Question 1

Who was the first English translator to work directly from Hebrew and Greek manuscripts?
A)a committee of 72 scholars whose names were not recorded in history
B)William Tyndale
C)James Strong
D)Stephen L.Harris

Accepted Answer

William Tyndale was the first English translator to work directly from Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.

Question 2

Which codex is the most valuable-because it includes all twenty-seven New Testament books,as well as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepard of Hermas?
A)Codex Sinaiticus
B)Codex Claromontanus
C)Codex Alexandrinus
D)Codex Vaticanus

Accepted Answer

Codex Sinaiticus is the most valuable of the four options because it includes all twenty-seven books of the New Testament, as well as two early Christian texts, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas. It is also the oldest surviving complete copy of the New Testament, dating back to the 4th century CE.

Question 3

Whose Bible translation was the first in a modern language (German)not based on the Latin Vulgate,but rather on the original Hebrew and Greek?
A)Athanasius
B)Johannes Gutenberg
C)William Tyndale
D)Martin Luther

Accepted Answer

Martin Luther translated the Bible into German using the original Hebrew and Greek texts, rather than the Latin Vulgate. This was a significant development in the history of Bible translation, as it paved the way for other translations in modern languages. William Tyndale also made a notable contribution to Bible translation by producing the first printed English New Testament from the original Greek, but Luther's translation predates Tyndale's work by several years.

Question 4

How many extant manuscripts with scriptural variations are there?
A)4
B)27
C)hundreds
D)144,000

Accepted Answer

There are hundreds of extant manuscripts with scriptural variations, including variations in wording, spelling, and punctuation. This is due to the fact that the Bible was copied by hand for many centuries before the invention of the printing press, and errors and changes could be made during the copying process. However, scholars have developed methods for comparing and analyzing these manuscripts in order to determine the most likely original text.

Question 5

Modern translations of the Bible,such as the New Jerusalem Bible,the Revised English Bible,the New International Version,and the New American Bible,have what advantage over the King James Version?
A)Translators worked from a far better Greek text than was available to the editors of the King James Version,and drew on expert scholarship from interdisciplinary fields.Modern translations are also more readable to the average person.
B)Modern translators used the newly discovered original manuscripts.
C)Translators are now using more literary devices and taking poetic license more freely.
D)Translators now use the universal language of the Dead Sea Scrolls to communicate more effectively.

Accepted Answer

Modern translations of the Bible benefit from more accurate and comprehensive source texts and from more sophisticated linguistic and historical scholarship. They are also more readable and accessible to contemporary audiences. While some modern translations may take some license with literary style, this is not necessarily the primary advantage they offer over the King James Version.

Question 6

The official inventory of books considered to be authoritative sources of doctrinal and ethical beliefs by a religious community is called
A)apocrypha.
B)scripture.
C)gospel.
D)canon.

Accepted Answer

The official inventory of books considered to be authoritative sources of doctrinal and ethical beliefs by a religious community is called the canon. Scripture refers specifically to religious texts, while apocrypha and gospel may or may not be included in the canon depending on the religious tradition.

Question 7

Who were not eyewitnesses of Jesus' ministry?
A)Mary and Simon
B)Thomas and Matthew
C)John and Peter
D)Mark and Luke

Accepted Answer

Mark and Luke were not eyewitnesses of Jesus' ministry, but rather wrote their accounts based on the testimonies of others. Mary and Simon are not mentioned in the Gospels as being eyewitnesses, and while Thomas and Matthew were disciples and potential eyewitnesses, their accounts are still based on personal interpretation and perspective. John and Peter were both disciples and eyewitnesses of Jesus' ministry.

Question 8

Who translated the Bible into English because he wanted to make Scripture accessible to Christian laypeople who did not understand Latin?
A)John Wycliffe
B)William James
C)William Tyndale
D)Martin Luther

Accepted Answer

John Wycliffe is known for his translation of the Bible into English in the 14th century, which was aimed at making Scripture accessible to Christian laypeople who did not understand Latin.

Question 9

Who translated both the Old and the New Testament into Latin?
A)Jerome
B)Marcion
C)Martin Luther
D)Bishop Berkley

Accepted Answer

St. Jerome is known for completing the translation of the Bible into Latin, known as the Vulgate.

Question 10

When did the entire Bible first become available in English? A)11^th century B)14^th century C)200 CE D)17^th century

Accepted Answer

The entire Bible first became available in English in the 14th century through the work of John Wycliffe and his associates who translated the Bible from Latin to Middle English.

Question 11

What happened to William Tyndale before he could complete his translation from the Hebrew and Greek into English?
A)He was tried for heresy and burned at the stake.
B)He died of a heart attack.
C)He was made a saint by the Catholic Church.
D)He was arrested for translating without a license.

Accepted Answer

William Tyndale was tried for heresy and burned at the stake before he could complete his translation of the Bible from the Hebrew and Greek into English. Tyndale's translation work was seen as a threat by the Church because it allowed people to read scripture in their own language, rather than relying on the clergy to interpret it for them. Despite his execution, Tyndale's translations were widely read and became the basis for many subsequent English versions of the Bible.

