Download RELB 160 Jesus and the Gospels Name: Final Examination /173

RELB 160 Jesus and the Gospels
Name: _____________________
Final Examination
Date: ______________________
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I. True or False—Read each of the following statements and circle T (for True) or F (for False)
for each statement. Each statement is worth 1 point. ___/30
1. T
2. T
3. T
4. T
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. T
10. T
11. T
12. T
13. T
F In Jewish thought, to be crucified is to be under God’s curse.
F The Jewish leaders were forbidden by the Romans from performing executions.
F The Gospel of John contains only one exorcism
F Ancient non-Christians accepted that Jesus performed miracles.
F Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry.
F The Gospel of John never mentions the kingdom of God.
F A deist believes that God exists, but does not intervene in the world.
F Jesus’ triumphal entry is a fulfillment of Isaiah 9:9.
F Maranatha is a Greek expression meaning, “Our Lord come.”
F Jesus’ use of the term Abba to refer to God as Father was his unique innovation.
F Jesus was probably trilingual.
F It is impossible to approach the study of history as fully neutral & completely bias free.
F The John Rylands manuscript proves that the Gospel of John was written in the late
second century CE.
14. T F Knowledge of God is a primary metaphor for salvation in John.
15. T F Jesus’ high priestly prayer is located in John 14.
16. T F The phrase “kingdom of God” never appears in the Old Testament.
17. T F The word Messiah literally means, “anointed one.”
18. T F Most victims of crucifixion died of blood loss.
19. T F Pagans generally believed that there would be a resurrection of the dead.
20. T F John the Baptist is depicted in the Gospels as a fulfillment of Malachi 4.
21. T F The theft theory is the oldest rationalistic theory about the resurrection.
22. T F Nearly all Jews expected the Messiah to perform many miracles.
23. T F In the Gospel of John, eternal life is viewed as something the believer has right now.
24. T F Only the Gospel of John records Jesus’ period of ministry in Judea.
25. T F The official charge for which Jesus was crucified was blasphemy.
26. T F Realized eschatology is the belief that Jesus’ Second Coming already happened.
27. T F The critical turning point in the narrative of John is the raising of Lazarus.
28. T F A Roman soldier that failed to ensure that a criminal sentenced to execution actually
died would himself be put to death.
29. T F The Gospel of John was probably written in Ephesus.
30. T F Pilate & the Romans thought Jesus & his followers were a serious threat to the Empire.
II. Multiple Choice—For each question, circle the letter of the correct answer. Each question is
worth one point.
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1. Which of the following is not true about Jesus’ clearing of the Temple?
a. This action was probably symbolized/predicted the Temple’s destruction
b. This action was a major factor that led to Jesus’ arrest and execution
c. Jesus may have performed this action twice during his ministry
d. This action of Jesus would have especially aggravated the Pharisees
2. Which is the most popular rationalistic theory about the resurrection today?
a. Theft theory
b. Legendary development theory
c. Swoon theory
d. Wrong tomb theory
3. Between what years was Jesus probably born?
a. 7-4 BCE
b. 1-4 CE
c. 4-1 BCE
d. 2 BCE-2 CE
4. Which of the following is not a misconception about the birth of Jesus?
a. The Magi visited Jesus the day he was born
b. The baby Jesus was placed in an animal feeding trough
c. Jesus was born on December 25
d. There were no vacant rooms in the Bethlehem inn when Jesus was born
5. Which of the following “signs” in the Gospel of John is the one miracle that is recorded in all
four Gospels?
a. Raising of Lazarus
b. Walking on water
c. Feeding of the 5000
d. Healing the man born blind
6. Which of the following is not true about Jesus’ use of parables?
a. Jesus’ parables were based on features of everyday life
b. Jesus used parables to reveal and conceal truth
c. Jesus’ parables were often illustrations of the kingdom of God
d. Jesus invented the parable genre
7. Which of the following is not a category of Jesus’ teaching formats in the Gospel of John?
a. Parables
b. Private Teaching
c. Personal Interviews
d. Public Debates
8. Which of the following is not a major theological theme highlighted in the eucharistic words
of Jesus?
