Deck 2: The Literature of the New Testament

Question 1

The New Testament is composed of 28 books that are classified as oral literature.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In the ancient world, most readers could identify what kind of document they were reading by the end of the first paragraph.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The story of Jesus presented in each of the Gospels follows a nearly perfect chronological order.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The Passion narrative receives the most space in the Gospel accounts.

Question 5

New Testament epistles are much longer than ordinary ancient letters.

Question 6

The New Testament writings are rightly understood as objective, newspaper-like reporting.

Question 7

Unlike most modern historians, ancient historians typically did not exclude divine activity in human history.

Question 8

The first, and perhaps most fundamental, step in interpreting any document is determining its . . .

A) theme.
B) genre.
C) author.
D) audience.

Question 9

The term "genre" refers to . . .

A) the broad range of meanings that any given word possesses.
B) the meaning of a word in a specific context apart from reference to other meanings of the word in other contexts.
C) the ability of a living organism to reproduce "according to its kind."
D) the set of characteristics or qualities of any work of art or literature or craftsmanship that distinguish that work from other works that do not possess that specific set of qualities.

Question 10

Which of the following draws the best comparison between the New Testament Gospels and modern biography/history?

A) The Gospels differ significantly from modern biographies and modern histories.
B) The Gospels are very much like modern biographies and modern histories.
C) The Gospels are much like modern biographies but unlike modern histories.
D) The Gospels are unlike modern biographies but much like modern histories.

Question 11

Which of the following has NOT been suggested by scholars as the literary family of the Gospels?

A) mythology
B) legend
C) ancient biography
D) Roman imperial court records

Question 12

According to Witherington, which of the following argues most tellingly against the view that the Gospels are a type of mythology?

A) Jesus' nature miracles
B) Jesus' healing miracles
C) Jesus' resurrection
D) Jesus' crucifixion

Question 13

According to Witherington, which writing sums up all the different kinds of literature displayed in the entire New Testament?

A) Homer's Iliad
B) The Book of Acts
C) The epistle of James
D) The Book of Revelation

Question 14

The New Testament . . .

A) was written by Jews.
B) connects the story of Jesus to the story of the Old Testament.
C) builds on the practices and customs found in the Old Testament.
D) All of the above

Question 15

The art of persuasion and speaking well in public is denoted by the term . . .

A) mimesis.
B) physiognomy.
C) aurality.
D) rhetoric.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the literature of the New Testament?

A) It is a single literary genre.
B) It is a unique literary genre.
C) It is primarily "oral literature."
D) It is like modern history writing.

Question 17

Which Gospel begins with a genealogy?

A) Matthew
B) Mark
C) Luke
D) John

Question 18

Which of the following was a part of the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament?

A) headers
B) paragraph divisions
C) spaces between words
D) verse divisions
E) none of the above

Question 19

Which Gospel begins with a theological prologue?

A) Matthew
B) Mark
C) Luke
D) John

Question 20

Which Gospel begins with a historical preface?

A) Matthew
B) Mark
C) Luke
D) John

Question 21

About how much of his story of Jesus does each of the Gospel writers devote to the last week of Jesus' earthly life?

A) 1/2
B) 1/3
C) 3/4
D) 1/8

Question 22

Which of the Gospels appears to have been structured chronologically?

A) only Luke
B) only Mark
C) none
D) all

Question 23

The letters of the New Testament . . .

A) are like ordinary ancient letters.
B) are shorter than ordinary ancient letters.
C) are more like ancient rhetorical discourses.
D) none of the above a

Question 24

What does Witherington suggest as the best description of the genre of Revelation?

A) Apocalyptic
B) Prophecy
C) prophecy with apocalyptic images
D) prophecy with apocalyptic images set within an epistolary framework

Question 25

What was the "Bible" for the first Christians?

A) The Gospel of Mark
B) The Gospel of John
C) The "Q" document
D) The Old Testament

Question 26

By urging all readers of the New Testament to give the writings a "fair reading," Witherington does NOT mean . . .

A) accepting all their assertions and propositions in blind faith.
B) evaluating all their assertions and propositions with an open mind.
C) approaching the text with sympathy and a willingness to learn.
D) giving the authors the benefit of the doubt when you read.

Question 27

What does it mean to give the New Testament a "fair reading"? What does it not mean? Why is this important?

Question 28

List and describe the five major genres in the New Testament.

Question 29

How does ancient biography differ from modern biography? Why is that significant for interpreting the Gospels?

Question 30

How does ancient historiography differ from modern historiography? Why is that significant for interpreting, in particular, the Book of Acts?

Question 31

Note several features about the Gospels that suggest to some that they are legends or myths, and explain why both of these notions are mistaken.