Christianity Check Your Knowledge Quizzes
Which letter deals with beliefs and practices that caused divisions in a local church, such as claiming to have superior spiritual gifts?
1 Corinthians
Which of Paul's letters references a strained relationship between Paul and the church, including a "painful visit" and a "severe letter"? 2 Corinthians Romans Philippians 1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Which of the general epistles is primarily concerned with the second coming of Christ? James 2 John 2 Peter Hebrews
2 Peter
What are the characteristics of deacons according to 1 Timothy?
A deacon should be worthy of respect.
With whom did God make a covenant that his descendants would one day possess the land of Canaan? Noah Abraham Moses Adam
Abraham
Who popularized the satisfaction theory of atonement?
Anselm
After the Exodus, Moses led the Israelites to the promised land of...
Canaan.
Which theory of atonement is considered the most classically held theory?
Christus victor
What is the first role of God mentioned in the Bible? Creator Father Savior Judge
Creator
Both Ezekiel and __________ represent apocalyptic texts present in the Old Testament.
Daniel
Which third century emperor, as part of his pagan reforms, demanded that Christians acquire a certificate to prove that they had offered sacrifices to the pagan gods? Nero Trajan Domitan Decius
Decius
In the fourth century, which emperor banned Christians from public offices? Diocletian Trajan Hadrian Decius
Diocletian
__________ was the heretical belief that Jesus was only a spirit descended from heaven and had no physical body.
Docetism
Who is created in God's image in the creation story?
Eve
At no time during the narrative of the Old Testament were Israel and Judah separate kingdoms. True False
False
Christians believe that God will raise them from the dead for 1,000 years, and then they will die again. True False
False
Christians believe that Jesus was fully God, but not fully human. True False
False
Christians do not care if Jesus has two full natures within him. True False
False
For Christians, judgement day is something to dread. True False
False
Heterodoxy is the word for correct Christian belief, based on the Greek words heteros (correct) and doxos (belief).
False
In the Bible, a "prophet" is primarily someone who speaks about events that will happen in the future. True False
False
Mark, Luke, and John are known as the synoptic gospels because they contain similar stories in a similar order. True False
False
Philemon, Paul's longest letter, provides the foundation for Christian doctrine on salvation. True False
False
The Nestorians believed that Jesus was not truly human; he was only divine. True False
False
The Sadducees were Jews who sought to purify themselves through stricter dietary laws and other physical or material deprivations. True False
False
The apostolic fathers wrote sections of the New Testament. True False
False
The author of Acts sought to distance Christianity from Judaism. True False
False
The concept of God as Father is found only in the New Testament. True False
False
The first century saw widespread, empire-wide persecution of Christians. True False
False
The nation of Israel was generally unaffected by the politics and wars of other Ancient Near Eastern nations. True False
False
True or False: There are the same number of sacraments, and the beliefs about sacraments are the same, regardless of the denomination of a church.
False
Which set of terms most accurately describes the Trinity, in classical Christian thought? Father / Son / Daughter Father / Holy Mother / Son Father / Son / Holy Spirit Father / Lord / God
Father / Son / Holy Spirit
The destruction of humankind with a flood is a key story in which book of the Pentateuch? Leviticus Exodus Deuteronomy Genesis
Genesis
Why did Christians push back so hard against gnosticism?
Gnosticism claimed that Jesus did not take on human flesh, and did not really die for human sins.
Which of the following is a theory about what it means to be made in God's image? God created humanity so that it could name all animals. God created humanity to live in the Garden. God created humanity to act morally, honorably, and lovingly. God created humanity to think critically.
God created humanity to act morally, honorably, and lovingly.
In Greek myths, later adopted by the Romans, how were gods and goddesses often portrayed?
Greek myths often portrayed gods and goddesses as immortal but immoral.
What does it mean to say that Jesus was fully human?
He had a physical body with physical needs and weaknesses.
What does it mean when Christians say that Jesus was fully God?
He was the same person as God, or having the same essence as God.
What is a possible definition of man being made in God's image?
Humans are creative.
Which prophet insisted that if the residents of Judah broke the covenant with God, God would not have any obligation to his covenant to protect them or their cities?
