| A | B |
|---|
| What is the first letter written by Paul and the earliest NT writing? | 1 Thessalonians |
| When was 1 Thessalonians written? | 50-51 |
| What does Paul advise in 1 Thessalonians? | Live holy lives; Always be ready for the day of the Lord's return |
| When was Galatians written? | 54-55 |
| What does Paul accomplish in Galatians? | A rebuke of the Judaizers who taught that Gentiles must submit to the Torah before becoming Christians |
| When was Philippians written? | 56 |
| What is the tone and message of Philippians? | Tone is joyful; message is that Christians are called to unity in Christ |
| When was 1 Corinthians written? | 56-57 |
| What does Paul teach in 1 Corinthians? | Reliance on Christ alone; Live sexually ethical life; Worship in unity; Love is the greatest spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit; Resurrection of Christ as the heart of the gospel |
| When was 2 Corinthians written? | 57 |
| What does Paul write about in 2 Corinthians? | Reconciliation in a divisive Church; Defense of ministry against false prophets; Encouragement to be generous in collection to be taken up for Jerusalem Christians |
| When was Romans written? | 57-58 |
| What are the themes of Romans? | Sin as a univeral condition; Need to imitate the faith of Abraham; Faith in gospel of Jesus Christ as the hope of salvation of Jew and Christian alike |
| When was 2 Thessalonians written and by whom? | 90s; Disciple of Paul |
| What are the themes of 2 Thessalonians? | Lord has not yet come; None should be idle but should persist in doing what is right |
| When was Colossians written and by whom? | 80; Unsure |
| What is the message of Colossians? | Christ is the preeminent spiritual being, the only source of our salvation |
| When was Ephesians written and by whom? | 90s; Admirer of Paul |
| What is the format and theme of Ephesians? | Essay rather than letter format; Chruch is the body of Christ with Jesus as its head |
| What are the three "pastoral letters?" | 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus |
| When were the pastoral letters written and for whom? | 95-100, Pastors |
| What is contained in the pastoral letters? | Directions for good order in the church; Qualifications for Church leaders, Warnings against false teachers, Instructions for good Christian behavior which will attract others to Christ |
| When was Philemon written and from where? | 55; Prison |
| For what purpose what Philemon written? | To encourage Philemon to accept back his runaway slave as brother |
| What is gnosticism? | A term for pre- and early Christian heresies that taught that salvation rests on secret knowledge |
| What is pseudonymous? | Term used to designate a work written under the name that is not the correct name of the person doing the actual writing, a common practice in the ancient world and one that was utilized to extend the legacy of great teachers. |
| When was Hebrews written and by whom? | 80s; Unknown |
| What is the theme of Hebrews? | Jesus is the high priest who offered himself as the supreme sacrifice on people's behalf |
| How many "catholic" letters are there? | 6 |
| What are the names of the catholic letters? | James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John |
| What is the group of letters called "catholic?" | Contain general advice for Christians; Were accepted by the universal church; Show how the worldwide church developed |
| When was James written? | 80s or 90s |
| What is the format of James? | More of a sermon than a letter |
| One is an important theme of James? | God's preferential love for the poor; Faith must be put into action as "faith without works is dead." |
| When was 1 Peter written? | 70s or 80s; Unknown |
| What is the message of 1 Peter? | Gentile-Christian converts must witness to Christ in a hostile, pagan world |
| When was 2 Peter written? | 130 |
| Was 2 Peter the latest New Testament book written? | Yes |
| What other New Testament book is incorporated into 2 Peter? | Jude |
| When was Jude written? | 90s |
| What is the message of Jude and 2 Peter? | Guard against false teachers who are deviating from apostolic teaching |
| The three letters of John are similar in style to which gospel? | John's |
| When were 1 John, 2 John, 3 John written? | 100 |
| Which of the three letters of John is the most important of the three? | 1 John |
| What is the format of 1 John and what does it teach? | Treatise; Defends Jesus' true humanity against the Docetists who claimed Jesus only "seemed" to be human |
| When was Revelation written and by whom? | 92-96; John of Patmos |
| During whose reign was the book Revelation written? | Domitian |
| What did Domitian require of the citizens of the Roman empire? | That they worship him as a god |
| Why was Revelation written? | To encourage Christians to worship the one true God alone and to assure them that Christ would conquer evil once and for all |
| Where does the word "revelation" come from? | From the Greek word "apocalypse," which means unveiling |
| Apocalyptic writing was popular in Judaism from _____ B.C. to _____ A.D. | 200, 200 |
| What is the reason for use of symbols in apocalyptic writing? | Enemies could be pointed out without actually naming them, thus protecting the persecuted group should its writings fall into the hands of the rulers |
| What are some of the ways that Jesus is depicted in the book of Revelation? | God the Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Messiah, Lamb of God |
| Is the book of Revelation a "code book" to be read for interpreting how or when the world will end? | No |
| What are some of the Christological titles applied to Jesus Christ by New Testament writers? | Lord, Christ, Word of God, Suffering Servant, Son of God, Son of Man |
| The _____ of the Church and _____ councils developed the Church's Christology in response to heretical teachings about Jesus. | Fathers, ecumenical |
| John's gospel was written between _____ and _____ A.D. | 90, 100 |
| John's gospel may be based on traditions surrounding the _____ disciple? | Beloved |
| Who is the "beloved disciple?" | An unnamed follower of Jesus mentioned several times in John's gospel. |
| John's gospel may have been written in _____. | Ephesus |
| Where is Ephesus? | Turkey |
| What was the composition of the church for which John was likely written? | Mostly Jewish-Christian, some Samaritan and Gentile converts |
| For what purpose was John's gospel written? | Strengthen faith, Win Converts |
| What sort of Christology does John's gospel present? | Descending |
| What is a "descending" Christology? | It is a Christology that emphasizes Jesus' divine origins and nature |
| What is another way of expressing "descending" Christology? | Christology from above |
| What is "Christology?" | The study of Christ |
| What does Christology literally mean? | "Words about Christ" |
| Does John's gospel use an "ascending" Christology? | No |
| What is an ascending Christology? | A Christology that emphasizes Jesus' human origins and nature. |
| What is another way of expressing "ascending" Christology? | Christology from below |
| Which gospel provides an example of an ascending Christology? | Mark's |
| For John, the concept of miracle centers around God's _____ in Jesus and _____ performed by Jesus. | Work, Signs |
| The Gospel accounts of the resurrection all agree on these essentials: _____. | Empty Tomb, Women witnesses, Took place on Sunday, Heavenly messengers giving a message, Initial unbelief that is reversed when Jesus appears on various occasions to the disciples, Jesus giving furhter instructions to his disciples as they wait for his ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit |
| Glory of God means _____. | Visible revelation of the power of the invisible God. |
| Logos means _____. | "Word" in Greek. In John's Gospel, Jesus IS the Word of God. |
