What's In A Name? Trivia Quiz

Answer: red

Not only do the names sound alike, even in English, they also mean something very alike. Both may be described as "ruddy, rosy, reddish, to flush red in the face, to be made red."

Adam, who according to the account given in Genesis, is made from the earth itself, quite probably from red clay. (The animals and birds were also formed from the earth.)
Edom was not only ruddy in his complexion, he also had red hair, a name that was changed to mean "red", and ate red lentil (bean) soup or pottage that his twin, Jacob, served to him.
See Genesis 2:7 and 19 and Genesis 25:24-34.

Answer: delight or pleasure

The following words best translate from the Hebrew to the English regarding Eden (Ay-den). "to delight self; soft; pleasant; delicate."
This corresponds to the King James Version of Genesis 2:9, which says, "And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight..."

Man was not intended to just lie around and take it easy in the garden; he was to work, tending to it. Since the ground at that point had no weeds because the earth had not yet been put under the curse (Genesis 3:17-19) I'm not really sure just what he would have had to do, except pick and eat of its bounty. In the same passage where we see the curse that is put upon the serpent, the woman, the man and the earth, we find that man had not sweated prior to this, either.

Answer: to love or loving

David, (Daw-veed), comes from the root word "dowd" or simply, "dod". The proper meaning of the word is "to boil", but in a figurative sense, it means "to love." It can also, by implication, mean "friend" or "uncle" (as in a father's brother).

In 1 Samuel 18:1 we see one example of many of the love that David had for his fellow man, the love of other people for David, and of David's love for God.

Jonathan, King Saul's son, loved David as much as he loved himself. The King James Version puts it this way: "...the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."

Answer: adversary

While all of the choices given are accurate descriptions of his nature, the best translation is "adversary", meaning "one who opposes; to withstand; to attack; to resist; to accuse."

Christians believe the devil does all this, and more, in his attempts to discredit God and thwart God's plan for man. He absolutely hates and resents man, because none of the other created beings, whether angels (of which he was one) or animals, or anything else was created in God's own image besides man. Only man has the ability to create with his mouth, just as God created everything in the beginning: by speaking it into existence. An image is just that, an image. Like a mirror, human beings can be seen as reflecting God's glory back to Him.
The book of James instructs readers how to conduct their tongues for God's glory. Satan cannot create anything, but can only mimic God. His function is to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10.)

Answer: Yahweh (God) Is Salvation

All of the descriptives listed in the question point to different attributes of God as understood by readers of the Bible. He has provided for salvation; He has provided a safe haven for His people; and He has given victory over the adversary, the devil. Christians believe that this was done through the personage of Jesus.

Answer: to pray or beg, and to stop or cease

King Saul, of Old Testament fame, once earnestly enquired of a witch, something God had specifically forbidden. Saul's name (Shaw-ool) means "to earnestly enquire, to lay to charge, to borrow, to pray, to request, to beg."

Saul of the New Testament was also diligent in his duties as a member of the Sanhedrin (a religious and political body) of the day. He, in all earnestness, persecuted the Christian church, prior to his conversion. Shortly after his conversion, he received a new name, Paul, or Paulus (Pow-los), meaning "to stop, to cease, refrain or little."

What better testimony to his new way of life than for his very name to indicate the ceasing of the activities that he had undertaken prior to his conversion?

Answer: a pagan sun diety

The name Apollos (Ap-pol-loce) is of Greek origin, and was given to a Jew who was born in Alexandria, Egypt. The "apo" portion of the name can mean several different things, but "off; departure; cessation or reversal" are among the most common meanings. "Olethros", from which the latter part of the word is derived, means "to destroy or perish."

This was a name given to the Greek sun god and the similarity between Apollyon and Apollos is striking. Apollyon is mentioned in Revelation 9:11 as the angel of the bottomless pit, perhaps implying Satan, since he is also known as "the destroyer."

In the case of the Apollos, spoken of in Acts 18:24-28, however, the implication seems to be just the opposite. He was a Jew who "reversed" direction and decided to follow Christ; he actively taught and worked closely with Paul, in order to help "destroy" Satan's influence, and became a stalwart in his efforts.

He required further instruction at one point, and Aquila and his wife Priscilla met with the young convert to better explain some things to him regarding Christ. He took their constructive criticism to heart, and as they mentored him, he grew in knowledge -- enough to make him a great asset to the early church. In one particular passage, in 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul makes this statement: "I have planted, Apollos has watered; but God gave the increase."

This speaks of the mighty works of God, and of two of His servants, Paul and Apollos.

Answer: victorious among the people

The story of Nicodemus (Nikodemos; pronounced Nik-od-ay-mos) is a familiar one to most Christians. It is found in John 3:1-21 and it involves this Pharisee's private encounter with Jesus.

Later, in John 19:39, we see that Nicodemus brings 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to Jesus' funeral, to be used to preserve the body.

This implies that he had decided to follow Jesus' teachings rather than reject him out of hand, as had many of his fellow Sanhedrin associates. Christians see this as a victory for Nicodemus, because he trusted that Christ was Messiah.

Answer: victorious over the people

This name is derived from much the same root word as "Nicodemus", and the meaning is also very similar, with one notable distinction.
"Nicholas" (Ni-ko-laos) means victorious OVER the people; not victorious AMONG the people. While this may seem to matter only a little, pause to consider; There was a leader of the church at Antioch by this name. By the very nature of him being in a leadership position, he had obtained a type of victory over the people.

There is also a "doctrine of the Nicolaitaines" spoken of in the book of Revelation, chapter 2, verses 6 and 15. In his address to the church of Ephesus and again to the church at Pergamos, John speaks of this doctrine as one that God hates. This is described as a doctrine of deceit, saying that the will of the people supersedes the will of God. The church at Laodicea suffered from the same type of problem; even the name means "People's Choice." You can even hear the name of Nicho-(Laos) echoing in the name of this church.

Answer: Asked of God

Samuel's mother, Hannah, wept bitterly and prayed to God for a child. When God granted her request and Samuel (Shem-u-el) was born, she "loaned" him back to God for the remainder of his lifetime. Immediately after he was weaned, she carried him to the temple and gave him to the high priest, Eli, to train in the ways of God. His name can also be correctly translated as, "The name of God"; "His name is God" and "Heard of God". All are apt in both name and meaning of Samuel's life.

She later had other children, but her "loaned out" child became a prophet as well as the last of the judges of Israel.

1 Samuel 1:27 and 28 in the King James Version says, "'For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore, also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.' And he worshipped the Lord there."