Who Am I? New Testament Characters -- #3 Quiz

Answer: John the Baptist

The correct answer is John the Baptist. Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 provide these highly unusual details about John, regarded by some as the last of the Old Testament prophets. John's purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus, whom he described as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) In addition to his unusual dress, John never seemed to be at a loss for words when it came to the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

In Matthew 3:7, for example, he called them a "brood of vipers."

Answer: Barnabas

Barnabas is the correct answer. The nickname was given because Barnabas was apparently always upbeat and encouraging other workers in the early church. He could have easily earned the nickname "Mr. Cheerful Giver" as Acts 4:37 states that Barnabas sold a field he owned and put the money at the apostles' feet.

Answer: James

James, the brother of John and the son of Zebedee, is the correct answer. While the execution of Stephen rates almost two chapters in Acts, a simple line tells of the death of James. Acts 12:2 tells of King Herod having James put to death by the sword, a term meaning he was beheaded. Verse 3 goes on to state that 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, as per Acts 12:1-19.

Answer: Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene is the correct answer. Little is known about Simon, but Mark 15:21 states he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. According to the
"International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", Cyrene was a city of Libya in North Africa. It was separated from ancient Egypt by a portion of the Libyan desert.

Answer: Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot had the distinction of being the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples and according to the Gospel of John he didn't do a good job of it. John 12:6 tells of Judas being a "thief" and helping himself to the contents of the "money bag" of which he was in charge. Judas, of course, would go on to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and eventually end up committing suicide, as per Matthew 27:1-5.

Answer: Gabriel

The account of Gabriel telling Mary the news she would give birth to Jesus, while still a virgin, can be read in Luke 1:26-35. Gabriel is also the angel who told Zechariah his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a baby, although he was an "old man and his wife was well along in years." Because Zechariah questioned Gabriel's pronouncement, he was unable to speak until the baby was born. That baby, of course, was John the Baptist.

Incidentally, notes in the NIV Study Bible state Gabriel means "God is my hero." There are only two angels mentioned by name in the NIV Scripture: Gabriel and Michael.

Answer: Mark

Mark, of course, is the correct answer. There is no smoking gun, but many theologians believe the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. Although his name was John Mark, he is often referred to in Scripture as simply Mark. The Gospel of Mark tells more about what Jesus did, rather than what he said. Notes in the NIV Study Bible sum up things this way: "Mark moves quickly from one episode in Jesus' life and ministry to another, using the word immediately."

Answer: Cornelius

Yes, Cornelius is a minor character in the New Testament. But at the same time, he played a major role in helping convince Peter and other Jewish followers of Christ that the message of Christianity must also be delivered to the Gentiles. The church has never been the same as a result. (See Acts 10: 1-48.) Fittingly, the story of Cornelius appears right after the conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul, of course, would go on to become the main apostle to the Gentiles.

Answer: Herod

Herod is the correct answer. His death is recorded in Acts 12:21-23. We read in the NIV Bible: "On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, 'This is the voice of a god, not of a man.' Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." Herod was a ruthless opponent of the early church and his death was seen as divine retribution. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state: "The historian Josephus describes a silver robe, dazzling bright that Herod wore that day.

When people acclaimed him a god, he did not deny it. He was seized with violent pains, was carried out and died five days later."

Answer: Bartimaeus

The correct answer is Bartimaeus, one of my favorite characters in the Gospels. The story of blind Bartimaeus receiving his sight is found in Mark 10:45-52. What I find fascinating about the account is Bartimaeus is reported to have been shouting at the top of his lungs to get Jesus' attention and the crowd that surrounded Christ responded by telling the blind beggar to shut up! In Mark 10:49, those people had a sudden change of heart when Jesus indicated he wanted to meet with Barimaeus. Those same people who had told Bartimaeus to shut up, responded in the NIV Bible by stating "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Prior to verse 49, it's as if Bartimaeus was sub-human.

When Jesus indicated he wants to meet with Bartimaeus, his status in the eyes of the hangers-on skyrocketed.

Many of the people in the crowds following Jesus did not see him as the Messiah. They saw him as the man who was going to overthrow the Romans and serve as their benevolent king.