Jeremiah
What does it mean when a Christian says that Jesus has a "dual nature"?
Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
What did the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD state as the nature of Jesus?
Jesus was completely divine and completely human.
Which two books of the Old Testament prophets focus on the Assyrian capital of Nineveh?
Jonah and Nahum
Who was leading Israel during the conquest of Canaan?
Joshua
Which religion in first-century Rome was the original context within which Christianity grew? gnosticism Judaism agnosticism mithraism
Judaism
The Vulgate translation of the Bible is in...
Latin.
Which book of the Pentateuch is primarily a book of laws? Deuteronomy Exodus Leviticus Genesis
Leviticus
The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD centered around what heresy?
Macedonian
Which character is responsible for leading God's people out of their slavery in Egypt? Moses Noah Abraham Isaac
Moses
Who was the emperor during the great fire of Rome in AD 64?
Nero
Which of the following was a period of 200 years of unprecedented peace and economic prosperity throughout the Roman Empire? Mishnah Pax Romana Hellenistic Period Messianic Prophecy
Pax Romana
Which Jewish group consisted mostly of scribes, legal experts, and synagogue leaders? Pharisees Sadducees Essenes Zealots
Pharisees
Which book is a collection of poetry and song lyrics? Job Proverbs Ecclesiastes Psalms
Psalms
What are the three major branches of the Christian religion?
Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox
Who does the ransom theory of atonement suggest had ownership of humanity prior to the death of Jesus?
Satan
The Israelite monarchy was founded with who as the king?
Saul
What was a philosophical movement developed in Hellenistic Greece that provided a sympathetic foundation and influence for the development of Christianity in the Roman World?
Stoicism
The First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD discussed what issues?
The Council of Nicaea discussed the divinity of Christ.
What event forced Judaism to radically reinvent itself into a religion that focused more on its writings and its teachers?
The Jewish temple was destroyed by the Romans.
What is the general definition of the atonement of Jesus?
The death of Jesus covers the sin of humanity.
In 112 AD, which Roman emperor wrote to his governor Pliny the Younger to advise him on how to best handle Christians? Nero Trajan Domitian Hadrian
Trajan
An early Biblical example of human creativity is Adam naming all the animals in Genesis 2. True False
True
Christianity is a religion organized around a historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth. True False
True
Jude contains warnings against false teachers, citing how God had punished Israel, fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah. True False
True
Paul was known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. True False
True
Paul's view of salvation was justification by faith, meaning that no action, including following Jewish Law, undertaken by a Christian could lead to their salvation. True False
True
Revelation was addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor, including Ephesus, Smyrna, and Philadelphia. True False
True
The apostolic fathers are said to be the church leaders who had the most direct contact with Jesus' 12 apostles. True False
True
The divinity of Christ was revisited in later councils even after the Council of Nicaea. True False
True
The moral influence theory of atonement teaches that the death of Jesus was to primarily impact the morals of society. True False
True
The word "trinity" does not occur in the Bible. True False
True
Isaiah, __________, and Malachi are three Books of Prophecy that foretell, or promise, the coming of the Messiah.
Zechariah
The Eucharist is...
a Christian ritual initiated by Jesus Christ during his last supper, the Passover meal, before his crucifixion and death.
The zealots were...
a Jewish political extremist group who believed that God had given the land of Israel to the Jews, and that they therefore needed to rebel against the Romans who had no divine right to the land.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like...
a mustard seed, which starts out small but grows into something very large.
What is a metanarrative?
an overarching story that ties together smaller, loosely connected stories
What is the Torah?
another word for "Law"
Daniel is considered to be an example of __________ literature.
apocalyptic
The types or forms of writing found in the New Testament include...
apocalyptic literature, gospels, and history.
Which era of church leaders was commonly called to die for their faith? post-Nicene fathers desert fathers apostolic fathers Nicene fathers
apostolic fathers
After Paul is attacked by an angry mob on his return trip to Jerusalem, he is saved by...
appealing to his Roman citizenship.
What does the word "resurrection" mean in Christianity?
being raised back to life after dying, with a body that cannot die again
Which sacrament uses bread to symbolize the body of Christ and wine for his blood? baptism communion anointing of the sick holy order
communion
In literature, metanarratives can be particularly useful when working with...
complex texts containing different stories and perspectives.
