United Church of Two Harbors

United Church just finished its nine month journey through the New Testament reading a chapter a day. Now for the quiz! See how well you can do against this 40 question quiz. Correct answers are below in red.

1) How many books are there in the New Testament?
a. 27
b. 33
c. 4
d. more and more every year

2) The author of most of the books in the New Testament is…
a. Jesus
b. Peter
c. Paul
d. Billy Graham

3) The books that record the life and teachings of Jesus are known as…
a. the Annals
b. the Dead Sea Scrolls
c. the Chronicles
d. the Gospels

4) The book of Acts…
a. records stories of Jesus’ youth
b. contains short plays about Jesus
c. records the stories of the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection
d. records the story of Jesus trial and crucifixion from the point of view of Pontius Pilate

5) Mark…
a. is the shortest of the gospels
b. is commonly accepted as the earliest written gospel
c. has two endings
d. all of the above

6) Paul’s conversion from persecutor of the church to apostle is recorded in…
a. Luke
b. 1 Paul
c. Revelation
d. Acts

7) Apocalypse in the Greek literally means..
a. catastrophe or destruction
b. revelation or unveiling
c. divine wrath
d. dance music with marimbas

8) The earliest written book in the New Testament was likely…
a. Matthew
b. Isaiah
c. Acts
d. 1 Thessalonians

9) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels because…
a. they were discovered near Synopsis, Greece
b. they were the earliest gospels
c. they are similar
d. they all contain a synopsis of the Old Testament at the beginning

10) The number of books written by Jesus in the New Testament is…
a. 0
b. 1
c. 4
d. 27

11) The Epistles...
a. is the anglicized version of the word “apostles”
b. are letters
c. are the books in the New Testament that are not the Gospels
d. is the Greek word for the Gospels

12) The books of the New Testament are all generally believed to be written…
a. by Paul or followers of Paul
b. in Greece
c. between 45 and 140 AD
d. in Aramaic before they were translated into Latin

13) The New Testament as it is (books and order) has existed since approximately…
a. 110 AD
b. 367 AD
c. 733 AD
d. 1821 AD

14) Matthew is unique because…
a. it is the only Gospel to record Jesus’ genealogy
b. of the story of the Wise Men bringing gifts to Jesus
c. it doesn’t list the names of the disciples
d. all of the above

15) Mark is notable because…
a. its repeated use of the phrase “kai euthos” (“and immediately”)
b. it was the only gospel not to be written by one of the 12 Disciples
c. it has Jesus being born in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem
d. all of the above

16) Luke has more of these than any other gospel…
a. chapters
b. parables
c. disciples
d. all of the above

17) John is unique because…
a. it contains multiple visits to Jerusalem by Jesus
b. there are no parables
c. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet
d. all of the above

18) Acts is believed to be written…
a. by Paul
b. before any of the Gospels
c. by the writer of Luke
d. by a woman

19) In Romans, Paul…
a. compares the Gentiles to a branch grafted onto an olive tree
b. argues that God has not rejected the Jewish people
c. asks for support for a trip to Spain
d. all of the above

20) Arguably the best known passage from 1 Corinthians is…
a. a chapter about the nature of love often read at weddings
b. the story of Jesus’ birth
c. the story of Paul cheating at a dice game
d. none of the above

21) In 2 Corinthians Paul compares his own imperfections in proclaiming the Gospel as…
a. yeast in the bread
b. a thorn in his side
c. a treasure buried in a field
d. a clay jar containing a treasure

22) Galatians was written…
a. to ask for money
b. by Peter to Paul who was in Gaul
c. against those who taught that Gentiles had to be circumcised to become Christians
d. none of the above

23) Ephesians…
a. uses a metaphor of putting on armor to describe Christian readiness
b. instructs slaves to obey their masters
c. instructs wives to obey their husbands
d. all of the above

24) Philippians…
a. was written to Philip of Rome
b. contains a recipe for bean soup
c. contains what is thought to be an early hymn that begins “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”
d. none of the above

25) 1 Thessalonians is…
a. the first of Paul’s letters
b. concerned with those Christians who have died
c. instructs believers to “pray without ceasing”
d. all of the above

