Chapter 1

Question 1

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Answer 1

The four New Testament Gospels, recognized by Christians as authoritative and inspired accounts of Jesus Christ

Question 2

unity and diversity

Answer 2

Four unique Gopsels (diversity) testify to the one Gospel of Jesus Christ (unity)

Question 3

Messiah, Christ

Answer 3

God’s end times Savior sent to deliver his people. From a Hebrew term meaning “Anointed One” and translated into Greek as “Christ” (christos)

Question 4

Son of God

Answer 4

A title for the Messiah indicating a unique relationship with God the Father

Question 5

Christology

Answer 5

The branch of theology concerned with the study of the nature, character and actions of Jesus Christ

Question 6

Synoptic Gospels

Answer 6

The name given to Mathew, Mark, and Luke, because they present the ministry of Jesus from a similar perspective. Synoptic means “viewed together”

Question 7

genre

Answer 7

A distinct type of literature, like poetry, narrative, letter, gospel, or parable, which has its own “rules” of interpretation and is meant to communicate meaning in a particular manner. The Gospels are a unique literary genre, though they share features with other ancient genres.

Question 8

Palestine

Answer 8

The geographical region between the Jordan River and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.It is a more general term then Israel, which usually refers to the same region when identified as the Jewish homeland.

Question 9

Evangelists

Answer 9

The Gospel writers are known as the Evangelists because they are proclaiming the “good news” (euangelion) about Jesus Christ and calling for faith in him.

Question 10

kingdom of God

Answer 10

The central theme of Jesus’ preaching referring especially to God’s sovereign reign and authority, but also to the consummation of the reign in an end times (eschatological: relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) kingdom

Question 11

Gnosticism, Gnostic

Answer 11

A religious movement which claimed adherents gained salvation through secret knowledge of their true heavenly origin.

Question 12

suffering Servant

Answer 12

The messianic figure who appears in Isaiah 52:12 -53:13 and offers himself as a sacrifice for the sins of God’s people. New Testament writers consider Jesus to have fulfilled this role

Question 13

canon, canonical

Answer 13

Those books viewed by the church as authoritative and so fit to be included in the Bible. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians agree on 27 books of the New Testament canon, though differ on whether to include the Apocrypha in the Old Testament canon.

Question 14

harmony of the gospels

Answer 14

A book which seeks to bring together the Gospels into a single, chronological narrative account. Most harmonies place the gospels in parallel columns

Question 15

infancy gospels

Answer 15

Fanciful accounts of Jesus’ boyhood which describe him as a child prodigy and miracle-worker

Question 16

apocryphal gospels

Answer 16

A broad category of books and fragments of books containing stories and sayings about Jesus which were not included in the New Testament canon.

Question 17

pseudepigraphic

Answer 17

Having falsely ascribed authorship

Question 18

paganism

Answer 18

A general term for a polytheistic or pantheistic religion, in contrast to the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity (first century), and Islam (6th to 7th centuries)

Question 19

reading vertically

Answer 19

Reading “downward” through the story or narrative of each individual gospel, following the progress of the narrative together with its theological themes

Question 20

reading horizontally

Answer 20

Comparing parallel gospel accounts (especially among the Synoptics) to discern each Evangelist’s unique theological perspective