Question 1

The four genres of the New Testament are:&#10;A) Gospels, Poetry, Epistles, and Apocalypse&#10;B) Poetry, History, Law, and Apocalypse&#10;C) Gospels, Law, Epistles, and Poetry&#10;D) Gospels, History, Epistles, and Apocalypse.

Accepted Answer

The four genres of the New Testament are the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), which tell of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; History (Acts), which describes the early church and its spread throughout the Roman Empire; Epistles (letters), which were written by early church leaders to offer guidance and instruction to Christian communities; and Apocalypse (Revelation), which is a book of prophecy and symbolism that describes the end of the world and Jesus' return. Option D lists all four of these genres correctly.

Question 2

Why is a collection of authoritative texts called a &#34;canon&#34;?&#10;A) It is to be used as a weapon against the enemies of the faith&#10;B) The texts endure for all times&#10;C) The word &#34;canon&#34; comes from an ancient Greek term which means &#34;measuring rod&#34;

Accepted Answer

The word "canon" comes from the ancient Greek term "kanon," which means "measuring rod." In this context, it refers to a standard or rule used to measure or judge something. The idea is that a collection of authoritative texts serves as a measure or standard of faith or belief for a particular group.

Question 3

The list of books included in the New Testament has remained basically the same for roughly&#10;A) 2,000 years&#10;B) 1,500 years&#10;C) 1,000 years&#10;D) 500 years.

Accepted Answer

The list of books included in the New Testament has remained generally unchanged for around 1,500 years. The Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) both confirmed the list of New Testament books that is still used by most Christians today.

Question 4

Which of the following were important for the formation of a New Testament canon?&#10;A) To clarify who was right and who was wrong&#10;B) To know what theology was worth saving&#10;C) For missionary activity&#10;D) All of the above.

Accepted Answer

All of the above were important for the formation of a New Testament canon. Clarifying who was right and wrong was important to establish authority and orthodoxy within the early Christian communities. Determining what theology was worth saving was important to preserve the core beliefs and teachings of Christianity. Additionally, having a set collection of texts was necessary for missionary activity and to establish a standardization of scripture across different Christian communities.

Question 5

Which of the following were not used as criteria for determining New Testament canonicity?&#10;A) Written by Jesus or the apostles&#10;B) Inspired by God&#10;C) Orthodox teaching&#10;D) Widely accepted among the churches.

Accepted Answer

While the New Testament books were written in the time period when Jesus and the apostles were alive, criterion for canonicity did not include the requirement that a book had to be written by Jesus or an apostle.

Question 6

What does apostolic authority mean in connection with biblical authorship?&#10;A) Written by an apostle or an associate of an apostle who would have first-hand knowledge of Jesus and his teachings&#10;B) Written by Jesus or the apostles&#10;C) Message of the text has authority only for the apostolic generation&#10;D) The authority of the apostles extended to non-biblical texts.

Accepted Answer

Apostolic authority in connection with biblical authorship means that the text was written by an apostle or an associate of an apostle who would have had first-hand knowledge of Jesus and his teachings. This is seen as significant because it lends credibility and authority to the message of the text.

Question 7

The earliest example of an extant canon is:&#10;A) The collection of Irenaeus&#10;B) The Muratorian Canon&#10;C) The list of Athanasius&#10;D) The Marcion Bible.

Accepted Answer

The Muratorian Canon, dating back to the late 2nd century, is generally considered the earliest extant canon. It is a list of books recognized as Scripture by the church in Rome. The other options listed were also early lists of canons, but the Muratorian Canon is the earliest extant one.

Question 8

What was the earliest list of New Testament books as they appear in the Bible today?&#10;A) The collection of Irenaeus&#10;B) The Muratorian Canon&#10;C) The list of Athanasius&#10;D) The Marcion Bible.

Accepted Answer

The list of Athanasius, provided in his 39th Festal Letter in 367 AD, is the earliest known list that identifies the 27 books of the New Testament as they appear today.

Question 9

What is the Pseudopigrapha?&#10;A) Books which were clearly rejected by the Church Fathers as being canonical&#10;B) Jewish texts which were included in Greek versions of the Old Testament&#10;C) Books that were undisputed by the Church Fathers as being canonical&#10;D) Books that disputed but ultimately accepted as being canonical.

Accepted Answer

The Pseudopigrapha refers to books that were rejected by the Church Fathers as being canonical. These books were not included in the Bible and are considered non-canonical literature.

Question 10

The closing of the canon refers to what?&#10;A) The earliest manuscripts have been sealed off from public access&#10;B) Suggestions for new canonical books must go through a rigorous selection process&#10;C) The church no longer considers adding books to the canon&#10;D) The Dead Sea Scrolls have been added to the collection of the canonical lists.

Accepted Answer

The closing of the canon refers to the point in history when the church determined that no new books would be added to the biblical canon. This decision recognized that the books included in the canon were authoritative and inspired, and that no further books could meet this standard. Option A is incorrect because it suggests that early manuscripts are no longer accessible, which is not true. Option B is incorrect because it refers to a hypothetical process - there is no new selection process because the canon is closed. Option D is incorrect because the Dead Sea Scrolls, while important for understanding the historical and cultural context of the biblical period, were not added to the biblical canon.

Deck 10: Formation of the New Testament Canon