Deck 1: What Is the New Testament and Why Should We Care

Question 1

Describe the process of the canonization of the New Testament. When might it have begun? When did it end? What factors were involved in choosing books?

Answer 1

The New Testament books were written between 50 and 120 CE. By the end of the first century, Christians were calling Jesus' and Paul's words scripture. Throughout the second, third, and even fourth centuries, Christians debated which books should be included in the canon. There were three primary criteria for inclusion: the books had to be ancient, written by an apostle, and accepted among proto-orthodox congregations as reflecting orthodox belief. It was not until 367 CE that the twenty-seven books of the modern Christian canon were listed as authoritative scripture by Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria.

Question 2

The New Testament is made up of four sections. What are these and what kinds of books are found within each section?

Answer 2

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell the story of Jesus-his life, ministry, and death. Next is Acts of the Apostles, the story of the spread of Christianity from the death of Jesus to the death of Paul. Following Acts are twenty-one epistles, thirteen of which claim to have been written by Paul. The New Testament epistles are records of communications between Christian leaders and Christian communities. They reveal Christian practice, belief, and ethics. Revelation, an apocalypse, is the last book in the New Testament; it narrates the destruction of this world and the appearance of the world to come.

Question 3

Discuss how reading each New Testament book independently from a historical perspective is different from reading the New Testament canonically. What differences might result from this historical approach?

Answer 3

This approach reveals remarkable diversity within the New Testament. The New Testament is diverse, both in terms of the types of literature it includes and the perspectives it represents. Students should discuss how the various books circulated independently for a long period of time prior to the creation of the New Testament canon. The books were not composed with the intent of being included in a broad, unified collection. An awareness of this historical situation encourages us to be attentive to the individual messages of each book, rather than read and interpret the books in light of one another, assuming their general agreement. When we approach the texts individually, we can begin to recognize the distinctive emphases and interests of each author.

Question 4

In antiquity, books were typically copied one letter at a time. How does this process of transmission present a problem to historians trying to determine what the New Testament authors wrote?

Question 5

The term "canon" means _____.

A) orthodox
B) heretical
C) authoritative
D) measuring rod

Question 6

Which of the following is not a designation for the Jewish canon?

A) Old Testament
B) Judaism
C) Hebrew Bible
D) Jewish Scriptures

Question 7

The Hebrew Bible includes which of the following?

A) Prophets
B) Gospels
C) Acts
D) Apocrypha

Question 8

The word "gospel" means _____.

A) life
B) good news
C) divine writing
D) salvation

Question 9

The New Testament Gospels are traditionally ascribed to all of the following except _____.

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

Question 10

The New Testament Gospels are _____.

A) anonymous
B) written in Hebrew
C) composed by Paul
D) the only early Christian Gospels

Question 11

Which of the following is not a New Testament Epistle?

A) Ephesians
B) Jude
C) 3 Corinthians
D) Hebrews

Question 12

Which book describes the early spread of Christianity?

A) Gospel of Mark
B) Acts of the Apostles
C) Revelation
D) The Shepherd of Hermas

Question 13

The word "epistle" means _____.

A) biography
B) letter
C) conversation
D) right choice

Question 14

How many epistles are in the New Testament?

A) 10
B) 13
C) 21
D) 27

Question 15

The New Testament epistles primarily focus on _____.

A) the life of Jesus
B) early Christian beliefs, practices, and ethics
C) the description of future apocalyptic events
D) the life of Luke

Question 16

How many books in the New Testament claim to be written by Paul?

A) 13
B) 10
C) 8
D) 5

Question 17

Which of the following is a New Testament epistle?

A) Romans
B) Revelation
C) Acts of the Apostles
D) Psalms

Question 18

The book of Revelation is written in what genre?

A) biography
B) folktale
C) history
D) apocalypse

Question 19

What is the name of the author of the book of Revelation?

A) Paul
B) John
C) Jesus
D) Luke

Question 20

What is the name of a collection of second-century early Christian writings?

A) Pentateuch
B) New Testament
C) Acts of the Apostles
D) Apostolic Fathers

Question 21

The Nag Hammadi writings were found in the mid- _____.

A) 1930s
B) 1950s
C) 1940s
D) 1980s

Question 22

Nag Hammadi is a town in _____.

A) Egypt
B) Israel
C) Italy
D) Greece

Question 23

The Nag Hammadi codices are written in what language?

A) Latin
B) Greek
C) Hebrew
D) Coptic

Question 24

How many writings were discovered at Nag Hammadi?

A) 21
B) 27
C) 45
D) 52

Question 25

By the end of what century did Christians begin to call Jesus' words scripture?

A) first century BCE
B) first century CE
C) second century CE
D) fifth century CE

Question 26

Which of the following was not a criterion for canonicity?

A) antiquity
B) apostolicity
C) orthodoxy
D) historical accuracy

Question 27

In the study of early Christianity, the term "heretical" means _____.

A) diverse
B) false
C) orthodox
D) ancient

Question 28

In what year did a Christian first list the current 27 books of the New Testament as authoritative?

A) 150 CE
B) 288 CE
C) 367 CE
D) 432 CE

Question 29

The earliest copy of anything from the New Testament is a small scrap containing portions of verses from the Gospel of John from approximately _____ years after the book's original composition

A) 20
B) 40
C) 70
D) 100

Question 30

Approximately how many Greek copies of the New Testament survive?

A) 500
B) 1,000
C) 2,500
D) 5,000 ,000

Question 31

Which of the following does not characterize the surviving Greek manuscripts of the New Testament?

A) They were produced by scribes.
B) They occasionally lack verses.
C) They were produced in the first century.
D) There are differences among them.

Question 32

Which traditional Christian doctrine is only explicitly taught in a passage most likely not originally in the New Testament?

A) virgin birth
B) Trinity
C) justification by faith
D) substitutionary atonement