| Paraclete means _____. | Holy Spirit |
| Priest means _____. | A mediator between God and man. |
| The author of John's gospel was very much interested in _____, literally "words about God." | Theology |
| One of John's purposes in writing his gospel was to combat _____ ideas about Jesus' humanity and his divinity | False |
| One of John's purposes in writing his gospel was to correct the followers of _____, who thought that he was the Messiah. | John the Baptist |
| A small fragment from John's gospel is the earliest section of any _____ book in existence. | New Testament |
| The author of John's gospel may have shared common written or oral traditions with _____ gospel. | Mark's |
| The author of the gospel of John was likely to have known of certain traditions that appear in _____ gospel. | Luke's |
| John's gospel does not rely heavily on any of the ____ gospels. | Synoptic |
| Who are some new characters found in John's gospel? | Nicodemus, Lazarus, Man born blind, Samaritan woman |
| Unlike in the synoptic gospels, John's gospel has Jesus making _____ Passover trips to Jerusalem. | Three |
| Unlike in the synoptic gospels, John's gospel does not mention possession by _____. | Demons |
| Unlike in the synoptic gospels where Jesus' teaching takes the form of pithy sayings or parables, John's gospel has Jesus speaking in long _____. | Discourses |
| Unlike in the synoptics where Jesus stresses the kingdom of God, John's gospel has Jesus focusing on _____ as God's revelation. | Himself |
| One of the literary techniques employed by John's gospel is _____, where opponents say things about Jesus that have deeper meanings then they realize. | Irony |
| One of the literary techniques employed by John's gospel is _____, or implied comparison. | Metaphor |
| What are the two major sources for the Gospel of John? | A "signs source," A version of the passion and resurrection narratives |
| What is the "signs source?" | A collection of miracles |
| How many signs (or miracles) of Jesus does the gospel of John record? | Seven |
| How many of the signs (miracles) of Jesus in the gospel of John are unique to the gospel of John? | Three |
| What are the three signs (miracles) that are unique to the gospel of John?? | Changing water into wine at Cana, Cure of a man born blind, Raising of Lazarus |
| Along with each of John's signs (miracles) there is a _____, probably arranged, developed, and preached in the local church of the writer of the gospel of John. | Speech (Discourse) |
| What do scholars believe to be true about the passion and resurrection narratives used by John as a source? | They would have been in circulation for years before any of the gospels were written. |
| To whom did the church father Irenaeus attribute the gospel of John? | To the "beloved disciple" mentioned several times in the gospel. |
| In what year did Irenaeus attribute the gospel of John to the beloved disciple? | 180 A.D. |
| What did church tradition hold to be true about the beloved disciple of John's gospel. | That he was an apostle, That his brother James was an apostle, That the father of John and James was Zebedee |
| Do scholars today believe that it is possible that Irenaeus may have confused the apostle John with another John, a church elder and disciple of the apostle John? | Yes |
| Due to its complex nature, scholars today believe that the gospel of John may have been written in several _____ and edited by many people. | Stages |
| Often in the ancient world authorship was attributed to the person who _____ the work rather than to the one who wrote it. | Inspired |
| The outline of John's gospel is simple in that it has only a prologue and _____ (number) further sections. | Two |
| What is the first major section of the gospel of John after the prologue? | Book of Signs |
| What is the second major section of the gospel of John after the prologue? | Book of Glory |
| What part of Jesus' life does the Book of Signs cover? | Jesus' public ministry |
| What accompanies each of the signs in the Book of Signs? | A discourse |
| What is a discourse? | A speech |
| What is the function of the signs and the speeches? | To reveal who Jesus is |
| What does the Book of Glory begin with? | The Last Supper |
| What does the Book of Glory end with? | The resurrection |
| What does the epilogue to John's gospel cover? | Jesus' appearances in Galilee |
| Was the epilogue to John's gospel probably added later? | Yes |
| What is the theme of the prologue to John's gospel? | Jesus is the "Word made flesh." |
| How many verses is the prologue to John's gospel? | 18 |
| The 18 verses of the prologue to John's gospel were probably adapted from an early Christian _____. | Hymn |
| The first chapter of the gospel of John introduces what three theological themes? | Christology from Above, Major Conflicts, Who is Jesus? |
| John's gospel has a/an _____ (ascending/descending) theology. | Descending |
| The synoptic gospels have a/an _____ (ascending/descending) theology. | Ascending |
| What does descending mean? | Come down from (as in descend down the stairs) |
| What does ascending mean? | Go up toward (as in ascend up the stairs) |
| Why is John's gospel spoken of as having a "descending Christology?" | It starts already "upstairs" with Jesus as the preexisting, heavenly "Word of God"; from there it brings Jesus down to earth. |
| Why are the synoptics spoken of as having an "ascending Christology?" | It starts "downstairs" (here on earth) with the concrete memories of Jesus of Nazareth and his impact on people. |
| John's gospel stresses the _____ (human/divine) side of Jesus. | Divine |
| The synoptics stress the _____ (human/divine) side of Jesus. | Human |
| Why does the Gospel of John begin with the words, "In the Beginning was the Word. . . ." | The author is echoing the beginning of the book of Genesis, which starts, "In the Beginning God created . . . ." |
| In John 1:1 what does the author of the Gospel of John say is Jesus' true identity? | He is the Word of God who has existed forever, As the Word of God he is God himself |
| Would John's use of "Word" for Jesus have appealed to both Jewish-Christians and Gentile-Christians? | Yes, Word was important in both the Old Testament (Jews) and in Greek philosophy (Gentiles). |
| One of the major conflicts that John introduces in his prologue is the contrast between the _____ of Christ and the darkness of the world that refuses to acknowledge Jesus. | Light |
| One of the major conflicts that John introduces in his prologue is life-giving _____ in Jesus versus unbelief. | Faith |
| One of the major conflicts that John introduces in his prologue is _____ versus untruth. | Truth |
| After the prologue of John's gospel, John the Baptist identifies Jesus by saying, _____. | "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." |
| Why does the author of John's gospel use so many titles--Word of God, Son of God, Christ, Prophet, Lam, Teacher, King of Israel, Son of Man--to describe Jesus? | Because he is God, the author is saying, no one title is sufficient |
| The title that the author of the gospel of John uses for Jesus that signifies that Jesus gives true life through the Eucharist is _____. | Bread of Life |
| The title that the author of the gospel of John uses for Jesus that signifies that he Jesus is the beacon of truth that points people to God is _____. | Light of the World |
| The title for Jesus that the author of the gospel of John uses to signify that Jesus is the Messiah who watches out for his flock is _____. | Good Shepherd |
| The title for Jesus that the author of the apostle of John uses to signify that Jesus has power over death is _____. | Resurrection and the Life |
| The title that the author of John uses for Jesus to signify that Jesus is the source of life and that people must remain attached to him is _____. | Vine |
| What was the first sign in the Book of Signs? | Changing water to wine at Cana |
