Test Your Knowledge of Easter

Are you pretty up on things surrounding the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ? Let's find out (answers below and page links to where answers were gained)...

1. Each Easter Americans buy the following amount of Marshmallow Peeps shaped like chicks, bunnies and eggs (of which yellow is the #1 color chosen): (a) 7 million; (b) 70 million; (c) 700 million; (d) 80 million.

2. The day of Easter varies from year to year. How is the date determined?(a) mark 12 weeks from Christmas, multiply that by 3, then divide by 2; (b) 7 possible dates are taped to a wall. The Pope then plays pin the tail on the donkey; (c) it is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the blue moon that takes place on or after the vernal equinox of March 21; (d) it is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that takes place on or after the vernal equinox of March 21.

3. What percentage of Americans believe that Jesus rose from the grave after having died? (a) 100%; (b) 75%; (c) 50%; (d) 25%.

4. Among other things, the use of eggs on Easter stands for: (a) the start of Spring; (b) new life; (c) an empty tomb; (d) fruitfulness.

5. The bunny as a symbol of Easter is believed to have it's origins in: (a) Germany; (b) Italy; (c) Israel; (d) America.

6. In its infancy Easter was celebrated on changing days of the week. Which political figure ruled that Easter must fall only on a Sunday? (a) Henry the VIII; (b) Julius Caesar; (c) Constantine; (d) Cleopatra.

7. The first one to see Jesus alive on Easter Sunday was: (a) an angel; (b) Pontius Pilate; (c) the Virgin Mary; (d) Mary Magdalene.

Answers: 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (d)

(This test was developed and based on information from the following websites: The Christian Post, Easter - 123Holiday.net, Easter Candy Facts, Easter Egg - Wikipedia, Easter Bunny History, and Bible Gateway and The History of Easter.)

Test Your Knowledge of the Old Testament

Do you know your Bible? Well, let's just find out if you do with a quiz. How 'bout it? This is now the second in a series entitled: "Test Your Knowledge of the Bible." The first test was on the New Testament. This second test will focus on the Old Testament. When you're finished you'll be able to check how well you did below. So let's go...

1. How many different books make up the Old Testament (according to the Protestant tradition)? (a) 39; (b) 66; (c) 28; (d) 27.

2. The Old Testament relates to the New Testament in the following way: (a) the Old Testament takes back seat to the teaching of the New Testament; (b) the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed while the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed; (c) the Old Testament should be taken as a separate body of writing with little or no relationship to the New Testament; (d) the Old Testament is the Jewish Scriptures while the New Testament is the Christian Scriptures.

3. The Hebrew Old Testament accepts the following books as unified texts versus being split up in to two (more than one answer): (a) 1 and 2 Kings; (b) 1 and 2 Samuel; (c) Ezra and Nehemiah; (d) 1 and 2 Chronicles.

4. Proof of the inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures (that is, that they were given divinely by God and they are without error) is the fact that: (a) many of the authors began their writings with or used the phrase: "Thus saith the Lord," and "Hear the word of the Lord"; (b) the New Testament includes verses that speak of the Old Testament, too - verses like: "All Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Tim. 3:16a) and "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (1 Pet. 1:20-21; (c) predictions made by the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel have come to pass (for example, Isaiah predicted the Messiah would be born of a virgin, Jeremiah predicted the fall of Judah, the exile to Babylon and Israel's return to her land, Daniel predicted the rise and fall of empires including Babylon, Persia and Greece) (d) all of the above.

5. The central and unifying theme of the Old Testament is: (a) the people of Israel and their establishment in the Promised Land and as a nation; (b) the giving of the Law/Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai and his subsequent communication of that Law to the Israelites; (c) Abraham, who was to become the father of many nations and in his Seed would the peoples of the world be blessed; (d) the Person and work of Christ.

6. The books of the Old Testament are broken down as follows: (a) 5 of law, 12 of history, 5 of poetry, 5 of major prophets, 12 of minor prophets; (b) 5 of law, 12 of history, 5 of poetry, 6 of major prophets, 11 of minor prophets; (c) 5 of law, 12 of history, 5 of poetry, 4 of major prophets, 13 of minor prophets; (d) 5 of law, 12 of history, 5 of poetry, 7 of major prophets, 10 of minor prophets.

7. The Apostle Paul wrote most of the books of the New Testament. Who was it that wrote most of the books in the Old Testament? (a) Jeremiah; (b) David; (c) Samuel; (d) Moses.

Answers: 1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (a) & (c) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (a) 7. toss up between (c) and (d).

(This test was developed from the Unger's Bible Dictionary, the Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary and the following website: Wikipedia - Old Testament.)

Test Your Knowledge of the New Testament

This is the first in a series entitled: "Test Your Knowledge of the Bible." This first test has to do with the New Testament. What do you know about it? Let's find out with the following questions (you'll be able to check how many you get right below):

1. How many different books make up the New Testament? (a) 39; (b) 66; (c) 38; (d) 27.

2. How many different authors combined to write the New Testament? (a) 9; (b) 2; (c) 10; (d) 8.

3. Can you name the different authors who combined to write the New Testament? (a) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, Jude, Philemon; (b) God the Father and the Holy Spirit; (c) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, Jude; (d) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, Jude, Jesus.

4. Of the four gospels contained in the New Testament, it is believed that one of them was really produced at the dictation of which person? (a) Mary Magdalene dictated to Matthew; (b) Peter dictated to Mark; (c) Paul dictated to Luke; (d) Jesus dictated to John.

5. Which is believed to be the earliest written New Testament epistle (excluding the Gospels)? (a) 1 Thessalonians; (b) James; (c) 1 Corinthians; (d) 1 Timothy.

6. The New Testament was mostly written in what language? (a) King James English; (b) Aramaic; (c) Egyptian; (d) Greek.

7. There is one New Testament book that is considered to have a sequel. Which is it and what is the sequel? (a) Romans and Hebrews; (b) 1st & 2nd Peter; (c) John's Gospel and Revelation; (d) Luke's Gospel and Acts.

Answers: 1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (d) 7. (d)

(This test was developed mostly from the New American Standard Bible, Open Bible Version. For more information on the New Testament, take some time to visit: Wikipedia - New Testament.)