b. Was an actual body but transformed c. Was the same as the earthly body d. Did not exist
B
Philo of Alexandria used the allegorical method of Scripture interpretation to ___________ Judaism. a. attack b. support c. denigrate d. dismiss
B
Revelation 22:18-19 delivers a threat to: a. The reader b. The copyists c. The Gentiles d. The Romans
B
Scholars question the authorship of Colossians because: a. The author's writing style is poor. b. The author thinks that Christians already participate in Christ's resurrection. c. The letter claims to have been co-written by Timothy. d. Early Christians did not think Colossians was Pauline.
B
Some Gnostic groups were known to have had women serve as: a. Maids b. Leaders c. Human sacrifices d. Scribes
B
The "superapostles" did all of the following except: a. Oppose Paul b. Support Paul c. Talk badly about Paul d. Perform miracles
B
The Apocalypse of Peter: a. Is concerned with baptism and repentance b. Records secret sayings of Jesus c. Describes a tour of heaven and hell d. Promises the imminent destruction of the Roman Empire
B
The Epistle of Barnabas claims that both Jews and Christians will ultimately be saved. a. True b. False
B
The Gospels depict Mary Magdalene as a (former) prostitute. a. True b. False
B
The Pastoral epistles and the Acts of Paul and Thecla take similar positions on the role of women. a. True b. False
B
The book of James says that people are: a. Doomed to eternal judgment b. Justified by works c. Justified by faith d. Justified by baptism
B
The epistle of James argues against Paul's view of justification. a. True b. False
B
The epistle of James regularly quotes the teaching of Jesus. a. True b. False
B
The epistle of James: a. Was written by Paul b. Is a collection of pieces of good advice c. Is addressed to the bishop, James d. Was probably written by Jesus' twin
B
The harsh words found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 were probably: a. Actually written by Paul b. Inserted by a scribe at a later date c. Intentionally altered while Paul was dictating to his scribe d. Actually written by Luke
B
The participationist model envisions Jesus' death and resurrection as: a. A payment for the sins of others b. A defeat of the power of sin and death c. A tragedy d. A judgment against the Jews who participated in Jesus' trial
B
What was the growth rate of Christianity in its early years? a. Steady at 50 percent per year b. Fluctuating at 2 percent some years and 80 percent other years c. Steady at 40 percent per decade d. Exponential
B
What was the rite of initiation into Christianity that was considered a participation in Jesus' victory over death? a. Bar mitzvah (for boys) and bat mitzvah (for girls) b. Baptism c. Marriage d. Circumcision
B
Which book shows that some may have interpreted Paul as meaning that good works don't matter? a. Matthew b. James c. First Peter d. First John
B
Which of the following books is definitely not pseudonymous? a. Second Thessalonians b. First Corinthians c. Titus d. First Timothy
B
Which of the following books seems to stand as a correction to a misunderstanding of Paul's teaching on justification by faith? a. The Acts of Paul and Thecla b. James c. Matthew d. Philippians
B
Who was called "the first-born of Satan" by Polycarp? a. Ignatius b. Marcion c. Barnabas d. Jesus
B
Who were the "twelve tribes in the Dispersion" in the book of James? a. The original twelve tribes of Israel b. Unnamed Christians living outside Palestine c. Modern-day Jews who never moved back to Israel d. Christian Jews living inside Palestine
B
Women appear to have lacked a major role in Paul's churches. a. True b. False
B
According to the Epistle of Barnabas, most of the Old Testament is: a. Best understood literally b. False c. Best understood allegorically d. Best disregarded
C
Did Paul teach that total sexual abstinence was necessary? a. Yes. It was necessary for salvation. b. Yes. It was necessary before one could be baptized. c. No. Paul said that it was desirable for the sake of the gospel, but that sex was acceptable for married couples. d. No. Paul said that sex was not to be thought of as any different than any other biological function.
C
Even though the master-slave relationship was allowed to continue outside of church, within the church slaves were to be treated _________________ than their masters. a. better b. with more respect c. no differently d. worse
C
First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra are: a. Noncanonical Christian apocalypses b. Canonical Christian apocalypses c. Noncanonical Jewish apocalypses d. Canonical Jewish apocalypses
C
First Peter claims to have been written in Babylon, a code word for: a. Jerusalem b. Alexandria c. Rome d. Corinth
C
First Peter was probably written: a. In the middle of the first century b. In the late first century c. In the middle of the second century d. In the late second century
C
Governors in the Roman provinces had all of the following responsibilities except: a. Collecting taxes b. Maintaining order c. Keeping the peace d. Protecting religious freedom
C
Hebrews was probably written in order to: a. Convert Jews b. Convert Gentiles c. Urge Christians not to leave the faith d. Warn against false prophets
C
How unique are the ethical exhortations in the book of James? a. In his time, quite unique b. Unique throughout history c. Not very unique at all d. Very common in Greece but nowhere else
C
In the Acts of Paul, Paul's central message is: a. Christ crucified b. Marriage c. Celibacy d. Against arranged marriages
C
In the churches that Paul founded, all of the following were true except: a. There was no elder or overseer. b. They believed everyone had received gifts from God's Spirit. c. There was one man who was in charge. d. When there was a problem they wrote to Paul for advice.
