Saturday, October 31, 2015

Daily Quiz, October 2015

Daily Quiz, October 31, 2015

Why is Halloween celebrated as Reformation Day in some Protestant churches?

a. to replace the pagan customs of dressing up like ghosts
b. to encourage church attendance on Halloween
c. October 31, 1517, Eve of All Saints, Martin Luther post his 95 Theses
d. Members of the Reformed traditions do not believe in saints


Daily Quiz, October 30, 2015

Which of the following is not true about John Wyclif(fe)?Daily Quiz, October 29, 2015

a. he was a professor at Cambridge University
b. he translated the Vulgate Bible into English
c. he was opposed to the doctrine of transubstantiation
d. his followers were called Lollards who were precursor of the Protestants
e. he was declared a heretic, his writings banned and his corpse exhumed and burned and his ashes re-buried on unconsecrated ground

What was Nehemiah's "daytime" job when he received his divine communications?

a. scribe
b. surveyor
c. cupbearer for the king
d. eunuch for the harem

 Daily Quiz, October 28, 2015

Why is St. Jude, the saint of lost causes?

a. His name was too much like Judas Iscariot so people avoided praying to him
b. The Church encouraged praying to this "forgotten" saint composed prayers to him for "hopeless" situations
c. It started with the St. Jude's Children's Hospital
d. all of the above
e. a and b

Daily Quiz, October 27, 2015 

Who is the only English monarch who is also called "the Great?"

a. Elizabeth I
b. Edmund the Confessor
c. Alfred
d. Richard I

Daily Quiz, October 26, 2015

To what person who was "in the Spirit" was given this command:“Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

a. John the Divine
b. Jude
c. Paul the Apostle
d. Peter

 Daily Quiz, October 25, 2015

Which of the following is not true about Zerubbael?

a. he was a grandson of a King of Judah
b. he is Nehemiah using his Babylonian name
c. he led the first group back to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity
d. he laid the foundation for the second Temple

Daily Quiz, October 24, 2015

Of all of Paul's letter which is the most intimate person-to-person letter?

a. 1 Corinthian
b. 1 Timothy
c. Titus
d. Philemon

Daily Quiz, October 23, 2015

Which of the following does not apply regarding St. James of Jerusalem?

a. James the Just
b. James, brother of our Lord
c. James, son of Zebedee
d. James the Less
e. James the son of Alphaeus

Daily Quiz, October 22, 2015

King Cyrus the Great of Persia was called God's anointed or Messiah because he felt commissioned to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  How did he replace the vessels of the temple?

a. he had the Jews in exile who were craftsmen make them
b. he retrieved the original vessel taken by the Babylonians
c. he had Persian craftsmen make the replacements
d. he sent Jews back to Jerusalem to make them on site

 Daily Quiz, October 21, 2015

What is an iconostasis?

a. an internet icon developer
b. an architectural screen with icons dividing altar area from the nave
c. an architectural screen in Orthodox churches
d. a historical movement which established the validity of the veneration of icons in the Orthodox church
e. three of the above
f. b and c only

Daily Quiz, October 20, 2015

"If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me...."  Where is this found?

a. Psalms
b. Jeremiah
c. Lamentations
d. Job


Daily Quiz, October 19, 2015

Which of the following prophet had a vision about a flowing river from the temple which has the power to change stagnant water to fresh water and on the banks of the river there is an ecological paradise of lovely trees?

a. Jeremiah
b. Habakkuk
c. Ezekiel
d. Isaiah

Daily Quiz, October 18, 2015

When Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the Israelites taken in exile to Babylon, which of the following did he not recommend?

a. marry and have children
b. pray for the welfare of the city where you live
c. try to escape and come back to Jerusalem
d. build houses and plant gardens

Daily Quiz, October 17, 2015

In the development of the monarchical bishop (single bishop oversight) as a way to promote unity in the midst diverse Christian views, which early bishop said, "“Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church?"

