Christian Trivia Question #19 - The Challenge

Rather than end the year with a trivia question, let’s give ourselves a challenge.  

This is good for two reasons:  1)  There are no wrong answers.  2)  The challenge will almost certainly improve some area(s) of our lives, to some degree, for some period of time.  And that’s always a good thing.

So here’s the challenge going into 2021:

    Think about 3 areas of your life that can use an upgrade.  

Here are the challenge rules (they are very easy):

1.    These are confidential.  Write them down somewhere private. (You can share if you want, or you can call them Challenge #1, #2, and #3 if you prefer.  "I'm doing well with challenge #3, but #1 is tough.")
2.        You can report your progress…..or not.  Sometimes it is helpful to share your successes/fallbacks with others.
3.        There are only self-imposed due dates.  Set your own timeline and metrics to measure your success.
4.        Try to pick diverse areas (e.g. your faith, your finances, behavior, good / bad habits, education, time management, health, your relationships, etc).
5.        Pick a difficult, medium, and easy area.
6.        If you don’t feel like doing it……don’t!

There is no reporting periodicity.  You can comment on this thread if you want to let us know how you’re doing…..or not.  It's proven that any level of accountability is helpful to achieving a goal.

That’s it.  Here’s to a better year for all of us!

 

Christian Trivia Question #18 - Parables Part 2

Of Jesus' many parables recorded in Scripture, only one contains the name of one of the characters.  

Which parable is it, and who is the person named?  

Christian Trivia Question #17 - First Words

Happy Easter Everyone!  He is risen!

This question is about arguably one of the happiest moments of the Apostles' lives.  After Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning, Mary Magdeline was the first to see the empty tomb.

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.            John 20:1-2

But Peter and John did not see Jesus at that time.  Later that first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to the Apostles when they were gathered together praying.

What were Jesus' first words to the Apostles after He rose from the dead?

Christian Trivia Question #16 - The Empty Tomb

According to the Gospels, who was the 2nd named person to see the empty tomb on the first Easter?

Happy Easter!

Christian Trivia Question #15 - Almost Easter

Today begins a special period on the Christian calendar.  It marks 3 days that lead up to Easter Sunday - the pinnacle of our faith.  

Thursday:  The day Jesus gathered His disciples for the final time after 3 years of teaching and revealing God's will for all people.  This night Jesus would transform the Passover into the New Covenant in His Body and Blood.  He instructed them to "Do this in remembrance of Me." After the Last Supper, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus asked them to pray.  Judas betrayed Him and His "trial" before the Jewish High Priest and authorities was underway. 

Good Friday:  Eventually, as the morning dawned, the Roman authority in Jerusalem (Pontius Pilot) acquiesced to the Jewish leaders' demand to crucify Him. He would offer Himself to the Father on the cross - the perfect sacrifice - as the final atonement for the sin of all mankind.  Our collective sin against God's perfection could only be atoned by a sacrifice of infinite value - His perfect life - which he willingly gave on our behalf. He was taken down before sundown and placed in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea.  

Saturday:  A day that must have been a very sad and confusing day for His disciples. Peter says Jesus "went and preached to the spirits in prison" (those souls who had died in God's friendship awaiting their redemption in "the abode of the dead" or "Abraham's bosom" like Lazarus in the parable of the rich man). Creation was silent until the early morning light would change everything.

These 3 days solemn days leading up to the glorious day of Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday have been known by a Latin word for many centuries. 

So the question is.........What are these 3 days called?

Christian Trivia Question #14 - Parables, Part 1

Jesus described the "Kingdom of Heaven" (or Kindgom of God) in several parables.  One is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares.  Here is that parable as recorded by Matthew: 

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares   

Another parable He put forth to them, saying:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

“but while men slept,

his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

“But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

“So the servants of the owner came and said to him,

‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?

How then does it have tares?’

“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’

The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

"But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,

"First, gather the wheat into my barn.  Then gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them." ' "

However, this is not exactly what Matthew wrote.  

I introduced one error.  Find the error.

Christian Trivia Question #13 - Prophets

This one is 2 part with an extra credit.
The prophets of the OT are usually some very unique and interesting men.
They are commonly described as "Major" and "Minor" prophets.

1.  Name the Major and Minor prophets.

2.  What makes a prophet Major or Minor?

Extra Credit:    Provide an interesting thing you came across when reading about one of those prophets.

Christian Trivia Question #12 - Anti-Semites

When someone is called "anti-Semitic", it is actually related to Noah.  How?

Christian Trivia Question #11 - The Monograms of Jesus

This one is a freebie.  No question, just some info to check out (like where the "Jesus Fish" comes from:

A number of monograms of the name of Jesus have been used in Christian art and symbolism.  You may have heard of some of them:

IHS:   (or JHS) monogram of the name of Jesus (i.e. the traditional Christogram symbol of western Christianity) is derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ), Iota-Eta-Sigma. There is also a variant form, IHC, using the lunate sigma (i.e. with the Greek letter sigma equated to Latin-alphabet "C" due to the common "lunate" form of sigma (i.e. IHCOYC).  I can still picture the communion tablecloth in the little Presbyterian Church I grew up in that had this monogram (IHS) embroidered in red letters on the white linen.  Never knew what it meant.

