Final Exam Study Set

332 BC

Year that Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and took control over Judea/Samaria in the process

Antiochus IV

King of the Seleucid Empire who forced Hellenism on the Jews; outlawed many Jewish practices, forced them to participate in Greek religious practices, and installed high priests who were Hellenizers.

Maccabean Revolt

Jewish resistance that occurred in 167 BC, when the priest Matthias and his sons fled to the hills after refusing to allow pagan sacrifice. They became freedom fighters against the Seleucids and eventually took control over Jerusalem in 164 BC

Alexander the Great

king of Macedon who came to power in 336 BC; was a very powerful and prolific ruler in the ancient world

Greek

What was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire during this time?

LXX

Abbreviation for the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible

70 AD

The year Jerusalem was conquered by Rome and the temple fell

Roman Empire

The empire which ruled over Jerusalem in the time of Jesus

Caesar Augustus

The Roman emperor at the time Jesus was born; issued a census that required Mary and Joseph to return to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus.

He was recognized in Roman culture as the son of god, which is why Christians identifying Jesus as the Son of God was such a political statement

Pharisees

A sect of Judaism which morphed into Rabbinic Judaism after 70 AD. Heavily emphasized the Torah and oral tradition; believed in the afterlife

Sadducees

Sect of Judaism that focused solely on the Torah; many were religious leaders in the temple and most were upper-class. Did not believe in the afterlife

Essenes

Separatist sect of Judaism who preserved the scrolls at Kumron; emphasized righteous living and often criticized other groups. Believed in the afterlife

Zealots

revolutionary Jewish movement that sought to expel the Romans from Judea; had another splinter group called the Sicarii

Christians

At first, a sect of Judaism, but that changed after the destruction of the temple; followers of Jesus as the Messiah.

Centurions

officers in the army in the Roman empire

Synoptic Gospels

gospels that can be “seen together”; share themes/elements/etc and even quote each other at times

Matthew, Mark, Luke

Which of the gospels are the Synoptic Gospels?

Josephus

late first century Jewish historian who wrote “The Antiquities of the Jews”

Tacitus

Roman historian, rhetorician, and official. Thought Christianity was “the great superstition”

Isaiah

Prophet whose words Christians believe point to Jesus as the Messiah; had passages about the ultimate suffering servant, who Christians believe is fulfilled in Jesus

David, Abraham

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 lists these 2 figures before listing Jesus’ entire genealogy. This calls attention to the fact that Jesus fulfills God’s covenants with these two people. (Pay attention to order!)

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:8; the mission of Christians is to go and make disciples to the ends of the earth

King Herod the Great

ruler of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth

John the Baptist

cousin of Jesus who baptized Him

Mary

Mother of Jesus

Joseph

earthly father of Jesus

Mary Magdalene

woman whom Jesus cast 7 demons out of; important to His ministry and also witnessed Him at the cross and the empty tomb

Elizabeth

mother of John the Baptist and important to the infancy narrative of Jesus

Zechariah

father of John the Baptist

Euangelion

Greek word for gospel; meaning “good tidings” or “good news”

Synoptic

“seen together”

logos

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is introduced as “the Word”. What is the Greek/Latin word for this?

The Word existed with God before creation and is made incarnate in Jesus

Lazarus

Man who Jesus raised from the dead. This man’s death and resurrection foreshadows the death and resurrection of Jesus

Pontius Pilate

governor of Judea who oversaw Jesus’ trial

Saul

What was the initial name of the apostle Paul?

Paul

Apostle who at first fiercely persecuted Christians. On the way to Damascus, he encountered Jesus and experienced a radical transformation into a follower of Christ.

Pentecost

The day in which the Holy Spirit was initially poured out upon Jesus’ followers

Apocrypha

Collection of Jewish religious writings included in the Septuagint. Word itself means “hidden texts”. Eventually excluded from the HB by Jews but identified by some (Catholic/Orthodox) Christians as deuterocanonical

Mark

Gospel which was written anonymously by a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian who was familiar with the HB. This gospel is the shortest out of the 4 and is believed to be the first of the Synoptic Gospels to be written. Emphasis on action.

Gentile Christians

Audience for the Gospel of Mark?

Matthew

Gospel which was initially anonymous but associated with its namesake in the 4th century AD. Written after the destruction of the Temple; appears first in the NT because it was the most cited, contains instructions to the early church, and begins with a genealogy that provides a smooth transition from the OT to the NT

Jewish Christians

Audience of the Gospel of Matthew?

Luke

Gospel which is associated with a physician who also authored the book of Acts.

Theophilus

Who is the Gospel of Luke addressed to? This could be the book’s actual patron or the ideal audience. Means “friend of God”

Gentile Christians

who is the general audience of the Gospel of Luke?

