New Testament Unit 2 Test: Bryan College

Ascension

Jesus left earth and went to heaven. He will one day physically return in the same manner that he left.

Session

Jesus is seated as king at the right hand of his Father, ruling over all of creation.

Judaizers

were a group of false teachers who said they were sent by James to the church of Galatia to teach the true word of God. The Judaizers taught that before Gentiles became Christians, they needed to become Jewish by receiving circumcision and by keeping kosher and holiday laws.

Jerusalem Council

the team of the Apostles who tried to teach the Gospel as well and accurately as possible, trying to keep the world on the right path. The wrote letters to many churches and regions to help keep everyone following the right teachings of the Gospel.

justification

To be declared righteous.

federal head

is used to describe Jesus. The head of the body leads the rest of the body, for example we would want to follow Representative Jesus instead of Representative Adam because Jesus was pure and the only way through salvation while Adam had a sinful nature that was passed down to us. Having Jesus as the federal head everything we should do should be through him.

imputation

The transfer of sin being passed down; A double-imputation took place at the crucifixion.

original sin

The teaching of Paul, we are descendants of Adam who had a sinful nature, therefor we receive his sinful nature. Adam had original sin, so we inherit it.

union with Christ

The idea of oneness with Christ; Head-Body Union-Eph. 1 "Church is the body of Christ, Christ is the head of the church." Husband-Wife- Eph. 5 "Marriage is a covenant relationship, pledge to each other and become one-another." What was mine is now ours.

Christian liberty

On matter of ethical indifference, you have the ability to follow your conscience as long as it is following God.

positional righteousness

Clothed in Jesus' imputed righteousness. God justifies you through his son, Right standing with God.

actual righteousness

Your own lived experience. This can fluctuate with day-to-day life with how you choose to live for God.

ecclesiology

Doctrine of the Church; The church has the power and authority to affirm and proclaim ethical commands given in scripture as long as it is not to bind consciences of other believers.

sanctification

The process of making us holy. "Sanctifies us", makes us holy

Gentile

A non-Jew, often seen as an outsider.

who authored Acts?

Luke

what did Jesus say when he appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus? (Acts 9).

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4)

who was Saul/Paul?

Saul was a persecutor of the church, who approved of the killing of Christians like Stephen. He was traveling to Damascus when he was met by the Holy Spirit, he then turned into a preacher, and his name is changed to Paul. Saul was a Hebrew name; Paul is a Gentile name. Saul: tall. Paul: small. Paul was set aside to be a minister for the Gentiles. Paul is now one of the most well-known Apostles, he writes 13 letters addressed to groups and churches.

who was Stephen?

He is widely known as the first martyr of Christian faith. He was stoned.

who was James?

A member of the Jerusalem council who the Judaizers claimed to represent. He denounced this claim in Acts 15:13-21.

Who was Peter?

Jesus' chief disciple who was a member of the Jerusalem council. The first half of Acts is about Peter. He denied Jesus 3 times.

why did Paul write the letter to the Galatians?

to argue that the Judaizers were wrong. Paul argues in the letters that salvation comes by faith, not by works of the law. (Gal 2-6).

who most adamantly claimed to represent James and why?

The Judaizers (false teachers) claimed to be sent by James because they disagreed with Paul. The Judaizers tried to preach a Pro-Jewish gospel and said to be saved you had to follow Jewish tradition.

How many missionary journeys did Paul have?

3 journeys, 13 letters

What is Paul's analogy of the olive tree from Romans 11?

The trunk of the Olive Tree represents Gods church. The good, producing branches represent Gods believing people (Jews). The non-producing branches (any non-believers) are cut off because they negatively impact the tree. Good branches from another tree can be grafted into Gods tree, this represents non-believers turned believers like Gentiles or Jews that re-found their belief for God.

How did Paul use Abraham in Romans 4?

Paul uses Abraham by showing the members of the church how Abraham was considered righteous by faith prior to circumcision and giving the law.

What is Paul's two major analogies for union with Christ?

The head-body of the church and husband- wife bond.

what is the three-part outline of the book of Romans?

1. Romans 1-8: The gospel is the antidote to pride.

2. Romans 9-11: Shows that God has never been unfaithful to the Jews.

3. Romans 12-16: Jew-Gentile Tension with their pride and preference.

info about Pentecost: How did the Spirit appear?

a mighty rushing wind from heaven. The Holy spirit appeared as fire and through the ability to speak the language of tongues. This is when no matter what language the word of God was being preached in, everyone could understand it in their own language. Jesus is the universal language.