26) 2 Thessalonians was written…
a. before 1 Thessalonians
b. apparently because the Thessalonians didn’t understand the first letter
c. in response to 1 Peter
d. none of the above

27) In 1 Timothy, Paul…
a. tells Timothy not to let people put him down just because he’s a youth
b. instructs bishops and church leaders to have no more than one wife
c. forbids women to have authority over a man
d. all of the above

28) In 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of…
a. not being able to grow a beard
b. his body
c. making a money by preaching
d. suffering for the sake of the Gospel

29) In Titus, Paul…
a. reveals the name of Jesus’ wife
b. asks Titus to prepare a room for him
c. is concerned that some preachers are calling Cretans liars and gluttons
d. none of the above

30) Philemon is written…
a. to the church at Philemon
b. by Philemon, a tax collector
c. about the first Olympics
d. to the master of a runaway slave

31) Hebrews describes Jesus as…
a. the pioneer and perfecter of our faith
b. a high priest
c. as co-creator of the world
d. all of the above

32) James contains the phrase…
a. “faith without works is dead”
b. “the Lord helps those who help themselves”
c. “you’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them”
d. “love is never having to say you’re sorry”

33) 1 Peter describes Christ as…
a. a cornerstone
b. a stone which the builders rejected
c. a stumbling block
d. all of the above

34) 2 Peter contains a description of this event in Jesus’ life…
a. Birth
b. Baptism
c. Transfiguration
d. Ascension

35) 1 John says that…
a. God is light
b. God is love
c. no one has ever seen God
d. all of the above

36) 2 John is addressed to…
a. the elect lady and her children
b. Paul in Rome
c. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
d. those who follow Christ

37) Most scholars think 3 John was written…
a. by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John
b. by the same John who wrote Revelation
c. by Paul
d. before 1 & 2 John

38) Jude refers to this archangel fighting with the devil…
a. Gabriel
b. Uriel
c. Raphael
d. Michael

39) Revelation is written to churches in seven cities in Asia Minor including...
a. Moscow
b. Paris
c. Jerusalem
d. Philadelphia

40) Revelation was written by John of Patmos. Patmos is…
a. a city in Asia Minor
b. John’s father
c. a prison island
d. none of the above

Continue reading "New Testament Trivia Quiz" »

Posted by ironic1 at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Come to Bible Study on Thursday mornings or Tuesday evenings and you'll likely be audience to some of my art. Perhaps "illustration" is a better word.

This is from our Thursday morning study where we are reading Genesis. It depicts the ancient worldview of a three tiered universe.

My sense, upon rereading Genesis 1, is that God comes off as a playful kid with ADD, moving quickly from one thing to another, very proud of each moment's creation.

Disagree? Bring your thoughts and opinions to our open and talkative Bible studies. Thursday at 10:45 am and Tuesday at 7:00 pm.

Continue reading "Creation Doodles" »

Posted by Lawrence Lee at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night the Youth Group did this quiz as "Who Wants a lot of Christmas Candy?" with two teams competing for more and more Christmas candy. They did pretty well. Now let's see how you do. The answers are in the extended entry.

1. Christmas has been celebrated on December 25 since –
a) Jesus was born
b) Pope Pius III declared it in 1781
c) The 4th century
d) Charles Dickens established the date in “A Christmas Carol”

2. Joseph was from
a) Bethlehem
b) Jerusalem
c) Nazereth
d) Detroit

3. Joseph & Mary traveled to Bethlehem with a
a) Camel
b) Donkey
c) Trade caravan
d) Who knows?

4. A manger is a
a) stable for domestic animals
b) wooden hay storage bin
c) feeding trough
d) barn

5. Which animals were present at Jesus’ birth?
a) cows, sheep, goats
b) cows, donkeys, sheep
c) lions, tigers, bears
d) Who knows?

6. Who saw the star in the east?
a) Shepherds
b) Mary and Joseph
c) Three Kings
d) None of the above

7. The angels who appeared to the shepherds sang –
a) “Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come”
b) “My Sweet Lord”
c) “Glory to God in the Highest”
d) “Unto us a child is born”

8. The baby Jesus cried
a) When the doctor slapped him on his behind
b) When the little drummer boy started banging on his drum
c) He never cried
d) Who knows?