John

Gospel which identifies itself as being authored by the “beloved disciple”; many scholars believe it was authored by The Elder

Johannine Community

Who was the intended audience of the Gospel of John?

Acts of the Apostles

5th book in the NT; second section of the Gospel of Luke. Tells the story of the early church. (Use the full name rather than the abbreviated in your answer!)

Apostle

A follower of Jesus who was closely associated with Him. Witnessed His resurrection and had been sent to continue His work

Disciple

“student”/”learner”; a follower of Jesus

12

How many apostles did Jesus have during His life and ministry on earth?

Judaizers

Members of a Jewish Christian faction who believed Gentiles had to become Jews to follow Jesus. They believed the Gentiles had to be circumcised and adhere to other Jewish practices.

Faith

Is salvation found through faith or works?

Revelation

Last book of the Bible; its title means “to reveal” or “to be uncovered”

apocalyptic literature

genre in which a vision from God, under the guidance of an angel, communicates His hidden plan in symbolic language

the genre of Revelation!

Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth

Where does Jesus instruct His follower to therefore go and make disciples?

Stephen

the first Christian to be martyred for his faith in Jesus. Was stoned to death

Simon Peter

disciple of Jesus who was the brother of Andrew. Jesus tells this disciple that He will build his church upon him

James, John

Who were the two disciples of Jesus who were sons of Zebedee?

Thomas

disciple of Jesus who famously doubted His resurrection

Judas

disciple of Jesus who betrayed Him

James

brother of Jesus who authored one of the general epistles

Samaritans

branch of Judaism that developed after the Exile. Based out of the Northern Kingdom after the Babylonians’ importation/deportation policy that created a mixture of genetics. Tension between this group and the Jews in Jerusalem.

Samaritan Woman

Woman who has the longest conversation about Jesus than any other person in the Gospel of John. Jesus goes to a well in Samaria at noon and encounters her and asks her for water, ensuing a conversation about Him being living water.

Acts 2

What chapter of Acts does the Holy Spirit get poured out among Jesus’ followers?

Jerusalem Council

meeting led by James (brother of Jesus) who was leader of the Church in Jerusalem. James, Paul, and others debated the question of Gentile Christians and whether they had to become Jews. Result: No, they don’t; saved by faith in Jesus alone

Asia Minor, Asia Minor, Greece, Asia Minor, Greece, Rome

Where does Paul go for his 4 missionary journeys?

1. ____ ______

2. ____ ______ and ______

3. ____ ______ and ______

4. ____ as a prisoner

Malta

When Paul is on his voyage to Rome, where does he get shipwrecked?

2

When Paul is on house arrest in Rome, how many years does he remain there for?

Hebrews 11

Chapter in the letter of Hebrews known as the “faith chapter”; recounts a list of faithful characters of the Bible, mostly from the Old Testament, encouraging readers to remain faithful and steadfast

works

The letter of James focuses on the idea of faith bringing _____, which leads some people to falsely believe James and Paul disagree on the idea of faith versus works

Apocalypse

“apocalypsis”; “uncovering”

John

Who was the Beloved Disciple?

the Elder

What is the author of 1-3 John referred to as?

Johannine Community

Community in which the Gospel of John and 1-3 John circulated together in?

Yes

In the gospel of Luke, do women play prominent roles in Jesus ministry? (Yes/No)

women

in the gospel of Luke, who are the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ through the empty tomb? (men or women?)

Sermon on the Mount

Occurs in the Gospel of Matthew; contains the beatitudes in which Jesus intensifies and extends the Torah.

military leader

what did many Jewish people in Jesus’ day expect the Messiah to be?

mikvah

ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification

crucifixion

Brutal death practiced by the Romans; way in which Jesus died.

fulfillment

In the New Testament, Jesus is highlighted as the ________ of the Covenant

Epistle

Greek for “letter”. Usually a writing directed/sent to a person or group of people in the form of an elegant and formal didactic letter

Body of Christ as a whole

The letter of Revelation is addressed to 7 different churches. The number 7 in the Bible represents completeness, so the 7 churches are thought to represent what?

Babylon

Code name for Rome used in Revelation; Rev. warns that those who worship the emperor in Rome will be defeated

tongue

According to James, what is the most difficult part of the body to master?

Proverbs

James combines the wisdom of Jesus with the book of ______ in his call to live a life of devotion to God

1 Thessalonians

Which epistle is likely Paul’s first letter?

1 Corinthians

A Pauline Epistle which is addressed to a spiritually immature audience; themes include loyalty to Christ over other leaders, devotion of one’s whole being to God, and love for one another being more important than personal freedom. Concerned with orderly worship!