a. Cyprian
b. Ignatius of Antioch
c. Clement of Rome
d. Titus


Daily Quiz, October 16, 2015

How does St. Paul regard the appearance of Christ to him in his conversion experience on the road to Damascus quite some time after the Easter event?

a. it was equal to the appearance of Christ to Simon Peter
b. it was equal to the appearance of Christ to the 12 disciples
c. it was equal to the appearance of Christ to 500 people
d. all of the above

Daily Quiz, October 15, 2015

How is it that Teresa of Avila has two dates of death in 1582, October 4 or October 15?

a. her death was officially recorded on the latter date
b. her order wanted her death to be on the same date as that of a patron saint
c. because in this year there was a transition form the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar
d. she had died alone and so the exact time of death was unknown

Daily Quiz, October 14, 2015

Which of the following would not be within the borders of modern Iraq?

a. Chaldea
b. Mesopotamia
c. Babylonia
d. Elam
e. Sumer

Daily Quiz, October 13, 2015

Who of the following was not executed during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots?

a. Thomas More 
b.  Hugh Latimer
c.  Nicolas Ridley
d.  Thomas Cranmer

October 12, 2015

Who was the secretary who took dictation for the words of the Prophet Jeremiah?

a. Nathan
b. Asaph
c. Baruch
d. Ezra


Daily Quiz, October 11, 2015

What did the people of Lystra call St. Paul after he healed a man?

a. one who subverted their religion
b. the god Hermes
c. the god Zeus
d. a Christian

Daily Quiz, October 10, 2015

Which of the following did St. Paul say was the best ministry of all?

a. apostles, 
b. prophets
c. teachers
d. deeds of power
e. healing,
f.  administration
g. leadership ability
h. speaking in tongues
i.  love

Daily Quiz, October 9, 2015

In the Second Books of Kings we are told that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon from Judah all but which of the following groups?

a. artisans
b. warriors
c. poor people
d. smiths


Daily Quiz, October 8, 2015

What were the reforms of King Josiah of Judah?

a. renovation of the temple
b. cleansing of the temple of altars and idols to foreign gods
c. encouraged the exclusive worship of Yahweh
d. executed the priests serving other gods
e. all of the above

Daily Quiz, October 7, 2015

What book in the New Testament includes the earliest reference to the words and practice of Holy Eucharist?

a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John
e. 1 Corinthians

Daily Quiz, October 6, 2015

Whose translation for the Psalms was used in the first Book of Common Prayer?

a. William Tyndale
b. Miles Coverdale
c. John Wycliffe
d. Lancelot Andrewes

Daily Quiz, October 5, 2015

What did King Manasseh, son of King Hezekiah do with the temple in Jerusalem?

a. he followed his father and cleansed it of foreign gods
b. he constructed altars in the temple for foreign gods
c. he rebuilt parts of the outer wall
d. he removed the gold vessel from the temple

Daily Quiz, October 4, 2015

What homeopathic treatment did the prophet Isaiah use to treat King Hezekiah's boil?

a. a garlic poultice
b  a lump of figs on the boil
c. mud packs from the Jordan River
d. honey applied to the boil


Daily Quiz, October 3, 2015

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed." (Matt.8.8)  This Gospel saying of the Centurion who was seeking the healing of his servant has become a part of what liturgy?

a. the prayer for healing in the Book of Common Prayer
b. the Roman Catholic Mass before receiving communion
c. The Eucharistic Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer
d. all of the above

Daily Quiz, October 2, 2015

Which king of Judah did the Assyrian king Sennacherib come against to defeat?

a. Jotham
b. Ahaz
c. Hezekiah
d. Josiah

Daily Quiz, October 1, 2015

St. Remigius is a patron saint of which country?

a. Luxembourg
b. Holland
c. Belgium
d. France

Friday, October 30, 2015

EEK! Essential Episcopal Knowledge, 101-200



EEK!   Essential Episcopal Knowledge



101-What are the Ten Commandments?
A-Worship One God, Don’t make idols, Don’t use God’s name wrongly, Keep the Sabbath, Honor Parents, Don’t Steal, Don’t lie, Don’t kill, Honor marriage, Don’t covet

102-What was the traveling tent worship space called for the nomadic Israelites?
A: The Tabernacle

103-What was the center room of the Tabernacle called?
A: The Holiest of Holy

104-What was placed in the Holiest of Holy?
A-The Ark of the Covenant

105- What was inside of the Ark of the Covenant?
A: The Ten Commandments tablets, Aaron’s budding staff  and some perpetually fresh manna in a gold jar.