9. Frankincense is
a) a precious metal
b) a precious fabric
c) a precious incense
d) a mad scientist who made a monster

10. Myrrh is
a) an easily shaped metal
b) a spice used for burying people
c) a drink
d) the name of Mary’s midwife

11. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
a) 3
b) 4 (but one got lost)
c) 22
d) Who knows?

12. The wise men were
a) doctors
b) eastern kings
c) astrologers
d) tourists

13. The wise men found Jesus in a
a) manger
b) inn
c) house
d) trailer park

14. The story of Jesus’ birth can be found in
a) Hebrews and Acts
b) Mark and John
c) Matthew and Luke
d) Genesis and Exodus

15. When Mary & Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant they
a) got married
b) Joseph wanted to break off the engagement and Mary left town for 3 months
c) Went to Bethlehem
d) Sought premarital counseling

16. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?
a) an angel in a dream
b) Mary’s mother
c) Some wise men
d) Caesar Augustus

17. Joseph, Mary and Jesus went to Egypt to
a) see the pyramids
b) escape Herod’s wrath because of a warning in a dream
c) put Jesus in a basket in the reeds by the river
d) They never went to Egypt.

18. This gospel speaks of Joseph being visited in dreams by angels
a) Matthew
b) Mark
c) Luke
d) John

19. Mary, when she finds out she’s pregnant goes to visit
a) her mother, Anna
b) her cousin, Elizabeth
c) her midwife, Obstretica
d) Santa Clause

20. Jesus is born in
a) Jerusalem
b) Nazareth
c) Bethlehem
d) Duluth

21. King Herod found out about the birth of Jesus
a) by visiting astrologers
b) by reading the Jerusalem newspaper
c) by his wise advisors
d) by a dream

22. The wise men brought a gift of
a) frankincense
b) myrrh
c) gold
d) all of the above

23. When the wise men didn’t return to King Herod he
a) went to look for Jesus by himself
b) had all of the baby boys in Bethlehem killed
c) cried
d) proclaimed a day of celebration for the birth of a new king

24. Jesus’ first visitors, after his birth, were
a) talking animals
b) shepherds
c) wise men with gifts
d) tax collectors

25. The name “Jesus” means
a) God’s chosen
b) God saves
c) Son of Jesse
d) Nothing

26. The 12 days of Christmas are
a) December 14-25
b) December 25-January 5
c) The 12 Sundays after Christmas
d) The time it took for Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem

Continue reading "Christmas Quiz" »

Posted by Lawrence Lee at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Quad Squad, our Tuesday evening Young Adult group, is taking on Original Sin!

Over four weeks we will be asking ourselves the following questions:

October 23: What does Scripture say about Original Sin?
October 30: What does the Tradition of the Church say about Original Sin?
November 6: What does my personal Experience tell me about Original Sin?
November 13: What does Reason tell me about Original Sin?

We meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. This is a Young Adult group specifically for 20 and 30 somethings. Feel free to come and share.

Posted by Lawrence Lee at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our Thursday morning Adult Bible study will be looking at Ecclesiastes and James this fall. Our method is simple and anyone is invited to participate. We simply read aloud the scripture, verse by verse, and then work through sticky points and wonder aloud about it. We also often go into parallel discussions and bring in current events. Additionally, we open each session with a time of prayer for our present concerns.

Sound boring? It really isn't. It's just simple and heartfelt and occassionally challenging. Come and join us and find out for yourself. We meet Thursdays at 10:45 a.m.

Posted by Lawrence Lee at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Quad Squad, our Tuesday evening Young Adult group, has taken on its first assignment: Ghosts!

Over four weeks we will be asking ourselves the following questions:

September 25: What does Scripture say about Ghosts?
October 2: What does the Tradition of the Church say about Ghosts?
October 9: What does my personal Experience tell me about Ghosts?
October 16: What does Reason tell me about Ghosts?

We meet Tuesdays at 7 p.m. This is a Young Adult group specifically for 20 and 30 somethings. Feel free to come and share.

Posted by Lawrence Lee at 7:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)