"XP" or CHI RHO:  (usually shown as the X with the "P" through the center of the X).  The Labarum or Chi Rho symbol is derived from the first two letters of the word "Christos" (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ) in the Greek alphabet.

"IC XC":   formed from the first and last letters of Iesous and Christos in Greek (again, using the "lunate" form of the letter sigma of the Roman and Medieval periods).

ΙΧΘΥΣ:  (which literally means "fish" in Greek) consists of the initials of the Greek words Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ meaning "Jesus Christ, God's son, saviour" (thus giving rise to the Christian fish symbol).

IX: the first letters of Iesous Christos (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ) in Greek

INRI = Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).  This comes from the sign Pilate directed the soldiers to put on the cross (John 19:19).

Christian Trivia Question #10 - The Ages of John the Baptist and Jesus

An easy one:  The Gospel of Luke gives a hint about the relative ages of Jesus and John the Baptist.  How much older is John the Baptist than Jesus?

God Bless you guys,

Dad (and Mr. Hoff)

Christian Trivia Question #9 - Halloween

Simple question this time. Where does the word Halloween come from?

Christian Trivia Question #8 - Who came first?

We all know basically who each of these Biblical figures are. But do you know roughly when they lived?

All you have to do for this one is put these Biblical figures in chronological order - in the order in which they appear in history.  Here they are in alphabetical order:

Able

Abraham

Cain

Daniel

David

Elijah

Isaac

Jeremiah

Jesus

John the Baptist

Joshua

Moses

Nebuchadnezzar

Noah

You can reply to all on this one and I'll give the answer when all have submitted their answers.

Peace,

Dad / Mr. Hoff

Christian Trivia Question #7 - Blessed are the .......

Easy(r) question:

Name the Beattitudes.(or blessings) given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

(Hint:  Matt 5)

Include the blessing or reward that Jesus gives to each of the blessed.

Christian Trivia Question #6 - Know your Heresies

Christian Trivia #5 asked how many ‘persons’ were present at the Transfiguration event.  It was kind of a trick question to see if you picked up that the Father and the Son are each persons even though they are ONE God.  This is what we call “The Trinity”:  One God – 3 Persons.

Today, the vast majority of Christians today are “Trinitarian” – they believe in the Trinity.  This seems like a no-brainer. 

But it wasn’t always like that for Christians.  There were many erroneous teachings about Jesus in the early centuries of Christianity.  Some incorrect ideas of who Jesus was became accepted by many Christians and some even lasted many decades until they died off in favor of the true Apostolic teaching.  So these Christians did not deny Christ, they just had a flawed understanding of who He was.

These false beliefs were called “heresies”.  The word heresy comes from the Greek word ”haireo” which means to choose.  The idea is that these false teachings were chosen by Christians rather than accepting the Apostolic teaching which comes Divinely protected by Christ. 

But those Christians chose to follow either their own ideas or a popular idea presented by another Christian about the faith.  Someone believing a heresy is called a heretic.  

So, Trivia #6 is about the early heresies that popped up concerning exactly who Jesus was.

Name at least 3 heresies that mischaracterized who Jesus was. 

I’ll give you hints:

1.      Jesus was a Divine being, but not the same substance as the Father.  He was a created being, He had a beginning – created by the Father.

2.      Jesus was Divine, but actually only Spirit who only appeared to have a human body.  His human form was only an illusion to those who saw Him.

3.      God was one God, but acted in 3 modes – the Son (Jesus) being one of the modes of God.  Kind of like saying I am one person, but I can assume 3 modes: a brother, a son, and a father - all at the same time. This heresy denied that God was 3 Persons and therefore rejected that Jesus was a distinct Person.

Obviously, you can look these up – I don’t expect you to know them off hand.  It’s an “open internet” quiz.

(Yes, they're getting harder.)

Happy researching,

Dad

Christian Trivia Question #5 - Who was at the Transfiguration?

Name all the persons involved in the Transfiguration.  

This is a bit of a trick question, so read the passage carefully.

Christian Trivia Question #4 - Calling all Apostles

Which of the 12 Apostles did Jesus call first?

(Hint: Answer is in 1st chap of one of the Gospels.)

Christian Trivia Question #3 - INRI

In many paintings of Jesus on the Cross, the acronym "INRI" is written on a piece of wood tacked onto the Cross over His head.  

1. What does it stand for?

2. According to John's Gospel, who wanted it there, and who didn't?

Christian Trivia Question #2 - That's my dad

The Gospels record the name of only one natural father of the 12 Apostles. 

What’s his name?

Hint: 2 of them are sons of this man.