Take the Bible Test!

 David Alan Black 

Our God could have spoken to us in a heavenly language that no one would have understood. Instead, He revealed Himself through a book we call the Bible and in a message all can understand. It is a gory, bloody story, repulsive to the “refined” among us. It is foolishness to this age, for the cross is a scandal to unregenerate Adam.

Never has evangelical Christianity needed this message more than today. The Bible has a lot to say about our mouths, our tongues, our minds, and our hearts. What is down in the well will come up in the bucket.

For several years, my friend Gary Burge, who serves as Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, has been testing incoming freshmen on their knowledge of the Bible. What he has discovered is shocking. These students from evangelical churches could average only 50 to 55 percent correct on his simple exam. Burge points to the results of his tests to prove that we are living in a post-Christian era.

There are ignorant Christians in the church today and it is the duty of the church to minister to them, but they should be the exception and not the rule. Our Lord came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly. A revival is simply a return to a good spiritual diet. We can be strong in the Lord only as we are strong in His Word.

How full is your Bible bucket? How well do you really know God’s Word? Try testing it with Burge’s quiz and then check your answers with the key. If we should discover that we are biblical illiterates, may the grace of God lead us to repentance!  

1. Which one of these books is not in the Bible?              

a. Isaiah; b. Jude; c. Hezekiah; d. Amos; e. Song of Solomon

2. Who was Israel’s first king?

a. Saul; b. Solomon; c. David; d. Samuel; e. Moses

3. Sarah and Abraham had a son in their old age and named him “laughter.” What was his real name?

a. Samuel; b. Moses; c. Isaac; d. Jacob; e. Ishmael

4. Which of the following is not an Old Testament prophet?

a. Elisha; b. Elijah; c. Aaron; d. Isaiah; e. Joel

5. Place these events in their biblical order:

a. the giving of the law at Mount Sinai; b. Creation; c. the Fall; d. the Exodus led by Moses; e. the flood of Noah

6. Place the following characters in their biblical order:

a. Moses; b. Adam; c. David; d. Solomon; e. Abraham

7. Which of the following books is from the New Testament?

a. Judges; b. Malachi; c. Deuteronomy; d. Hebrews; e. Isaiah

8. Who wrote Philemon?

a. Philemon; b. Paul; c. Peter; d. Onesimus; e. John

9. Which one of the following was among Jesus’ 12 apostles?

a. Paul; b. Matthew; c. Luke; d. Timothy; e. Silas

10. Whom did Pontius Pilate release during Jesus’ trial?

a. Barnabas; b. Peter; c. Silas; d. Barabbas; e. Paul

11. How many temptations did Jesus face in the wilderness?

a. one; b. two; c. three; d. four; e. five

12. Place the following events in their biblical order:

a. The Holy Spirit descends on Pentecost; b. John has a vision on Patmos; c. Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River; d. Paul, Barnabas and Mark are sent out on a mission by the church; e. Peter denies that he knows Jesus

13. Place the following events in their biblical order:

a. Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem; b. Mary’s song; c. Nicodemus’ conversation about rebirth; d. Peter’s denial of Jesus

14. Where would you find the Ten Commandments?

a. Isaiah; b. Exodus; c. Genesis; d. Numbers; e. Matthew

15. Where would you find the first Passover?

a. Genesis; b. Numbers; c. 1 Samuel; d. Exodus; e. 2 Kings

16. Where would you find “Create in me a clean heart, O God”?

a. Proverbs; b. Ezekiel; c. Psalms; d. Deuteronomy; e. Luke

17. Where would you find the Lord’s Prayer?

a. Matthew; b. Acts; c. Ephesians; d. Malachi; e. Isaiah

18. Where would you find “in the beginning was the Word”?

a. Acts; b. Isaiah; c. John; d. Leviticus; e. Romans

19. Elizabeth and Zechariah were the parents of:

a. Jesus; b. Samuel; c. Paul; d. Timothy; e. John the Baptist

20. Jesus was crucified during:

a. Passover; b. Hannukah; c. Tabernacles; d. Sabbath; e. Purim

Answers:

1. c; 2. a; 3. c; 4. c; 5. b, c, e, d, a; 6. b, e, a, c, d; 7. d; 8. b; 9. b; 10. d; 11. c; 12. c, e, a, d, b; 13. b, c, d, a; 14. b; 15. d; 16. c; 17. a; 18. c, 19. e; 20. a