Let's Build a Church! Trivia Quiz

Answer: The power of the Holy Spirit

"'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." (Acts 1:8-9 NRSV)

The second chapter describes the visiting of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and followers who had gathered for Pentecost. For this reason, many denominations and Christian scholars consider Pentecost as the birth of the church. In Western liturgical calendars, the feast of Pentecost is observed fifty days after Easter.

Answer: Matthias

"Then they prayed and said, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.' And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles." (Acts 1: 24-26 NRSV)

Matthias was chosen when the disciples, along with Mary and some of Jesus's other followers, gathered in Jerusalem to pray for God's guidance. Barnabas was a Levite who sold his land, donated the proceeds to the ministry, and chose to dedicate his life to the new church. Zebedee was the father of James and John.

Answer: Peter commanded the man to walk, and he was healed of his lameness

"But Peter said, 'I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.' And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong." (Acts 3:6,7 NRSV)

When the three entered the temple, Peter spoke to the people and made sure that they knew that it was not him, but God, who had healed the lame beggar. He reminded them that they were the ones who had encouraged Pilate to crucify Jesus and free the murderer, but that by repenting, they would be healed of their wickedness, just as the beggar had been healed.

The Bible tells us that as a result of the healing of the lame man, about five thousand people became believers that day.

Answer: "Son of encouragement"

"There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement')." (Acts 4:36 NRSV)

Barnabas was one of the very first missionaries and is mentioned in several of Paul's letters. He is known for his tireless devotion to the early converts and his willingness to help the other missionaries as they traveled to spread the Gospel.

Answer: He was executed and became the first Christian martyr

The story of Stephen's witness before the Sanhedrin and subsequent death by stoning is told in the seventh chapter of Acts. Like Jesus, he prayed for his killers before his death.

"While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he died." (Acts 7:59,60 NRSV)

Stephen's execution for his Christian beliefs is the first mentioned in the New Testament, and he is widely accepted as the first martyr. Remembered for his dedication to serving the poor and widowed, today Saint Stephen is honored in many churches with programs structured toward providing food and clothing to the less fortunate of the community.

Answer: She was revived from death

"Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, 'Tabitha, get up.' Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up." (Acts 9:40 NRSV)

Tabitha lived in Joppa and devoted her life to charity work, feeding and clothing the poor, and showing special care to the widows who had been largely ignored by others. When Peter was summoned to her home, he found her body in an upstairs room, surrounded by the distraught widows she had helped. After word spread that she was alive, many of Joppa's citizens became followers, and Peter remained in the town to further the ministry.

Answer: Paul

Saul of Tarsus gained favor with governing leaders by seeking out and imprisoning Christians, even witnessing and advocating the stoning of Stephen. The ninth chapter of Acts tells of his journey to Damascus to bring believers to Jerusalem to be punished. It was along this road that he was struck down by a blinding flash of light, accompanied by the voice of Jesus.

"Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.'" (Acts 9:3-5, NRSV)

Jesus then instructed him to continue into Damascus. Despite being blinded by the vision, he continued on. After winning the trust of the disciples (thanks in part to the efforts of Barnabas) he was given the name "Paul" and eventually became one of the cornerstones of the Church, composing many of the letters of the New Testament.

Answer: He was a Gentile

Cornelius was a God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor and spent time in prayer and good works. After a vision in which God told him to find Peter and hear what he had to say, his servants located Peter and brought him back to Cornelius's house in Caesarea. Peter knew he would be criticized for breaking the law by eating and lodging with a Gentile, but he had been told by God during a dream that he was not to show prejudice to non-Jewish believers. He remained with Cornelius and his family for several days after their conversion, an event which helped the ministry spread to people of all nationalities and backgrounds.

Cornelius is widely accepted as the first Gentile to be baptized into the Christian faith. His story is told in Acts Chapter 10.

Answer: A riot among the citizens

Ephesus was the site of a well-known shrine to the goddess Artemis, which attracted tourists to the city and brought increased revenue by the sale of artifacts honoring the goddess. In what is quite possibly the first meeting of a "trade union", Demetrius, a silversmith, brought together the other artisans and expressed his concern that Christianity would affect the sale of the objects they made. Unrest followed as the mob seized two of Paul's companions and stormed to the theater (town meeting place) in protest. The town clerk pointed out that the missionaries had not openly spoken against Artemis and could not be charged. He then quieted the citizens and sent them home.

An account of Demetrius's complaint and the resulting events can be found in Acts Chapter 19.

Answer: The believers were first called "Christians"

"Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called 'Christians'." (Acts 11:25,26 NRSV)

The Bible does not tell us when or where Mary died, and while Barnabas may very well have been married, we know nothing of his wife. Acts does tell the story of the earthquake that occurred when Paul and Silas were in prison, but there is no mention of a hurricane.