| What is the seventh sign in the Book of Signs? | The Raising of Lazarus |
| Why is the Raising of Lazarus considered the most important miracle in John's gospel? | It prefigures Jesus' own death and resurrection |
| When do scholars believe the story of the "woman caught in adultery" was added to John's gospel? | Third century (200s A.D.) |
| Scholars postulate that the story of the "woman caught in adultery" was closer in theology to ____'s gospel rather than to John's | Luke |
| In the Book of Glory section of John's gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus washes the _____ of his disciples, a scene recorded only in John's gospel. | Feet |
| In John's gospel, at the Last Supper after Judas Iscariot departs, Jesus says, "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have _____ for one another." | Love |
| In chapters 14-17 of the gospel of John, in Jesus' last discourse, Jesus reassures his disciples, urges them not to be troubled and says, " I am the way and the truth and the _____." No one comes to the father except through me." | Life |
| When John's gospel tells the resurrection story it stresses _____. | The commissioning of leaders to continue his work |
| In John's gospel the resurrected Jesus appears first to _____. | Mary Magdalene |
| When Jesus appeared after his resurrection to the disciples (who were in hiding) he _____ on them, signifying the giving of the Holy Spirit. | Breathed |
| When Jesus appeared to the apostles a week after his resurrection, Thomas proclaimed, _____. | "My Lord and my God" |
| With what chapter did the gospel of John originally end? | Chapter 20 |
| What chapter was later added to the gospel of John? | Chapter 21, which includes Jesus appearing to the apostles in Galilee |
| What are the details on which the resurrection narratives agree? | Resurrection took place early in the morning on the first day of the week, Women were present, Stone rolled away and tomb is empty, Messenger or messengers were at the tomb to tell the women to tell the disciples what had happened, Jesus appears to the disciples (and only the disciples) and is not a ghost, Jesus prepares his disciples for his ascension and the descent of the Spirit |
| Luke wrote Luke-Acts without having ever met the historical _____. | Jesus |
| Because he made mistakes about _____, scholars believe that the author of Luke-Acts was not from Palestine. | Geography |
| The language that Luke-Acts was written in was _____. | Greek |
| In writing for a Gentile audience, Luke eliminates Marcan passages that might confuse a non-____ audience. | Jewish |
| What does "Marcan" mean? | Pertaining to the Gospel of Mark |
| What does "Lucan" mean? | Pertaining to the Gospel of Luke |
| What does "Matthean" mean? | Pertaining to the Gospel of Matthew |
| What does "Johannine" mean? | Pertaining to the Gospel of John |
| Two parables that are exclusively Lucan ("L") are _____. | Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son |
| Luke was an organized writer careful with historical detail, thus he situates John the Baptist in both _____ and _____ history. | Roman, Jewish |
| How does Luke situate John the Baptist in Roman history? | He writes, "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea . . . ." (Lk 3: 1-2) |
| A common theme in Luke-Acts is that of Jesus as a _____, one who speaks God's will to the people. | Prophet |
| In Luke, Jesus states that the prophecy of the Old Testament prophet _____ is coming to life in him. | Isaiah |
| In Luke's gospel, the _____ give witness (i.e. they were there) to Jesus' public ministry. | Apostles |
| In Luke's gospel, the _____ give witness (i.e they were there) to Jesus' empty tomb | Women |
| How many apostles were left after Judas Iscariot's exit? | Eleven |
| According to Luke, why is a new apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot? | In order to retain the symbolism bewteen the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| According to Luke, how many disciples were there in the initial group of Jesus' disciples? | One hundred twenty |
| How many days after Passover is Pentecost celebrated? | Fifty |
| What does the Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorate? | God's giving of the covenant to Israel at Sinai. |
| What does the Christian feast of Pentecost celebrate? | God's giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church. |
| According to Luke, how many converts were baptized at the first Christian Pentecost? | Three thousand |
| Because of the mass conversion to Christianity at the first Christian Pentecost, the Christian feast of Pentecost is often called the _____. | Birthday of the Church |
| In Acts, Luke says that Jesus received the Holy Spirit from the _____ to give to the church. | Father |
| In Acts, Luke reports more than seventy times that the _____ emboldened the disciples to proclaim Jesus' message. | Holy Spirit |
| According to Luke, the Holy Spirit is given to converts when the apostles lay hands on the newly _____. | Baptized |
| The "fruits of the Spirit" are _____. | Joy and Peace |
| More than any other gospel, Luke's gospel reassures the _____ and warns the _____ to repent before it is too late. | Poor, rich |
| Luke is the only gospel writer to record the story of _____and the rich man, in which a rich man in hell asks Abraham in heaven to warn his living brothers to change their ways. | Lazarus |
| In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, why does Abraham deny the rich man's requests? | Because they ignored "Moses and the Prophets" |
| What is the name of the tax collector who found Jesus and subsequently gave half of his wealth to the poor? | Zacchaeus |
| Luke's Jesus tells the parable of the "good" _____ (a sworn enemy of the Jews) to teach the point that love of neighbor means love of everyone. | Samaritan |
| Luke's Jesus tells the parable of the "prodigal" _____ in order to demonstrate God's joy at the return of sinners | Son |
| Luke uses the term _____ most often for Jesus. | Lord |
| Luke's Jesus states at the last supper, "I am here among you as one who _____," in order to encourage them to follow his example and stop bickering over who is the greatest. | Serves |
| Luke presents Jesus as a _____, or "witness." | Martyr |
| Luke's gospel concludes with a resurrection appearance of Jesus on the road from Jerusalem to _____, seven miles away. | Emmaus |
| In Acts, Luke shows that the earliest Christians read the _____ and broke _____ in Jesus' name. | Scriptures, bread |
| The author of the Luke's Gospel was a _____-Christian | Gentile |
| The author of the Gospel of Luke also wrote this biblical book. | Acts of the Apostles |
| Luke may have been a companion of _____ on his missionary journeys. | Paul |
| Luke may have originally been from Antioch in _____. | Syria |
| Paul | Luke wrote for the Gentile-Christian churches most likely founded by _____. |
| Luke probably wrote his Gospel around the year _____. | 85 A.D. |
| Luke dedicated his books to _____. | Theophilus |
| The term "Theophilus" means _____. | Beloved of God |
| For Luke, Theophilus was either a symbol for all Christians or a _____ . | Patron |
| Luke wrote to encourage his readers to live in imitation of _____ and the early church leaders. | Christ |
| A central theological theme of Luke is that the Gospel is meant for _____ , not just Jews. | Everyone |
| Early Christians lived out Jesus' message through fellowship, praying and breaking bread together (Eucharist) and listening to the teachings of the _____. | Apostles |
| In Luke's Gospel Mary conceives Jesus by the power of the _____. | Holy Spirit |
| In Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit arrives on the feast of _____. | Pentecost |
| In Luke's gospel the Holy Spirit figures prominently in the life of Jesus and the early _____. | Church |