Question 12

Which Christian writings were once regarded as virtually equal to "genuine" New Testament works but have since been relegated to obscurity?
A)Jude
B)the Shepard of Hermas
C)the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Dionysus
D)the Epistle of Barnabas and the Apocalypse of Peter

Accepted Answer

The Epistle of Barnabas and the Apocalypse of Peter were once regarded as virtually equal to "genuine" New Testament works but have since been relegated to obscurity.

Question 13

What is the oldest surviving manuscript fragment of a New Testament book?
A)the Epistle of Barnabas
B)four chapters of Hebrews
C)four verses from John 18
D)the last ten verses of Revelation

Accepted Answer

The oldest surviving manuscript fragment of a New Testament book is four verses from John 18, known as the John Rylands Fragment or P52. It is a small papyrus fragment that was discovered in Egypt and dates back to around AD 125-150.

Question 14

A major development at the end of the fourth century CE was the establishment of
A)papal authority.
B)a centrally located church.
C)the permanent New Testament canon.
D)the Codex Sinaiticus.

Accepted Answer

The permanent New Testament canon was established at the end of the fourth century, with the Councils of Hippo and Carthage confirming the list of books that are part of the Christian Bible. This was a significant development as it established a shared canon of scripture among the various Christian communities.

Question 15

Each book in the New Testament first appeared as a separate document independent of the others and circulated by itself in different geographical areas,with the exception of
A)Luke-Acts.
B)John-Mark.
C)Matthew-Luke.
D)1 John-2 John.

Accepted Answer

Luke-Acts is unique in that it was written as a two-part work by the same author and was intended to be read as a continuous narrative. The other books of the New Testament were written as standalone works and only later collected together into the canon of Scripture.

Question 16

What is the only canonical work to survive?
A)Acts
B)Matthew
C)Revelation
D)There are none.

Accepted Answer

The term "canonical work" in this context refers to works that are officially accepted as part of a religious canon. All the options listed (Acts, Matthew, Revelation) are part of the Christian New Testament canon, so the statement "only canonical work to survive" is misleading as multiple works have survived.

Question 17

Who is "the disciple whom Jesus loved?"
A)No one knows (although some speculate that it was John).
B)Mark
C)Paul
D)Judas

Accepted Answer

While some scholars suggest that the disciple whom Jesus loved was John, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. The identity of the beloved disciple remains a mystery.

Question 18

"Harmonization" refers to what practice?
A)the practice of signing hymns in unison
B)the practice,commonly of scribes,whereby the wording of one Gospel was modified to conform to that of another
C)the practice of knocking down all the social and political barriers between people
D)the practice of fitting all scripture into the same genre

Accepted Answer

Harmonization, in the context of the question, refers to the practice of modifying the wording of one Gospel to conform with that of another. This was commonly done by scribes in the early Christian era to reconcile apparent contradictions in the different accounts of the life of Jesus.

Question 19

What group pioneered the use of the "codex," i.e.a "book" of page-sized manuscript sheets bound together at a hinge?
A)Greeks
B)Gnostics
C)Christians
D)Romans

Accepted Answer

The use of the codex as a form of book was pioneered by early Christians in the 2nd century AD. Prior to this, scrolls were the dominant format for written works. The use of the codex allowed for easier access and organization of multiple works in a single volume.

Question 20

Which Bible has remained the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church since it was first translated into Latin in the fourth-century CE?
A)King James
B)Vulgate
C)Codex Vaticanus
D)Septuagint

Accepted Answer

The Vulgate Bible, translated into Latin by Saint Jerome in the fourth-century CE, has remained the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church. The King James version is a popular English translation, but it is not the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church. The Codex Vaticanus and the Septuagint are ancient Greek manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments, but they are not the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.

Quiz 2: How the New Testament Was Formed and Handed Down to Us

Who was the first English translator to work directly from Hebrew and Greek manuscripts?

Which codex is the most valuable-because it includes all twenty-seven New Testament books,as well as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepard of Hermas?

Whose Bible translation was the first in a modern language (German) not based on the Latin Vulgate,but rather on the original Hebrew and Greek?

How many extant manuscripts with scriptural variations are there?

Modern translations of the Bible,such as the New Jerusalem Bible,the Revised English Bible,the New International Version,and the New American Bible,have what advantage over the King James Version?

The official inventory of books considered to be authoritative sources of doctrinal and ethical beliefs by a religious community is called

Who were not eyewitnesses of Jesus' ministry?

Who translated the Bible into English because he wanted to make Scripture accessible to Christian laypeople who did not understand Latin?

Who translated both the Old and the New Testament into Latin?

When did the entire Bible first become available in English?

What happened to William Tyndale before he could complete his translation from the Hebrew and Greek into English?

Which Christian writings were once regarded as virtually equal to "genuine" New Testament works but have since been relegated to obscurity?

What is the oldest surviving manuscript fragment of a New Testament book?

A major development at the end of the fourth century CE was the establishment of

Each book in the New Testament first appeared as a separate document independent of the others and circulated by itself in different geographical areas,with the exception of

What is the only canonical work to survive?

Who is "the disciple whom Jesus loved?"

"Harmonization" refers to what practice?

What group pioneered the use of the "codex," i.e.a "book" of page-sized manuscript sheets bound together at a hinge?

Which Bible has remained the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church since it was first translated into Latin in the fourth-century CE?