106-Who were the priests of the Tabernacle?
A:The Levites with Aaron being the first High Priest

107-Who was Jacob’s wife?
A: He had two: Leah and her sister Rachael.

108-Who were the two sons born to Rachael?
A: Joseph and Benjamin

109-Why did the half  brothers of Joseph dislike him?
A:  He appeared to be a dreamer, daddy’s favorite and a braggart.

110-How did Joseph and Rachael show favor to Joseph?
A: They gave him a special coat of many colors

111-Who wrote the last book of the New Testament?
A: St. John the Divine

112-Why is St. John called divine as author of the Book of Revelation?
A: He was said to be “in the Spirit” or in a state of divine union, a visionary dreamlike state.

113-Who are the twelve apostles or disciples listed in the Gospels?
A: Peter, James son of Zebedee, John, Andrew, Bartholomew, Judas Iscariot, Thaddaeus, James the Son of Alphaeus, Levi/Matthew, Philip, Thomas and Simon the Zealot.

114-Who replaced Judas Iscariot after his betrayal and suicide?
A: Matthias, who was chosen by lot

115-What Gospels include the stories about the birth of the baby Jesus?
A: Matthew and Luke

116-In what Gospel do we find the phrase of Jesus “born again” and to whom did Jesus say this?
A: In John, chapter 3 when he was speaking with Nicodemus.

117-Who was the doubting disciple who insisted on seeing and touching Jesus after his resurrection or he would not believe?
A: Thomas

118-What city became the chief city for the people of Israel, the place of the king’s palace and the great Temple?
A: Jerusalem

119-Who built the first Temple in Jerusalem?
A: King Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba

120-What Bible verse begins with “For God so loved the world…?”
A: John 3:16

121-Who was the most famous apostle to the Gentiles?
A: St. Paul

122-What was St. Paul’s name before he converted and what were his occupations?
A: His name was Saul, he was a rabbi or rabbinical student and a tentmaker

123-Which disciple betrayed Jesus to the guards who were employed by the Jewish religious leaders?
A: Judas Iscariot

124-How did Judas reveal Jesus to the guards who came to arrest him?
A: He kissed Jesus

125-What is the name of the place where Jesus was crucified?
A: Golgotha

126-Who was crucified next to Jesus?
A: Two thieves.
127-Where is the word “paradise” used in the Bible?
A: A quote from Jesus speaking to one of the thieves crucified on the cross next to Jesus.  Jesus told the thief that he would be with him in paradise.

128-What does the word hell mean in the New Testament?
A: Borrows the Greek word Hades for the afterlife.  Also uses the word “Gehenna” referring to a place near Jerusalem where animal carcasses were burnt.

129-What does the New Testament Greek for heaven mean?
A: The skies

130-What was the ancient church in the British Isles called?
A: The Celtic Church

130-When did the Celtic Church begin to diminish?
A: In the 7th century when a union was established with the Western Church headed by the Pope.

131-Why is the British Monarch called the Defender of the Faith?
A: Pope Leo X gave this title to Henry VIII for writing a treatise against Martin Luther

132-Why is King Henry VIII important in the church which has become the Anglican Communion?
A: His disagreement with the Pope over an annulment request led to acts of separation between King Henry VIII and Pope Clement VII.