a. The New Covenant
b. The Day of Atonement
c. The Exodus
d. The blood of the Passover lamb
9. Which of the following is not a rhetorical device utilized in the Gospel of John?
a. Symbols and Metaphors
b. Dualism
c. Intercalation
d. Irony
10. Which of the following is the primary significance of Jesus’ miracles?
a. They show that God’s kingdom has arrived
b. They reveal Jesus’ compassion
c. They disclose Jesus’ identity
d. They are demonstrations of Jesus’ power
.
11. Which of the following verses in the Gospel of John states the purpose of the Gospel?
a. John 3:16
b. John 1:14
c. John 21:24-25
d. John 20:30-31
12. Which of the following themes is not a major concern of the Farewell Discourse in the
Gospel of John?
a. The necessity of the believer abiding in Christ
b. Jesus’ coming departure from his disciples
c. The signs preceding the Second Coming of Jesus
d. The role of the Holy Spirit
13. Which of the following events is not unique to the Gospel of John?
a. Interview with Nicodemus
b. Jesus walking on water
c. Interview with the Samaritan Woman
d. Jesus washing his disciples’ feet
14. What miracle in the Gospel of John is not one of the seven signs?
a. Healing the official’s son
b. Turning water into wine
c. The miraculous catch of fish
d. Healing of the paralytic
15. Which of the following is not an “I Am” statement of Jesus in the Gospel of John?
a. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
b. I am the Lamb of God
c. I am the Door
d. I am the Resurrection and the Life
16. Which of the following was not symbolized by the baptism administered by John the Baptist?
a. Being cleansed from sin
b. Repentance (turning back to God)
c. Consecrating oneself to God in preparation for the coming of Messiah
d. Receiving the Holy Spirit
III. Circle All That Apply—For the following multiple choice questions, there is more than one
correct answer. Circle the letters of all the correct answers. Point values are listed for each
question; the number of points equals the number of correct answers. For every incorrect answer
circled, there will be a ½-point deduction.
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1. Which of the following statements about the account of the temptation of Jesus are correct?
(4 points)
a. Jesus’ victory over temptation serves as a model for believers
b. The temptation happened 50 days after Jesus’ baptism
c. Jesus’ victory over temptation shows he is prepared and worthy to function as Messiah
d. The key concern of the temptation is whether Jesus will be faithful to God’s purpose
e. Jesus is portrayed as the antitype of Adam and of Israel
f. All the Gospels give a detailed account of the temptation of Jesus
2. Which of the following events in the Gospels are accepted by nearly all scholars as genuinely
historical? (4 points)
a. Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist
b. Jesus’ ministry of teaching in Galilee
c. The transfiguration of Jesus
d. After his death, reports of Jesus’ resurrection began to circulate
e. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem
f. Jesus’ clearing of the Temple
3. Which of the following were major motivational factors for the writing of the Gospel of
John? (3 points)
a. Conflicts within the church between Jewish and Gentile believers
b. Christians experiencing greater conflict with and division from the Jewish community
c. Challenges from heretical offshoots from the church such as Gnosticism and Docetism
d. Christians experiencing harsh persecution from the Romans
e. The dying off of the generation of believers who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry
IV. Short Answer—Answer each question completely; some questions require multiple answers.
Point values are listed for each question. /72
1. Give two examples of doublets in the Gospels. (2 points)
2. What are the two greatest commandments according to Jesus? (2 points)
3. What title is repeatedly used for Jesus in the prologue of the Gospel of John? From what
Greek word is this title translated? (2 points)
4. Based on the number of Passovers mentioned in the Gospel of John, about how long do most
scholars believe Jesus’ ministry was? (1 point)
5. By what title did Jesus uniquely teach people to identify God? (1 point)
6. Define the word miracle. (1 point)
7. Which letter of Paul contains a list of witnesses to the resurrected Jesus? (1 point)
8. What is the portrait of Jesus given in the Gospel of John? (2 points)
9. Provide the basic outline of the Gospel of John. (4 points)
10. Why is it significant that the Gospels claim that women were the first to see the empty tomb
and the resurrected Jesus? (2 points)
11. How many parables of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels? How many miracle stories? (2
points)
12. What is the theological meaning of the virginal conception of Jesus? (1 point)
13. What is the narrative goal of the Gospel of John? (1 point)
14. In the Gospel of John, to whom does the term “the Jews” (Ioudaioi) usually refer? (1 point)
15. Identify the three purposes or meanings connected with Jesus’ use of the title Son of Man. (3
points)
16. On which Old Testament book and chapter does Jesus’ “ransom statement” in Mark 10 draw
upon? What is the central focus of that chapter? (2 points)
17. What is the essential unavoidable question that rationalistic theories about the resurrection
are attempting to answer? (2 points)
18. Unlike Jesus, what did the scribes and rabbis constantly refer to as authorities when they
taught? (1 point)
19. What historical factor led to Jesus being born in Bethlehem, when Mary and Joseph lived in
Nazareth? (1 point)
20. Identify three of the kinds of authoritative claims made by Jesus. (3 points)
21. Give two pieces of evidence that Jesus in the Gospels identified Himself as divinity
incarnate. (2 points)
22. What are two ways in which Jesus “fulfilled” the Law? (2 points)
23. What role do the Gospels depict John the Baptist as fulfilling with reference to Jesus? (1
point)
24. What are the primary motivations for criticism of the birth narratives? (2 points)
25. What is the significance of Jesus’ habitual use of the word amēn (“truly, verily”) at the
beginning of his statements? (1 point)
26. What is the basic theological meaning that Jesus placed on his death? (1 point)
27. What does resurrection mean in Jewish thought? (1 point)
28. List two translations/meanings of the word “paraclete.” To whom is this word primarily
applied in the Gospel of John? (3 points)
29. What is the traditional solution to the discrepancies between the Matthean and Lukan
genealogies of Jesus? (1 point)
30. In Jesus’ teaching on the Law, why did he often appear to be violating or overturning the
Law? What was Jesus’ primary concern in his teaching about the Law? (2 points)
31. Identify two pieces of evidence that indicate that Jesus anticipated that he would suffer a
violent death. (2 points)
32. What was David Hume’s major objection to the possibility of miracles? What is the primary
problem with this objection? (2 points)
33. Why do some believe that the brothers of Jesus were really stepbrothers (children of Joseph
from another marriage)? (2 points)
34. What two years have most scholars supported as being the beginning of Jesus’ ministry? (2
points)
35. Explain the terms ipsissima verba and ipsissima vox as they relate to the Gospel accounts of
the teachings of Jesus. (2 points)