| Luke views history in _____ (number) stages. | Three |
| The first stage of history for Luke is _____. | "Age of Promise" |
| The second stage of history for Luke is _____. | "Time of Jesus" |
| The third stage of history for Luke is _____. | "Age of the Church" |
| For Luke, what occurs that ends the "Age of Promise?" | Jesus is born. |
| For Luke, what will occur to end the "Age of the Church?" | Jesus will come again in glory. |
| The gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles give a key role to _____, considered inferior to men in Jesus' time. | Women |
| Luke's gospel highlights the faith of _____, the mother of Jesus. | Mary |
| Catholics believe that Mary was full of grace from the first moment of her conception; this is called the _____. | Immaculate Conception |
| Catholics believe that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life; this is called the _____. | Assumption |
| Luke presents Jesus as a _____Messiah who brings good news to the poor. | Compassionate |
| Luke presents Jesus as the _____ savior, here for all, not just for the Jews. | Universal |
| Luke presents Jesus as a friend to _____ like women, sinners, lepers, tax collectors, Samaritans. | Outsiders |
| In Luke, Jesus preaches God's great joy over the return of _____. | Sinners |
| In Luke, Jesus is the martyred Lord who is the _____ for Christian missionaries like Peter and Paul. | Model |
| Together the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up this percentage of the New Testament. | Twenty-Five |
| Scholars point to the similarities in the _____ of the Gospels of Luke and Acts of the Apostles to point to the same author for both. | Outlines |
| Luke used three sources to write his Gospel: _____, L, and Q. | Mark |
| This percentage of Mark's gospel appears in Luke's gospel. | Sixty |
| The city of _____ is a symbol in Luke's gospel. | Jerusalem |
| After Jesus died his followers kept alive his message by starting the first ____ in Jerusalem. | Church |
| Acts of the Apostles reveals that the first church in Jerusalem had _____ (number) members. | Eleven |
| For Luke the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in directing _____ history. | Salvation |
| Luke portrays Jesus as frequently pausing for ____ so that the Holy Spirit could guide him. | Prayer |
| Luke's gospel portrays prayer for Jesus--and for readers of the gospel--as a means of discovering and following God's _____. | Will |
| The first Christian martyr was _____. | Stephen |
| Who was the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot? | Matthias |
| What was decided at the Council of Jerusalem in 49 AD? | Gentiles could become Christians and would be exempt from the restrictions of the Jewish Law. |
| _____ was Paul's companion on his first missionary journey. | Barnabus |
| Where were the followers of Jesus first called Christians? | Antioch |
| Acts of the Apostles ends in _____, the capital city of the Roman Empire | Rome |
| In the Acts of the Apostles one of the parallels between Paul and Jesus is that _____. | Both begin their preaching in a synagogue where they preach about the fulfillment of the Old Testament. |
| In Acts, Luke tells that _____ days passed between Jesus' post-resurrection appearances and his ascension to heaven. | 40 |
| In Acts, Luke tells how Peter and John are arrested by the _____ because they have been preaching about Jesus | Sanhedrin |
| In Acts, Luke tells how there was some dissension between _____ (Greek-speaking) and Hebrew Christians | Hellenistic |
| In Acts, Luke tells how Philip was the Greek-speaking deacon who preached to the _____. | Samaritans |
| In Acts, Luke tells of the conversion of Saul to _____, and how he became the "apostle to the Gentiles." | Paul |
| In Acts, Luke tells how the church in Jerusalem came under attack by King _____. | Herod |
| In Acts, Luke tells that when the church came under assault by the Roman Empire, the center of the church moved to _____ in Syria. | Antioch |
| In Acts, Luke tells that _____ baptized the Gentile named Cornelius after having had a vision from the Lord | Peter |
| In Acts, Luke tells that the first missionary journey began in _____ A.D. | 45 |
| In Acts, Luke tells that _____ and _____ traveled the first missionary journey. | Paul, Barnabus |
| In Acts, Luke tells that when Paul and Barnabus undertook the first missionary journey, they found that some _____ rejected the gospel, so instead they preached the gospel to the Gentiles. | Jews |
| In Acts, Luke tells that at the Council of Jerusalem, Peter spoke and said that Gentile converts need not first become Jews because God's _____ saves people, not adherence to the Law. | Grace |
| In Acts, Luke tells how James, "the brother of the Lord" spoke in favor of exempting the Gentiles from adherence to the Law, except when it came to _____, _____, and _____. | Idolatry, unclean meat, incestous marriages |
| In Acts, Luke tells that Paul took a total of _____ (number) missionary journeys | 3 |
| In Acts, Luke tells that Paul was arrested and detained by the Roman authorities first in Caesarea for _____ (number) years. | 2 |
| When the Romans wanted to turn Paul over to the Jewish Sanhedrin for trial, Paul invoked his right as a _____ citizen and requested a trial instead in a Roman court, before Caesar. | Roman |
| In Acts, Luke tells that Paul was confined for the second time by Roman authorities in _____, where he had been sent for trial. | Rome |
| Traditionally the author of Mark is identified as a "John Mark" a companion of _____. | Paul |
| The author of Mark was a Christian who came from a _____ background. | Jewish |
| A probable date for the composition of Mark is _____ A.D. | 70 |
| The Gospel of Mark was written to bolster the faith of Christians who were being _____. | Persecuted |
| In the Gospel of Mark the author says that during this time of persecution Christians must undergo _____ in imitation of Jesus. | Suffering |
| In Mark Jesus is an authoritative teacher who backs up his word by performing _____. | Miracles |
| In Mark, When speaking about the Law, Jesus teaches that the _____ is made for humans not humans for the _____ (same word both blanks). | Sabbath |
| The _____ in Mark refers to Jesus wanting his identity as Messiah to be kept hidden because people would misunderstand his true identity as the suffering servant. | Messianic Secret |
| The title Mark uses for Jesus is _____. | Son of Man |
| Various actions and teachings of Jesus angered _____ leaders of his day, thus leading to their plotting with Roman officials about his death. | Religious |
| As described by Mark, the teachings of Jesus that angered religious leaders include: _____. | Forgiveness of sins; Healing on the sabbath; Teaching with authority; Disregard for certain dietary laws; Association with tax collectors and sinners; Teaching about God's love for sinners; Prediction about the destruction of the temple |
| The Roman prefect, _____, condemned Jesus to death. | Pontius Pilate |
| In Mark the key events of the Passion narrative include: _____. | Judas' betrayal of Jesus, Jesus' anointing at Bethany; Celebration of the Passover meal in which Jesus gives himself to the Apostles in the Eucharist; Jesus' prayer to God in the Garden at Gethsemane; Jesus' arrest and trial before the Jewish authorities where Peter denies him; his trial and scourging by the Pontius Pilate; Jesus' crucifixion between two criminals; Jesus' death and burial in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea |
| The greatest event in salvation history is the _____ of Jesus, which Christians believe makes possible salvation for all people. | Resurrection |
| The author of Matthew was a Jewish-Christian, perhaps a former _____. | Scribe |
| Traditionally, the author of the Gospel of Matthew is identified as _____, the apostle who was a tax collector. | Levi |