Pentecost

a feast celebrating the giving of the law that occurred 50 days after the Passover feast.

info about Pentecost: what gift were the apostles given?

The Apostles were given the gift of tongues. This is the ability for them to speak in their own native languages, and everyone hear their preaching in their own native language.

what does Pentecost commemorate?

The Pentecost commemorates the power and promises of the Holy spirit to fulfill the church and give it power. It was often a time of great feast.

when is Pentecost in relationship to the Passover

50 days after Passover

what are the Old Testament lenses through which we should view Pentecost?

1. Sinai

2. New Covenant

3. The Tower of Babylon

4. The Beginning of "The Last Days"

Essay question 1.

Choose two of the Old Testament lenses through which we can view Pentecost. Explain how these lenses help us to see the theological significance of the coming of the Holy Spirit

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost can be understood through two Old Testament lenses: the Tower of Babel and the beginning of "The Last Days." In Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel shows how human pride led to division when God confused people's languages and scattered them across the earth. At Pentecost, this division is reversed. When the Holy Spirit came, people from many nations heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. Instead of confusion, there was unity through the message of Jesus. This shows that the gospel is meant for all people, and the Spirit brings together what sin had divided.

The second lens, "The Last Days," comes from the prophecy in Joel that God would pour out His Spirit on all people. When Peter quoted this at Pentecost (Acts 2:17), it showed that the prophecy was being fulfilled. The coming of the Spirit marked the beginning of a new era—God's kingdom breaking into the world and empowering believers to share His message. Through these two lenses, Pentecost reveals the power of the Holy Spirit to unite humanity and begin God's final plan of salvation for all nations.

Essay question 2.

Summarize the history leading up to and at the Jerusalem Council. Who were the Judaizers, what did they teach, who did they claim to represent, and how did Paul react to them? Did the apostles in Jerusalem agree with Paul or with the Judaizers?

The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 happened because early Christians were arguing about whether Gentile (non-Jewish) believers had to follow Jewish laws to be saved. A group called the Judaizers taught that Gentiles needed to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses to be true followers of Jesus. They claimed to represent the church in Jerusalem and the apostles there. Paul disagreed with them and taught that people are saved by faith in Jesus alone, not by following the law. When the apostles and elders met in Jerusalem to discuss it, they listened to Paul, Barnabas, and Peter. In the end, the apostles agreed with Paul that Gentile believers did not have to follow all the Jewish laws. They only asked them to avoid a few practices that might offend Jewish Christians. This meeting showed that salvation is a gift of God's grace for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles.

Essay question 3.

According to Paul, how does a person become "justified"? Explain the roles of faith, union with Christ, imputation, and justification.

According to Paul, a person becomes justified—or made right with God—through faith in Jesus Christ, not by doing good works or following the law. Faith means trusting in what Jesus did on the cross and believing that His death and resurrection bring forgiveness. When someone believes, they are brought into union with Christ, meaning they are spiritually joined to Him and share in His righteousness. Through imputation, Christ's righteousness is credited to the believer's account, as if they themselves had perfectly obeyed God. Because of this, God declares the believer justified—not guilty, but righteous in His sight. Justification is therefore a gift of God's grace, received through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Essay question 4.

Explain (1) why the Jews and Gentiles in the church at Rome struggled to have unity and (2) how Paul's explanation of the gospel ought to have produced unity among the two groups.

The Jews and Gentiles in the church at Rome struggled to have unity because they came from very different backgrounds. The Jewish believers had grown up following the Law of Moses, with rules about food, worship, and circumcision. The Gentile believers, on the other hand, were not used to those laws and felt free from them through faith in Christ. This caused tension—some Jews thought the Gentiles should follow their customs, while Gentiles thought the Jews were being too strict. Paul explained that the gospel brings unity because everyone—Jew and Gentile alike—is saved the same way: by faith in Jesus Christ, not by keeping the law or belonging to a certain group. By showing that all have sinned and all can be forgiven through God's grace, Paul reminded them that they are equal before God. The gospel should have brought them together as one family in Christ, living by faith and love instead of judgment and division.