Nine out of Ten: New Testament Trivia -- #4 Quiz

Answer: Decapolis

Decapolis is the correct answer. The name means 'ten cities' in Greek and according to the Website Christiananswers.net the district was east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee and was largely inhabited by Greeks.

According to Scripture, Jesus entered Decapolis after visiting the region of Tyre and Sidon.

Mark 7:32-35 in the NKJV gives this account: "Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, 'He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.'"

Answer: Erastus

Not much is known about Erastus apart from the fact he is described by Paul in Romans as the city's director of public works. (Paul was in Corinth when he wrote Romans.) The name Erastus also appears in Acts 19:22 and in 2 Timothy 4:20, but theologians suspect it might not be the same person because Erastus was a common name in Biblical times.

Notes in the NIV Study Bible state "at Corinth, archaeologists have discovered a re-used block of stone in a paved square with the Latin inscription: 'Erastus, commissioner of public works, bore the expense of this pavement'."

Answer: Martha

Martha is known as the busy one while her sister Mary is known for being attentive. Martha and Mary are the best known sisters in the New Testament. Details about Martha being busy while Mary was listening to the teachings of Jesus can be found in Luke 10:38-42. The story appears right after the famous parable known as The Good Samaritan.

Answer: Executed by Herod

Out of the Twelve Disciples, James was the first to be executed. (Judas Iscariot was the first to die, but he committed suicide, as per Matthew 27:3-9.) Details of James' death are contained in Acts 12:1-2 where it states Herod "killed James the brother of John with the sword." In other words, James was beheaded.

Verse 3 goes on to state Herod had Peter arrested when he saw people were pleased with the execution of James. Peter, however, would avoid execution when he made a miraculous escape from prison thanks to the assistance of an angel, as per Acts 12:1-19.

Answer: Theophilus

The two books, both credited with being written by Luke, are addressed to Theophilus. However, there is no conclusive proof as to who Theopilus actually was. Some believe he was a prominent official in the Roman government while others believe he was a lawyer who represented Paul in his trial before Felix.

Some believe Theophilus is a collective name for Christians in general but this view is disputed by others because the Gospel of Luke describes Theophilus as "most excellent," a term for a specific person and not a collective body.

Answer: Rhoda

Rhoda is the correct answer. She will be always remembered as the highly excitable girl who let her mind wander from the task at hand. It's a good thing Peter was not being chased by would-be captors, as he would have been chopped liver having to stand at the door of the house trying to get in while Rhoda was busy telling everyone else the latest news.

The story in Acts 12:12-16 almost smacks of a scene from a Hollywood sitcom.

Answer: Invalid

The correct answer is 'invalid' as the man had been paralyzed for 38 years. According to Scripture, the miraculous healing took place by the Sheep Gate, a pool called Bethsaida in Hebrew. The passage states the seriously ill and handicapped gathered at the pool and an angel of the Lord would stir up the water and the first one to enter it would be made well. However, the paralyzed man was by himself and had no one to help him enter the pool.

John 5:6-9, in the NKJV , gives this account: "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well?' The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.' Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state, "the Sheep Gate was a gate in the wall of Jerusalem near the temple, through which sheep were brought for sacrifice. The pool of Bethsaida was a double pool surrounded by colonnades on four sides, with a fifth colonnade standing on the dividing wall that separated the northern and southern pools."

Answer: Urbanus

Urbanus is described by Paul in Romans 16:9 as our "fellow worker in Christ" in the NKJV and as a "co-worker in Christ" in the NIV. However, not much is known about Urbanus as he is mentioned in only this passage in Scripture.

The 16th chapter of Romans is seen by many as a tribute to the 'Joe' and 'Jane' Christians of the day.

Answer: Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira were stuck dead after selling their property and withholding part of the money from going to the Lord's work, as per Acts 5: 1-11. According to Scripture, they were struck dead after they met separately with Peter and both claimed they had turned over the entire proceeds from the sale of their property.

Answer: Demetrius

Demetrius lived in Ephesus and according to Acts 19:23-41 he made things interesting when he caused a "great disturbance." Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions, were ushered into a theater and so great was the anger of the assembled people that they shouted "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours, Scripture states. According to verse 35, the city clerk eventually quieted down the crowd and the riot came to an end with Gaius and Aristarchus going free.