| The Gospel of Matthew is written for a Greek-speaking, _____-_____ audience. | Jewish-Christian |
| One of Matthew's sources may have been a collection of _____ sayings (Q), perhaps compiled by an eyewitness to Jesus. | Aramaic |
| The sources for Matthew's gospel include Matthew, Q and _____. | Mark |
| The probable date for Matthew's gospel was somewhere in the 80s, when tensions were high between Jewish-Christians expelled from the _____ and Jews who survived the Roman revolt. | Synagogues |
| Matthew's gospel was written to show that Christians could lay claim to _____ promises to the Chosen People, while at the same time opening up the gospel to Gentiles. | Yahweh's |
| Matthew's gospel was written to show that Jesus fulfills Old Testament _____. | Prophecy |
| Matthew's gospel has _____ major sections in between an opening infancy narrative and a closing passion narrative. | Five |
| Each of Matthew's five major sections contains a _____ (story) and a _____ (speech). | Narrative, Discourse |
| A popular title for Jesus in Matthew is _____, which depicts Jesus as Israel's promised Messiah. | Son of David |
| A popular title for Jesus in Matthew is _____, which means "God with us." | Emmanuel |
| Matthew's gospel ends with the famous scene of Jesus commissioning the _____ to preach the gospel to all people. | Apostles |
| Matthew presents Jesus as a new _____, whose Sermon on the Mount teaches the way of Christian discipleship. | Moses |
| Matthew teaches that Jesus came to _____ not overthrow the Law. | Fulfill |
| In Matthew Jesus teaches his followers: _____. | To be like light and salt; To act with the purest of intentions; To pray with simplicity and childlike trust; To forgive others; To be perfect as the heavenly father is perfect; To abide by the Golden Rule; To seek not revenge toward enemies but rather to love even enemies |
| What is the Golden Rule as expressed by Jesus in Matthew? | "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." |
| Jesus' missionary discourse in Matthew 10 challenges his disciples to preach the gospel in a spirit of poverty, trusting that the _____ will enlighten and strengthen them when persecution happens. | Holy Spirit |
| To teach about God's kingdom, Jesus often taught in _____. | Parables |
| Some of Jesus' parables have _____ elements, with points of comparison to some other reality. | Allegorical |
| Matthew presents Jesus as founder of the _____. | Church |
| Matthew's Jesus says that the founders of the church should be: _____. | Humble; Careful to avoid scandal; Forgiving; Prayerful; Willing to serve even to the point of suffering |
| Matthew has Jesus establish a _____ leadership headed by Peter and apostles. | Hierarchical |
| The successors of Peter and the Apostles are the _____ and the ______. | Pope, Bishops |
| Jesus' strong language in the Gospel of Matthew reflects the turmoil in _____ in the 80s; Matthew is trying to win over his fellow Jews to the view that Jesus fulfills the promises made to Israel. | Judaism |
| Kerygma | Core teaching about Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord |
| Reign of God | Process of God's will being done on earth |
| Midrash | Literary form that relates past scriptural events to help explain and interpret present events |
| Mystery | Term referring to God's infinte incomprehensibility |
| Paschal mystery | Jesus' life, death, passion, resurrection |
| Transfiguration | Mystery from Christ's life in which God's glory shone through and transformed Jesus' physical appearance while he was in the company of the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah |
| Matthew | His infancy narrative shows Jesus as the new Moses and the new Israel |
| Luke | His infancy narrative show Jesus as the universal savior for a Gentile-Christian audience |
| John the Baptist | He is considered the precursor of the Messiah, the forerunner of Jesus |
| Repentance | This is what John the Baptist preached in preparation for the coming of the Messiah |
| Elijah | The Old Testament prophet to which John the Baptist is compared |
| Circumcision | This act signifies Jesus' incorportation into the Jewish people |
| First-born son | Jesus is presented in the temple because he is this and he belongs to God |
| Shepherds | Luke includes Jesus manifesting himself to these to make the point that Jesus reveals himself to the lowly and that the Gospel is open to everyone |
| Jerusalem | City that is important in Luke's gospel; here Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection lead to salvation for all |
| Baptism | At this event in Jesus' life these three happen: opening of the sky, descent of the Spirit, heavenly voice |
| Sin | In the Gospels Jesus is portrayed as resisting temptation to demonstrate that he is w/o this |
| Amen | The Gospel writers' use of the word by Jesus demonstrates that he speaks with authority |
| Parables | Jesus typically taught using these vivid picture stories drawn from everyday life |
| The kingdom of God | Jesus' central message |
| Abba | The term used for God by Jesus to indicate that God is loving and that God's love and forgiveness extend to all |
| A principle way that Jesus "preached" the Gospel | Parables |
| Four | The number of categories into which Jesus' parables are usually divided |
| God's | Jesus' miracles reveal _____ power |
| Suffering Servant | Jesus' humility in accepting his baptism from John prefigures his future role as God's _____ _____. |
| Apocalypse | Word means "revelation" or "unveiling." These writings, written in times of crisis, use highly symbolic language to bolster faith by reassuring believers |
| Pentateuch | Christian name for the first five books of the Old Testament |
| Qumran | Ancient Essene monastery on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. Near it were found the ancient Dead Sea scrolls |
| Sanhedrin | Seventy-one member supreme legislative and judicial body of the Jewish people. Many of its members were Sadducees |
| Torah | Law or divine teaching revealed to Judaism |
| Philistines | The word "Palestine" gets its name from this group, a traditional enemy of the Jews |
| Galilee, Samaria, Judea | These are the three major regions of Palestine |
| Galilee | The REGION of Palestine where Jesus spent most of his public life is _____ |
| Nazareth | The VILLAGE that Jesus grew up in |
| Cana | Where Jesus performed his first miracle |
| Capernaum | The VILLAGE that Jesus used as the base for his public ministry |
| Samaritans | These were descendents of foreigners who intermarried with northern Israelite tribes at the time of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom |
| Judea | In what region are Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Dead Sea located? |
| Aramaic | This is the language that Jesus spoke |
| Hebrew | This is the language of Jesus' bible |
| Synagogues | In Jesus' day, these were houses of prayer, places of meeting, centers for legal discussions, and often served as local schools |
| Temple | In Jesus' day, this was the center of Jewish sacrifice to Yahweh and the destination for the celebration of various religious festivals |
| Jerusalem | Where the Temple was located |
| Herod the Great | Who built the Temple in which Jesus worshipped? |
| Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles | What were the three major Jewish religious feasts at the time of Jesus? |
| Passover | This Jewish religious feast celebrates the Exodus experience |
| Pentecost | This Jewish religious feast celebrates the Sinai covenant |
| Tabernacles | This Jewish religious feast celebrates the fall harvest festival |
| Politics | At the time of Jesus, this dominated Jewish life |
| His sons | Who ruled Palestine after Herod the Great's death? |
| Herod Antipas | Who was the king during Jesus' lifetime? |
| Roman | Most Jews of the first century expected the Messiah to come very soon and they expected a Davidic figure, a military leader who would throw off _____ rule |