36. In the Gospel of John, what does it mean for Jesus to be ontologically equal with the Father?
What does it mean for him to be functionally subordinate? (2 points)
37. What two meanings does the phrase “lifted up” have in John with reference to Jesus? (2
points)
38. What two major objections did the religious leaders have to Jesus that led them to seek his
death? (2 points)
39. How can Jesus’ teaching about God’s free gift of salvation and grace be reconciled with his
teaching about the cost and requirements of discipleship? (2 points)
40. What is the significance of Jesus use of the phrase “I Am” in John 8:58? (1 point)
41. Select two of the following actions of Jesus and explain its significance as relates to the
intentions or purposes of Jesus: ministering to Gentiles, calling disciples (including the
Twelve), associating with sinners and outcasts. (2 points)
VI. Matching—For the following questions, match the letter of each listed option with its correct
counterpart as instructed. Point values are listed for each question. /29
1. Match each holy day in Judaism with its fulfillment in Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of
John. (4 points)
A. Hanukkah
B. Passover
C. Festival of Tabernacles
D. Sabbath
____ Jesus is the true shepherd who leads Israel
____ Jesus provides true light and living water
____ Jesus continues God’s work of salvation
____ Jesus feeds the people & offers himself as a sacrifice
2. Match each metaphor for receiving salvation in the Gospel of John with the person(s) with
whom Jesus used the metaphor. (4 points)
A. Eat Jesus’ flesh and blood
B. Being born again
C. Abide in the vine and produce fruit
D. Drinking living water
____ The Disciples
____ Samaritan woman
____ Crowd at Capernaum
____ Nicodemus
3. Match each category of Jesus’ miracles with its theological significance. (4 points)
A. Nature miracles
B. Exorcisms
C. Instantaneous healings
D. Revivifications
___ Fulfillment of Isaiah 35’s prophecy of restoration
___ Enacted parables of God’s salvation
___ Preview of the consummation of the kingdom
___ The overthrow of the kingdom of Satan
4. Match each alleged parallel with Jesus with the correct description. (4 points)
A. Apollonius of Tyana
B. Charismatic holy men
C. theoi andres
D. Sorcerers
___ Used incantations, rituals, and potions
___ Allegedly could perform healings and exorcisms
___ Alleged to cause healings and rainfall through prayer
___ Were believed to be divine or semi-divine
5. Match each event from the last week of Jesus’ life with the day on which it occurred [Not all
days may be used; some may be used more than once]. (7 points)
A. Sunday
B. Monday
C. Tuesday
D. Wednesday
E. Thursday
F. Friday
G. Saturday
___ The Clearing of the Temple
___ Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane
___ The Triumphal Entry
___ A guard is placed at Jesus’ tomb
___ Jesus is crucified
___ The Last Supper
___ Woes on the Scribes and Pharisees
6. Match each figure of speech/rhetorical device used by Jesus with the correct description. (6
points)
A. Parable
B. Aphorism
C. Pun
D. Simile
E. Irony
F. Metaphor
G. Paradox
H. Hyperbole
I. Parallelism
____ Exaggeration for emphasis or effect
____ Play on words that look or sound alike
____ Implicit comparison of two unlike things
____ Short memorable statement of truth or wisdom
____ Hebrew poetic style of pairing statements
____ Seemingly contradictory statement that is nonetheless true
____ Explicit comparison of two things, using “like” or “as”
____ Short story that illustrates a spiritual or moral lesson
____ Statement that contrasts an apparent and an intended meaning
VII. Short Essay—Discuss any three of the four topics listed below adequately. Circle the
number of the topics you will write about, then write at least a paragraph addressing the required
subject matter in the space provided below. If necessary, write your answer on additional paper.
Each question is worth 5 points.
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1. What basis is there for identifying the Beloved Disciple in the Fourth Gospel as John, son of
Zebedee?
2. Present an evidence-based argument for the historicity of the Gospels.
3. Identify the major theme of Jesus’ teaching and explain the major features of his message
concerning that theme (its background, the significance/role of Jesus regarding this theme,
Jesus’ innovations with the theme, etc.).
4. Explain the theological significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
VIII. Extra Credit—Bonus points will be added to the student’s score for every correct answer. Point
values are listed with each question.
1. What do many scholars believe about the story of the woman caught in adultery? (1 point)
2. According to Luke, during which year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar did John the Baptist
and Jesus begin their ministries? (1 point)
3. What was the name of the major Hellenistic city near Nazareth? (1 point)
4. What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified? What does that name mean? (2
points)
5. What Church Father was notable for promoting allegorical interpretations of parables? (1
point)
6. What does the term kerygma literally mean? (1 point)
7. The resurrected Jesus appeared to two people who were not followers of Jesus. Who were
they? (2 points)
8. What is the name of the oldest Christian hymn outside the Bible? (1 point)
9. Explain the C.S. Lewis trilemma. (3 points)
10. List the twelve disciples of Jesus. (12 points)