133-Who was the Archbishop who granted a marriage annulment for King Henry VIII?
A: Thomas Cranmer

134-Why is Archbishop Thomas Cranmer important for the Anglican and Episcopal Churches?
A: Under his leadership he was the chief writer/editor of the first Book of Common Prayer.

135-What might be called the chief theological document in the Episcopal Church?
A: The Book of Common Prayer

136-Why is The Book of Common Prayer important for Episcopal and Anglican identity?
A: It allowed people to hear the public prayers of the church in the native language of England thus requiring that public prayer be accessible to lay and ordained persons.

137-Who are the men responsible for the early translations of the Bible into English?
A: John Wycliffe, Myles Coverdale, William Tyndale

138-What is the most famous English translation of the Bible called and when was it first published?
A:  The King James Version or Authorized Version, finished in 1611 and named after King James I who convened the conference which commissioned it.

139-What books of the Bible make up what the Jews would call the Torah?
A: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Joshua.  First five books of the Bible also called the Pentateuch or The Five.

140-Why were Bibles in the Codex format considered important?
A: Ease of use as they were individual pages rather than continuous writing on scrolls.

141-What does “canon” of Scripture mean?
A: Canon refers to the list of official books included in the Bible.

142-Why are there different “canons” of Scripture?
A: Because the Jews and different Christian churches have different lists of the official books in their Bibles.

143-Why would it be offensive to Jews for us to call their Scriptures the “Old Testament?”
A: Because for them it is not old, it is their official canon of Scriptures and out of respect one can refer to them as The Hebrew Scriptures.

144-Which book in the Bible has the opening words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth?”
A: The book of Genesis

145-In the creation story, who is the first man and first woman?
A: Adam and Eve

146-What does the Hebrew word for Adam mean?
A: It means man, humanity or mankind or in the creation story the name of the first man.

147-Why are some of the books of the prophets called Major Prophets and some called Minor Prophets?
A: The longer writings were called major, the shorter writings were called minor.

148-Who were the Major Prophets?
A: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel

149-Why isn’t Elijah called a major prophet?
A: He did not write a book which became a part of the Hebrew Scriptures.

150-What are the titles of Jesus found in the New Testament?
A: The Messiah, the Christ, Son of God, Son of Man

151-Why is Jesus called the Son of Man and why is he portrayed as using that as a designation for himself?
A: It could be the Son of Man figure referred to in the Prophet Daniel.  The Son of Man was seen to be an apocalyptic figure associated with the end of time.

152-What was Samson famous for?
A: He was a very physically strong Judge of Israel who took the vow of the nazarite in not cutting his hair or drinking alcohol.  He was tricked by his Philistine wife who cut his hair and he lost his strength and was blinded by his Philistine captors.  He ended his life by pulling down the pillars of a building upon himself and his Philistine captors.

153-Why are the Bibles in hotels and motels called Gideon Bibles?
A: A group of American business people formed a group to distribute Bibles.  They took the name Gideon from a famous biblical judge named Gideon who was always ready to obey God and he helped to deliver his people from the onslaughts of the Philistines.

154-Why is the book of Daniel interesting for Bible scholars?
A: It was written in the last centuries before Christ but it is placed in the setting of the Persian Empire from centuries earlier.

155-What happened on the seventh day in the Genesis creation story?
A: God rested from creating.

156-What were the leaders in Israel called before they had kings?
A: Judges

157-Who was the female Judge of Israel?
A: Deborah

158-What is the prophet Balaam best known for?
A: He heard a donkey talk to him.

159-Why did the Prophet Jonah run away from the assignment which God gave him?
A: He did not want to preach to the foreign city of Nineveh because he thought the message from God was only for the people of Israel.

160-What instrument did King David play and for whom did he play it?
A: He played the harp and he played for King Saul to calm  Saul’s anxiety.

161-What was the assignment that Adam had with the animals of the Garden of Eden?
A: Adam named the animals.

162-Who were the first two sons of Adam and Eve?
A: Cain and Abel

163-What was the first murder recorded in the Bible?
A: Cain murdered his younger brother Abel because he was jealous that God had accepted Abel’s offering and not his own.