| Sadducees | The Jewish sect that did not believe in the resurrection |
| Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots | The four major parties or sects of NT times were these |
| Palestine | What the Bible refers to as the the "Holy Land" where Jesus' public ministry took place |
| 145 from North to South; 25 miles wide in the North; 87 miles wide in the South. | What are the dimensions of Palestine? |
| It bridges two continents, Africa and Asia, and was, in the ancient world, a crossroads between ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia | Why has Palestine always held a strategic place in world history? |
| Coastal plain, Mountain range, Rift Valley, Transjordan | What are the four major terrains of the Palestine of Jesus' time? |
| Along the COAST of the Mediterranean Sea; Jesus visited here only briefly | Where was the Coastal Plain of Jesus' Palestine and what was its significance? |
| The mountain range ran from north to south and paralleled the Mediterranean Sea, but about fifty miles inland. The Jews had built their principal cities here and therefore Jesus' ministry occurred here as well | Where was the Mountain range of Jesus' Palestine and what was its significance? |
| East of the mountains, with the Jordan River flowing through it. In the north the river pools in the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias); in the south it pools into the Dead Sea. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan | Where was the Rift Valley of Jesus' Palestine and what was its significance? |
| This is the hilly terrain east of the mountains and river; it was a barren wilderness, not often visited by Jesus, whose ministry centered in cities and near bodies of water, where people lived | Where was the Transjordan of Jesus' Palestine and what was its significance? |
| Fertile; prosperous farmers and shepherds; Sea of Galilee provided livelihood for fishermen; Population mainly Jewish but with some non-Jews (from north of here) mixed in; unique Aramaic dialect spoken here; Jesus and most of the apostles were Galileans; Jesus' hometown of Nazareth (population 1200) was here; capital city of Sepphoris was about 1 hr walk away and might have provided work for the carpenters Joseph and his son, Jesus; also here are important cities of Cana, Bethsaida, Capernaum | What do we know about Galilee, the region of Palestine where Jesus spent most of his public life? |
| Region just south of Galilee; the Samaritans lived here; since Jews and Samaritans hated each other, Galileans on their way to Jerusalem (in Judea) would go out of their way (literally) to avoid Samaria; Jesus did not allow the apostles to preach to the Samaritans but he himself was kind to them | What do we know about Samaria and its significance in Jesus' life? |
| It was in the south; most inhabitants were descendants of those who returned to the Holy Land after the Babylonian exile; many Jewish leaders lived here and their life centered on the Temple; the city of Jerusalem was here, 2500 ft above sea level; Jerusalem was the political, economic, and religious center of Judaism; estimates of the population of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus range from 50,000 to over a 100,000; also in Judea was Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus; in southern-most Judea is the 53 mile long Dead Sea, 1300 ft below sea level and the lowest spot on earth | What do we know about Judea and its significance in Jesus' life? |
| Closely related to Hebrew; originally spoke by tribes from Syria and Mesopotamia; Jews who returned to Palestine after the Babylonian exile adopted Aramaic; Though Jesus' bible (today's OT), was read in Hebrew, many people did not understand Hebrew and portions were translated in synagogues into Aramaic paraphrases so people could understand; When NT was later written in Greek, some Aramaic was retained, a key example of this is Jesus' use of the word "Abba" for God | What do we know about Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke? |
| Koine (meaning common) Greek, a language took told hold in the region in the after the 4th century B.C. conquest of Alexander the Great; Jesus might have known a little koine and might have found it useful if he worked as a carpenter in Sepphoris | What was the common language of the Roman empire at the time of Jesus and what do we know about Jesus' knowledge of it? |
| Parallel statements, comparisons, exaggerations | What are three Aramaic speech forms found in Jesus' teachings? |
| Ten | Synagogues were built in towns in Palestine when there were at least ____ (number) men who wanted to gather for a service |
| Rivers, streams | Synagogues were typically located near _____ or _____ so that worshippers could purify themselves in running water |
| Rectangle | In what shape were synagogues built? |
| Stepped stone benches on three sides; higher seats set aside for more prominent members | What was the seating arrangement inside a synagogue? |
| In a cabinet called an "ark" which occupied the fourth wall of the rectangular structure | Where was the the scroll of the Law (Torah) and the scroll of the writings of the prophets housed? |
| Three times a day for those who wished to pray with special services on market days, Mondays, and Thursdays; most important day was the Sabbath (Saturday) | What was the schedule for opening the synagogue? |
| Ten men over age 13 gathered, congregation stood and faced Jerusalem and said prayers, read from the Torah and then the prophets, before sitting to listen to a homily delivered by someone present; Before leaving, synagogue worshippers would gave alms for the poor | What was a synagogue service during Jesus' time like? |
| Shema (from Dt 6:4) | What is the name of the Jewish "confession of faith" that worshippers in synagogue would say first? |
| Probably hundreds | How many synagogues were there in the Palestine of Jesus' time? |
| One | How many Temples were there in the Palestine of Jesus' time? |
| It was the third one constructed. The first, Solomon's Temple, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The Temple was rebuilt c. 520 B.C. and then was replaced beginning in 20 B.C. under the auspices of Herod the Great. This building and decorating project lasted until 64 A.D. This third Temple was destroyed, however, by the Romans in 70 A.D. | What do we know of the Temple that was standing during Jesus' time? |
| It was quite big, with a 2350 ft perimeter. In the center was an altar with a courtyard reserved for priests. Next was a courtyard for men and then one for women and then one for Gentiles | What did the third Temple look like? |
| Jews were obligated by Law to contribute by paying a Temple tax | How was the Temple upkeep paid for? |
| Roman | During the time of Jesus' life, Palestine was part of what empire? |
| From Great Britain in the north to Egypt in the south | What was the geographic range of the Roman Empire during Jesus' life? |
| "Pax Romana" (Peace of Rome): language, roads, legal system, military, trade, communication | What benefits did the Roman Empire bring to Palestine and other regions it encompassed? |
| Stability enabled Christian missionaries to evangelize peacefully throughout the empire | What effect did the "Pax Romana" have on early evangelization efforts after Jesus' resurrection? |
| They hated it | How did the Jews of Jesus' time feel about Roman rule? |
| They saw it as another in a long line of oppressions stretching back six centuries | Why did the Jews hate Roman rule? |
| Antiochus IV; Hated because of his attempts to impose Hellenism, with its pagan practices and culture, on the Jews | Who ruled just prior to the Romans and why was he hated? |
| Maccabean Revolt, which led to the Maccabean family ruling until Pompey captured Palestine in 63 B.C. | What resulted due to Antiochus' extreme Hellenism? |
