Biblical Oddities #12 - Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Matthew

When it comes to the Gospel with the most chapters, Matthew is the winner. It has a total of 28 chapters while Luke has the second most chapters, 24. Meanwhile, John has 21 chapters and Mark has 16.

Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and was written by one of the original twelve disciples who was known by two names -- Matthew and Levi. Before becoming a disciple, he was a tax collector.

Answer: Luke

When it comes to word count among the four Gospels, Luke is the winner.

Information at various Web sites state Luke contains about 25,900 words using the KJV while Matthew has about 23,300 words. The totals vary, of course, depending on the Bible version used.

For the record, John has about 15,600 words using the KJV and Mark about 14,900.

Luke is the third book of the New Testament. It was written by Luke, a physician and worker in the early church, who also wrote the Book of Acts.

Answer: Zacharias

Zacharias lost the ability to speak for about nine months due to his stubborn refusal to believe an angel of the Lord who told him his elderly wife Elizabeth would give birth to a boy. This even though she had been unable to conceive all of her life.

Sure enough Elizabeth gave birth to a boy called John. Later in life he would be known as John the Baptist. After the miraculous birth, Zacharias would re-gain his ability to speak.

(In the NIV he is known as Zechariah.)

Answer: Hezekiah

Hezekiah, a seriously ill king of Judah, had 15 years added to his life by God, according to Scripture.

His miraculous recovery is documented in 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38.

According to Scripture, the prophet Isaiah announced to Hezekiah he should put his house in order as he would die as a result of his illness. Scripture goes on to tell of Hezekiah weeping and fervently praying to God for a miraculous recovery.

A few moments after Hezekiah's heartfelt prayer, Isaiah received instructions from God to go back to the king and tell him his prayers were being answered and 15 years would be added to his life.

Then details are given about God making the shadow on the sundial go backward ten degrees as a sign to Hezekiah his prayers had been heard and had been acted upon.

Answer: Lot's wife

Lot's unnamed wife was turned into a pillar of salt when she defied divine instructions and looked back at the destruction of Sodom, according to Genesis 19:12-29.

The incident took place when she was fleeing Sodom with her husband Lot and her family.

According to Scripture, the city was destroyed by fire and brimstone because of its sinfulness.

The incident is also mentioned in the New Testament. See Luke Luke 17:32.

Answer: Rachel

Rachel, one of two wives of Jacob, died during childbirth. According to Genesis 35:18-19, she died giving birth to Benjamin, her second son. Her first son was Joseph.

Jacob's second wife was Leah, Rachel's older sister.

Rachel is one of two women in the Bible who died during childbirth. The other woman to die giving birth was Phinehas' wife, as per 1 Samuel 4:19-22. The unnamed woman was the daughter-in-law of Eli.

Answer: Bathsheba

Eliam was the father of Bathsheba, the most famous wife of King David. However, little is known about Eliam as he is mentioned in passing reference.

Eliam means 'God of the People'.

His daughter Bathsheba was originally married to Uriah, a soldier in David's army. While Uriah was off in battle, David and Bathsheba had an adulterous affair and she became pregnant. Scripture tells of David orchestrating the death of Uriah and then taking Bathsheba as his wife.

Answer: Onesimus

Onesimus was a slave who ran away from his master Philemon in Colossae, a city in present day Turkey. In an incredible 'small-world story' Onesimus fled to Rome and met up with an old friend of Philemon's.

The old friend was none other than Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Scripture doesn't go into detail, but Paul converted Onesimus to Christianity.

In turn, Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon. However, in his letter to Philemon, Paul urges him to accept Onesimus back, not as a run-away slave, but as an equal in Christ.

In Philemon 1:17, Paul writes to Philemon: "If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me."

And people say the Bible is boring!

Answer: Lazarus

Scripture tells of Jesus raising three people from the dead but Lazarus is the only one who is identified by name.

The two others raised by Jesus from the dead were Jairus' 12-year-old daughter and the only son of an unnamed widow at Nain.

According to Scripture, Lazarus lived in Bethany with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. He had been dead for four days when he arose the dead.

Details about Lazarus rising from the dead can be found at John 11:1-44.

Meanwhile details about the widow's son being raised from dead by Jesus appear in Luke 7:11-17 while information about Jairus' daughter can be found in Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:1-43 and Luke 8:41-54.

Answer: Judah

It's almost impossible to conceive in today's world, but Judah is the man who had sex with a prostitute and did not know it was his daughter-in-law Tamar.

Scripture tells of Judah encountering Tamar posing as a prostitute along the side of a road. When they had sex her face was completely covered.

As a result of the tryst, Tamar would become pregnant and give birth to twin boys -- Perez and Zerah. (See Genesis 38 for details.)

As per Matthew 1:3, Judah, Perez and Tamar have their names listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ. For the record, Zerah's name appears in Matthew 1:3, but he is not part of the lineage.