Literary criticism is...
concerned with literary genres and the meaning as it can be derived from the internal elements of a text, such as narrative structure, rhetorical devices, and symbolism.
What is the metanarrative of the Bible?
creation, fall, redemption, and restoration
What kind of leaders did the 12 apostles appoint in the churches they planted?
deacons and elders
The book of Job is a __________ composition, mixing prose narrative and poetic passages, that treats the theme of unmerited suffering.
dramatic
Which religious movement taught that the physical world was wholly evil and the spiritual world was wholly good?
gnosticism
In the story of Samson and Delilah, Samson divulges that his strength is derived from his...
hair.
After Jesus died and his body was buried, several women went to visit the tomb three days later, but discovered that...
his body was gone.
The sacraments of service are...
holy matrimony and the holy orders.
All Christians believe that when they are raised from the dead, their bodies will be...
immortal.
The narrative history of the Historical Books of the Old Testament begins with the nation's entry into the Promised Land (Canaan) and covers events through the time of...
its return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
The "major prophets" are so named for their...
long books.
The theory that humans are designed to live forever is based on the Biblical belief that humans are...
made in the image of God.
The preacher or teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes proclaims all the actions of man are...
meaningless (or "vanity").
The sacraments of healing include anointing of the sick and...
reconciliation.
Of the four stages in the biblical metanarrative, which is the only one that focuses on the future? redemption creation restoration fall
restoration
In Revelation, after the seventh trumpet is blown, the antichrist and __________ appear and herald a period of suffering.
seven angels with the seven bowls of wrath
The writer in Psalms 23 describes God as his...
shepherd.
In Revelation, a __________ representing __________ opens the seven seals on the scroll, causing horrific catastrophes on earth.
slaughtered lamb; Jesus
Baptism is the sacrament which...
symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus by "burying" the believer under water, either literally or metaphorically.
A common theme in 1 Peter is...
that Christians should model good behavior to non-Christians who persecute them.
Which story includes God parting the Red Sea to allow his people to walk through to the other side on dry ground? the patriarchs the Exodus the Fall the conquest of Canaan
the Exodus
The genres of Law, History, Prophetic, and Wisdom literature are found in...
the Old Testament.
The leaders of the early Christian church were...
the apostles.
The Sermon on the Mount, which contains many of the major teachings of Jesus, contains a series of blessings and moral principles known as...
the beatitudes.
Doctrine refers to...
the codified teachings that guide Christians in their religious lives.
Before Nehemiah helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the exile, he was...
the cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes.
What is the symbolic name that the author of Revelation uses when he talks about the city which was responsible for the persecution of the righteous people still left on earth?
the destruction of Babylon
Along with providing an overarching story through which to interpret the Bible, the biblical metanarrative also gives Christians a framework for understanding...
the human condition and their purpose as human beings.
Biblical exegesis refers to...
the investigation of the original meaning of sacred texts.
Inerrant refers to how Christians think about...
the lack of error in the Bible and its teachings.
Which of the following is an important theme in the book of Acts? the Romans' persecution of Christians the relationship between non-Christian Jews and non-Christian Gentiles the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the expansion of the church the popular religions in the Roman Empire
the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the expansion of the church
1 and 2 Kings tell the story of the divided kingdoms and...
the nation's exile.
Textual criticism focuses on understanding biblical texts by establishing...
the original text of a book using ancient manuscripts.
What is the liturgy?
the prescribed set of rituals performed by a Christian church
In Christianity, the transformation is the idea that...
through Jesus, a Christian is changed into a different person than who they previously were.
Philemon is Paul's letter...
to a fellow Christian about how to treat his runaway slave Onesimus.
The term word of God can be used three ways: as the Bible in its final form, as the words that God spoke directly to Moses and the prophets, and...
to refer to Jesus.
The primary purpose of the book of Proverbs is...
to teach wisdom to both the foolish and the wise.
God's unique radical "otherness" is a result of which aspect of his being?
uncreated
Key contributions of ancient Near East civilizations include: (Choose all that apply) writing systems and alphabets. paper mache. codes of law. fireworks.
writing systems and alphabets. codes of law.