| Rome permitted the Jews quasi-self-rule under Herod the Great | When Roman rule began, what was the relationship of Rome to the Jews? |
| He was called a half-Jew due to the fact that he pandered so much to the Emperor | What kind of ruler was Herod? |
| The Temple in Jerusalem, begun c. 20 B.C | For what building project were the Jews at the time of Herod the Great grateful? |
| His three sons | After Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. who took over? |
| Philip (northern lands and lands east of the Sea of Galilee); Antipas (Perea and Galilee); Archelaus (Samaria, Idumea, Judea). | Who were the three sons of Herod the Great and what regions of the Roman empire did they rule? |
| Procurators (also known as prefects) | When the Herods were removed from power, what did the emperor replace them with? |
| Tax collection, imposition of death sentences imposed by Jewish tribunals; peace-keeping using forces of non-Jews living in the region; reporting to Rome; selection of Jewish high priest | What was the job of the procurator? |
| They hated his powers and they hated, for example, the Jews who worked for him in collecting taxes | How did the Jews feel about the powers of the procurators? |
| Even though the Romans gave them some freedom to practice their religion, they yearned for a messiah to liberate them from Roman rule | What were Jews in Jesus' time yearning for? |
| They were both Gentile and Jewish; Most were servants of the wealthy; Most worked 10 hrs a day with Sabbath off; Some did hard labor; They became slaves through war, kidnapping, debt, being born the child of a slave; Hard work could sometimes win their freedom; Later Jesus (and later, the NT) would speak out against this inequality among persons | What was the situation for slaves in Palestine at the time of Jesus? |
| Tacitus, Suetonius, Pliny the Younger | These are three important Roman historians who allude to the existence of Jesus |
| Josephus | This is the most important Jewish historian; he verifies the existence of Jesus. |
| The gospels | Primary knowledge about Jesus' life comes from these |
| Covenant | This word means "testament" |
| 46 | The number of inspired OT books |
| 27 | The number of inspired NT books |
| 73 | The number of books that form the canon of sacred scripture |
| Traceable to the apostles, Gained widespread acceptance, Conformed to the rule of faith | These criteria were used by the church to determine which books would be included in the canon of scripture |
| 4 | The number of gospels in the NT |
| 13 | The number of Pauline letters |
| 7 | The number of "catholic" epistles |
| Acts of the Apostles, Hebrews, Revelation | The books that there are one each of in the canon of the NT |
| 3 | The number of stages in the "formation of the gospels" |
| Jesus' life (6 B.C.-A.D. 30) | The first stage in the "formation of the gospels" |
| Period of Oral Tradition (A.D. 30-50) | The second stage in the "formation of the gospels" |
| Period of the New Testament Writings (A.D. 50-c. 120) | The third stage in the "formation of the gospels |
| 65/70 A.D- 100 A.D. | The gospels were written down between what years? |
| kerygma | One part of the oral tradition is "preaching to unbelievers" or _____ |
| didache | One part of the oral tradition is "further instruction in the faith" or _____ |
| liturgy | One part of the oral tradition is "worship" or _____ |
| The world did not end as the early Christians expected, heresies were setting in and needed correction, Christians needed an objective source for further instruction | Why were the gospels finally written down? |
| What the human authors wanted to say and what God wanted to reveal through their words | Biblical interpretation must take both of these into account |
| Content and unity of the whole scripture, Scripture as seen through the living tradtion of the Church, Analogy of Faith | What do Catholic biblical scholars pay attention to in interpreting scripture? |
| Literal, Spiritual | The Church teaches that there are two senses of scripture, the _____ sense and the _____ sense |
| Source criticism | The form of biblical criticism that tries to determine what the scripture writers drew on to compose their works |
| Mark, Matthew, Luke | These three gospels are known as the snyoptics |
| "Q" for quelle, which is German for "source" | The common source that Matthew and Luke drew on in writing their gospels |
| Mostly sayings of Jesus | "Q" contained these |
| "M" | When Matthew wrote his gospel and used material known to him alone this is designated _____ |
| "L" | When Luke wrote his gospel and used material known to him alone this is designated _____ |
| Historical criticism | The form of biblical criticism that attempts to ascertain the literal sense of scripture and also judge what is historically verifiable in the text |
| Linguistic analysis, Originality, Convergence, Consistency | Some of the historical methods used by historical methods scholars to verify the historical reliability of the gospels |
| Form criticism | The form of biblical criticism that focuses on the literary differences in each NT book and the individual literary units each contains |
| Miracle stories, Parables, Riddles, Pronouncement Stories, Genealogies | These are examples of literary forms in the gospels. |
| Redaction criticism | This form of biblical criticism highlights the evangelists as editors. It studies how they shaped their sources and presented the gospels in light of their theological points of view and the audiences for whom they were writing |
| Textual criticism | This form of biblical criticism compares the changes and mistakes in the various ancient biblical manuscripts that predate the invention of the printing press |
| Vulgate | The translation of the St. Jerome's Bible into Latin is known as this |
| New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible | These are two important Catholic translations of the Bible into English |
| Paschal mystery | Jesus' life, death, passion, resurrection |
| John the Baptist | He is considered the precursor of the Messiah, the forerunner of Jesus |
| Canon | Official list of inspired books of the Bible |
| Catechesis | Process of religious instruction and formation in the major elements of the Christian faith |
| Evangelist | Person who proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ |
| Matthew, Mark, Luke, John | Four evangelists of the Christian scripture |
| Gospel | Literally, "good news" |
| Inspiration | Guidance given to human authors of sacred scripture so they wrote what God wanted written |
| Q | Abbreviation for "Quelle," German for source |
| Synoptic gospels | Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, which have similarites and can be seen together |
| Testament | Word means "covenant," and is the open-ended contract of love between God and human beings |
| Title given for Jesus that means "anointed one." It translates the Hebrew word for Messiah | Christ |
| A doctrine or teaching of the highest authority | Dogma |
| A core Catholic teaching that the Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ | Incarnation |
| A title for Jesus which translates the Greek word "Kurios" which renders the Hebew word for God; thus, to call Jesus this is to call him God | Lord |
| What do the initials "CCC" stand for throughout this textbook? | Catechism of the Catholic Church |
| What is the Catechism of the Catholic Church? | A compendium of Catholic Church teachings |
| If one wanted to look up a certain CCC reference in order to read further about Catholic Church teaching on a particular topic, how would one do this? | By going to www.usccb.org and then, at home page, clicking on "Catechism" |
| What does "usccb" stand for? | United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |
| How would one locate the New American Bible online? | By going to www.usccb.org and then, at home page, clicking on "Bible" |
| The word "docetism" comes from a Greek word which means _____ | Seems |
| This 1st century heresy DENIED the essential humanity of Jesus, claiming that he only appeared to be a human being | Docetism |
| Why did the Docetists reject Jesus' humanity? | They did not believe that God would demean himself and become like us with our human weaknesses |
| In John's gospel, written in Greek, the author writes that "the word became _____" in order to counteract the teaching of the Docetists | "Sarx" |
| The Greek word "sarx" translates into the Latin word _____, thus forming the basis for the Christian belief in the Incarnation | Flesh/Meat |
| Why did the doctrine of the Incarnation prevail over the teaching of the Docetists? | Because the Incarnation allows for Jesus' death and resurrection, not just the appearance of them |
| Christians believe that the incarnate Jesus (God-made-man) is the perfect model of _____ | Holiness |
| What is the path to holiness that the Incarnation calls humans to follow? | Giving of self to others in imitation of Jesus |
| When was Jesus born? | Between 6 and 4 B.C. |
| When did Jesus die? | Either 30 or 33 A.D. |
| Who was the Roman monk-mathematician who attempted to calculate the date of Jesus' birth? | Dionysius Exiguus/a.k.a. Dennis the Short |
| What was Dionysius attempting to do? | Calculate a chronology of the Christian faith for Pope John I |
| With what year did the new Christian calendar begin? | Anno Domini 1 (A.D. 1) |
| What does "anno domini" mean? | In the year of the Lord |
| In what year did Dionysius Exiguus set Jesus' birth? | 754 in the Roman Calendar |
| Why was Dionysius wrong in setting Jesus' birth in the Roman 754? | This is at least four years after King Herod died and King Herod prominantly figures in the Gospel accounts of the persecution of Jesus |
| To account for the error in the original calculation Christians today say what about the birth of Jesus? | That it occurred between 4 and 6 years earlier than the A.D. 1 that Dionysius Exiguus assigned to it |
| Original knowledge about Jesus reaches back to the _____ | Apostles |
| The testimony of the Apostles is preserved in _____ and has been passed down through the ages by the _____ | Scripture (Bible)/ Tradition (Church) |
| What could Jesus' name have been during his lifetime? | Jesus bar Joseph (Jesus, son of Joseph); Jesus the Carpenter (His profession); Jesus of Nazareth (His place of residence). |
| Jesus was born in the city of _____ in the Roman province of _____ | Bethlehem; Palestine |
| Jesus' mother's name was _____ | Mary |
| Jesus' religion was _____ | Jewish |
| Who was the governor in Palestine at the time of Jesus' birth? | King Herod the Great |
| To whom did King Herod the Great answer? | Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus |
| Jesus grew up in the town of _____ in the Roman province of _____ | Nazareth; Galilee |
| What was Jesus' trade? | Carpenter |
| From whom did Jesus learn his trade? | His (foster) father, Joseph |
| In what ways did Jesus practice Judaism? | 1) Worship on the Sabbath; 2) Recitation of daily prayers; 3) Celebration of religious feasts; 4) Observation of Jewish law |
| By whom was Jesus baptized? | John the Baptist |
| About what year was Jesus baptized? | 28 A.D. |
| Approximately how old was Jesus when he was baptized? | Between 32-34 years old |
| After Jesus' baptism what came next? | He began his public ministry |
| When Jesus began his public ministry, what did he teach? | Repentence; Coming of God's kingdom; Need for people to believe in him and in his teachings about God |
| What sorts of "works" accompanied the teachings (words) of Jesus? | He cured lepers; He restored sight to bind people; He restored hearing to deaf people; He fed crowds of people with a few loaves of bread; He exorcised demons from the possessed |
| What was the role of the disciples who followed Jesus? | They were witnesses to his life: his teachings (words) and miracles (works) |
| In what way was Jesus provocative? | Two ways: First, he provoked ordinary people by asking them to make a choice to turn from sin, accept God's love, and believe in him (as the messenger); Secondly, he also provoked the authorities (see next questions). |
| In what ways did Jesus provoke/threaten/anger (especially the Jewish but also the Roman) authorities? | He spoke with authority in his religious teachings, quoting no one; He gave new interpretations of the Law; He claimed to speak for God; He performed miracles that some attributed to Satan; He associated with tax collectors and sinners |
| Of what was Jesus found guilty at trial by the Jewish authorities? | Blasphemy, for claiming to be God's son |
| To whom did the Jews give Jesus to in order to have him put to death? | Pontius Pilate, the governor of the province of Judea. |
| Who was the emperor at the time of Jesus' death? | Emperor Tiberius |
| For what crime was the death penalty ordered for Jesus? | He was alleged to have considered himself the "King of the Jews," a crime interpreted under Roman law as sedition against Emperor Tiberius |
| What do Christians believe happened three days after Jesus' death by crucifixion? | His raising from the dead by God |
| What do Christians believe is truth about Jesus' nature? | That he is God's son who now shares in a "superabundant" life with God and hence is God himself |
| Christians believe that the Jesus who once lived on earth is alive today as the _____ Lord | Resurrected |
| Christians believe that it is possible to come to know the Resurrected Lord in these ways: _____ | Scripture; Sacraments; Prayer; Others |
| What are the words of the Jesus prayer? | Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" |
| What do we know about the name Jesus? | Common name at the time of Jesus of Nazareth; a late form of the Hebrew name Joshua; others in the NT have the name; an ancient manuscript cites Jesus as the first name of the criminal Barabbas; means "God saves" or "Yahweh is salvation"; by the end of the 1st century, both Jews and Christians stopped naming their babies Jesus, although in the 15th century some Spanish Catholics revived the practice of calling their sons Jesus |
| What do we know about the name Christ? | It comes from the Greek word Christos which is a translation of the Hebrew word Messiah; Since Messiah means "anointed," Christ likewise means anointed; Jesus was anointed not to be a political ruler but to bring about God's kingdom of peace, love, and service |
| What does it mean to say that Jesus "accomplished his mission of suffering service through the threefold office of prophet, priest, king?" | Prophet means Jesus was the Word of God who spoke for the Father (as OT prophets had spoken for God); Priest means Jesus was the one who mediated between God and humans (in this case, making of himself a sacrifice); King here means not one who "lords it over others," but rather one who comes to serve, even to suffering and death |
| What do we know about the name Son of God? | This label was sometimes used in the OT to refer to those God had called into unique relationship with himself (variously: angels, Chosen People, children, kings of Israel), however, Christians came to believe that Jesus Christ was the one and only Son of God, and that he shares the same divine nature with God. Thus, while we are all sons and daughters of God, Jesus is THE Son of God |
| What do we know about the name Lord? | In NT times, the title Lord could refer to a ruler or some powerful person or it could be used as a form of address similar to today's "sir"; When used by Christians, Lord translates the Greek word Kurios, which itself is a translation of the Hebrew word Adonai, which itself means Yahweh. Thus, to say that Jesus is Lord is to say that he is God (Yahweh), and deserving of total devotion |