164-Who was the wife of Abraham who gave birth to Isaac?
A: Sarah

165-Where does the phrase “Jacob’s ladder” come from?
A: When Jacob was sleeping on a journey he had a dream about a ladder with angels going up and down upon it.

166-What is the name of the place where Jacob had his famous dream?
A: Bethel, which means “house of God.”

167-Where did John the Baptist baptize his disciples and followers?
A: The Jordan River

167-What was the last barrier crossed for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land?
A: The Jordan River

168-What is the name of the Mountain where Moses received the Law?
A: Mount Sinai

169-What is the special name for the holy area within the city of Jerusalem?
A: Zion

170-What is a word which comes from the Hebrew language which means “praise the Lord?”
A: Hallelujah

171- Why do we say Alleluia and not Hallelujah?
A: Alleluia is the Greek and Latin form in English and Hallelujah is a transliteration from the Hebrew language.

172-Who succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel and led them into the Promised Land?
A: Joshua

173-What is another name for the Promised Land in Palestine?
A: Canaan

174-What does the phrase “land of milk and honey” refer to?
A: This was the report of the spies who were sent to see what the Promised Land was like.

175-When Jesus is called the “Lamb of God,” where does the idea of lamb come from?
A:  The Passover Lamb or Paschal Lamb.

176-What does the word “Eucharist” mean?
A: It is from a Greek word which means “thanksgiving.”

177-When we confess a belief in the “Communion of Saints,” what does that mean?
A: It means  that we believe in the resurrection of people who have died and who live on in a continuing community of people.

178-What did Jesus do in the Temple which upset the leaders of the Temple?
A: He overturned the tables of those who were exchanging money

179-What is the Latin name of the Song of Mary?
A: The Magnificat

180-The monks prayed seven times a day in the monasteries; what happened to those seven prayer times in The Book of Common Prayer?
A: They were collapsed into Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer

181-What is the last prayer service of the day called in the Book of Common Prayer?
A: Compline

182-What are the issue years of the Books of Common Prayer which have come before the current American Book of Common Prayer?
A: 1549, 1551, 1559, 1662, 1789, 1928, 1979

183-What is word for miracle which is used in the Gospel of John?
A: Sign

184-What is the first Sign that Jesus performed as recorded in the Gospel of John?
A: He changed water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee

185-Who is the “woman at the well” in the Gospel of John?
A:  She is the woman who Jesus encountered at a well in Sychar in Samaria.  Jesus asked her to draw water for him from the well.

186-Who was the first person to meet the risen Christ?
A:  Mary Magdalene

187-How did the people of Israel defeat the great walled city of Jericho?
A: They marched around it and blew trumpets and the walls came tumbling down.

188-What woman hid the spies of Israel when they were spying on the city of Jericho?
A: Rahab

189-What does the word Beatitude mean?
A: It means a statement of blessing.

190-What is another name for the section of the Gospel call the “Beatitudes?”
A: The Sermon on the Mount

191-What word do the beatitudes begin with?
A: Blessed

192-Where was Jesus born?
A: Bethlehem

193-Where did Jesus live his early life?
A: Nazareth

194-Why did Jesus not live in his town of birth?
A: His family returned to Bethlehem for the Roman census and the Gospel writers believed that Jesus came from the same place as King David.

195-Who were the three siblings who were friends of Jesus and who lived in Bethany?
A: Mary, Martha and Lazarus

196-Which disciple was the “treasurer” for the twelve disciples of Christ?
A: Judas Iscariot

197-Which disciple denied Jesus when Jesus had been captured by the soldiers?
A: Simon Peter

198-Which Gospel makes several references to the “Disciple whom Jesus loved?”
A: The Gospel of John

199-“I am the Way, the Truth, the Life” is found in which Gospel?
A: John

200-In which Gospel does Jesus say, “I am the good shepherd?”
A: John



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