C
One way that the epistle of James and the Didache are similar is: a. They are both apocalyptic. b. They both contain the doctrine of the Two Ways. c. They both contain parallels from the Sermon on the Mount. d. They are both written to specific communities in Asia Minor.
C
Paul wrote at least __________ letters to Corinth. a. two b. three c. four d. five
C
Romans is unique among the Pauline letters because: a. It is a unified letter. b. It is a composite letter. c. It is written to a community Paul did not found. d. It is written to Jews in the synagogue.
C
The Christians in Corinth appear to have believed that: a. Jesus was not resurrected. b. Jesus did not die. c. They already enjoyed the full benefits of salvation. d. They would not die.
C
The epistle to the Hebrews depicts the Law as: a. Perfect b. Not God given c. Inadequate d. Irreplaceable
C
The primary concern of The Shepherd of Hermas is: a. Christians who have sinned after baptism b. The appearance of false prophets c. The community's inappropriate actions at the Lord's Supper d. The method of baptism
C
What does James mean when he says that those who fail to do good works, or deeds, have a faith that is "dead"? a. Their faith is ineffective. b. Their faith is really in themselves. c. Their faith is not authentic. d. Their faith is empowered by Satan.
C
When was the first imperial episode of Christian persecution? a. When Nero falsely accused Christians of starting the fire that leveled Rome b. Immediately after Pilate had Jesus crucified c. After the military assault on Rome by the Maccabees d. During World War II
C
Which of the following is pseudonymous? a. First Corinthians b. Second Corinthians c. Third Corinthians d. First Thessalonians
C
Who accused the Jews of deicide, of killing God? a. Barnabas b. Paul c. Melito d. The author of Hebrews
C
According to Paul's letter to the Romans, which statement concerning both Jews and Gentiles is not true? a. They are both on equal footing with God. b. They are equally alienated from God. c. They both can be made right with God by believing in Jesus' death and resurrection. d. They both can be made right with God by being circumcised, being baptized, and obeying the Law.
D
According to the participationist model, sin is: a. Breaking the Law b. Being circumcised c. Not believing in Jesus d. A cosmic power that enslaves people
D
All of the following are true about the Pastoral epistles except that: a. They claim to have been written by Paul. b. They are written to individuals. c. They address false teachings. d. They are addressed to church communities.
D
First Clement was considered by some Christians to be: a. Heretical because of its docetic Christology b. Orthodox because of its rejection of clergy c. Orthodox because of its condemnation of Marcion d. A part of the New Testament
D
How is the noncanonical Epistle of Barnabas characterized by historians? a. As an epistle b. As a Gospel c. As a treatise about the historical roots of Jesus d. As a treatise about the true nature of Judaism
D
How long was the letter by Polycarp to the Philippians, which contained over one hundred quotations a. One thousand pages b. Five hundred pages c. One hundred pages d. Five pages
D
In order to remain free from oppressive public and private restrictions, many women: a. Rioted b. Organized a political party c. Began their own nation d. Remained unmarried or left their marriages
D
The Corinthian community was made up of: a. All poor people b. All uneducated people c. All wealthy people d. A mix of poor and wealthy people
D
The power of sin is related to the power of: a. Evil b. God, in a yin/yang sort of way c. Satan d. Death
D
What was "Babylon" a code word for? a. Israel b. Wrongdoing c. Rome d. Potential trouble
D
What was the "great city" referred to in Revelation that was built on seven hills and ruled the world in John's day? a. Constantinople b. Jerusalem c. Ephesus d. Rome
D
Which of the following is an apocalypse in the Hebrew Bible? a. John b. Adam c. Daniel d. Isaiah
D
Who would prosper if Jesus' apostolic message of fortune reversal, "the last will be first and the first last," came true? a. The downtrodden b. The poor c. Women d. All of the above
D
Why did Paul write a letter to the Romans? a. To solve the church's problems b. To check in with them, as he did with all the churches he established c. To alert them to the possibility of war with the Roman Gentiles d. No one knows for sure; however, Paul did have some purpose in trying to convince them that his message was authentic.
D
Why did the Gnostics claim Paul as their ultimate authority? a. Because Paul was the first Christian Gnostic b. Because Paul preached sexual renunciation, just as the Gnostics did c. Because Paul helped liberate the Gnostics from the enforced subservience of marriage d. Because Paul referred to "mysteries" in the gospel that were "hidden" and only available to those who were "mature," just as the Gnostics did
D
Women's roles in the church may have become curtailed as churches: a. Became more private, meeting in people's homes b. Became more secular c. Stopped worshiping Jesus d. Grew in size and became more public
D
