Scripture Identification Flashcards

Part One (40 points; 2 points each) will consist of Scripture identification. Given a list of twenty-one excerpts drawn from the writings of Romans-Revelation, you will be asked to identify the book (not the chapter or verses) from which twenty of those quotations are taken. Texts will be cited in the NRSV.

1
Q

1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. 9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

A

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

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2
Q

1 Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, 2 for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4 otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you, and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a voluntary gift and not as an extortion. 6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

A

2 Cor 9:1-15

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3
Q

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

A

Gal 2:15-21

Works of the Law

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4
Q

21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

A

Rom 3:21-31

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5
Q

18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, 24 since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.

A

Col 3:18-4:1

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6
Q

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument; 9 also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, 10 but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God. 11 Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. 12 I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

A

1 Tim 2:1-15

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7
Q

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

A

Jas 2:14-26

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8
Q

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), 2 so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. 3 You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. 5 But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. 7 The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

A

1 Peter 4:1-11

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9
Q

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2 He called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast. 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her as she herself has rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so give her a like measure of torment and grief. Since in her heart she says, “I rule as a queen; I am no widow, and I will never see grief,’ 8 therefore her plagues will come in a single day— pestilence and mourning and famine— and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 10 they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas, alas, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, choice flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, slaves—and human lives. 14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again!” 15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 “Alas, alas, the great city, clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in one hour all this wealth has been laid waste!” And all shipmasters and seafarers, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in one hour she has been laid waste.” 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgment for you against her. 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “With such violence Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and minstrels and of flutists and trumpeters will be heard in you no more; and an artisan of any trade will be found in you no more; and the sound of the millstone will be heard in you no more; 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more; and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more; for your merchants were the magnates of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in you was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on earth.”

A

Rev 18:1-24

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10
Q

Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

A

Galatians

Power of Sin, and the Powerlessness of the Law

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11
Q

Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.

A

Romans

The Covenant God of Israel

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12
Q

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.”

A

Galatians

The Covenant God of Israel

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13
Q

Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

A

1 Corinthians

The Covenant God of Israel

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14
Q

What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,

A

Romans 3:9

Power of Sin, and the Powerlessness of the Law

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15
Q

What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, “So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging.”

A

Romans 3:3-4

The Righteousness of God as His Faithfulness to Israel and Mercy to Gentiles

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16
Q

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

A

Galatians 3:29

The Righteousness of God as His Faithfulness to Israel and Mercy to Gentiles

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17
Q

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

A

Romans 5

The Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah Reveals God’s Love and Reconciles Humans to God

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18
Q

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

A

I Corinthians 9

The Crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah Reveals God’s Love and Reconciles Humans to God

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19
Q

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A

Philippians 2

Jesus is Lord

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20
Q

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:

A

Philippians 3

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21
Q

For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

A

Romans 3

Justification by Grace through Faith

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22
Q

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

A

Romans 5

Justification by Grace through Faith

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23
Q

And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

A

Galatians 4

Trinitarian Experience of God

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24
Q

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

A

1 Corinthians 12

Trinitarian Experience of God

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25
Q

I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

A

Galatians

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26
Q

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.

A

Philippians 2

Cruciform Love

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27
Q

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

A

Philippians 3

Cruciform Love

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28
Q

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

A

Galatians 3

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29
Q

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, 10 thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

A

1 Corinthians 6

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30
Q

For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.

A

1 Thessalonians 4

Parousia

31
Q

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world.

A

1 Corinthians 5:9-10

This is evidence that Paul had written them a different letter.

32
Q

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

A

1 Corinthians 14

33
Q

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem.

A

1 Corinthians 16

Paul was collecting money for the church in Jerusalem.

34
Q

When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. 22 What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!

A

1 Corinthians

Paul is angry that they are still practicing the table fellowship of pagans. Some have died of malnutrition.

35
Q

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

A

1 Corinthians

This was a Corinthian slogan, but Paul tells them that not everything they do is beneficial. The issue here was food and prostitution.

36
Q

And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. 4 For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

A

2 Corinthians

This is Paul’s reference to the Letter of Tears in 2 Corinthians. Basically, they had talked smack about him after collecting the offering for the church at Jerusalem.

37
Q

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.

A

2 Corinthians

This is a reference to people who do peddle God’s word, namely, his accusers. Paul’s apostleship was being questioned.

38
Q

7 Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about.

A

2 Corinthians 11:7-12

There are people in Corinth who have a strong reaction to Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem church. They are known as “super-apostles”.

39
Q

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

A

1 Corinthians 9

This is Paul alluding to Matthew 10. But he doesn’t accept money from them. He decides to not follow that command. Money is an issue between Paul and the Corinthians. Also, to refuse a gift is a deeply offensive thing. Practices of gift giving established relationships of power and patronage. He doesn’t want them to support him, because it would limit his ability to preach the gospel freely. But this creates a problem. He’s asking for Jerusalem, twice now. But he won’t take money from them for himself. So people are suspicious.

40
Q

Your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.

A

2 Corinthians

Paul is collecting for the saints because there is a need. The people were suffering, and he wanted to help. This is not an insignificant project. Also suggests that he is trying to work or establish some sort of equality between the Gentiles and Jewish believers. Wants a fair redistribution between the churches.

41
Q

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

A

Galatians 1

Paul is pissed off the the Galatians are adopting a law-observing Christianity.

42
Q

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4 You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

A

Galatians 5:1-5

Paul is telling them that circumcision is not something they need to do. At the core of Paul’s argument is the belief that pistis Christou is what justifies them. He was commissioned to preach to the Gentiles, and they didn’t need this. Another core issue for Paul is that at the cross, the new creation had been initiated. The old paradigms of Jew and Gentiles have been obliterated, and all that matters now is flesh and spirit. Those who are in spirit don’t need to go back to conversations about Jews and Gentiles. They are robbing Jesus of his work on the cross. You might also want to discuss “works of the law”.

43
Q

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” 7 so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.”

A

Galatians

Paul’s argument is that Abraham was an example of someone who was righteous because of his faith. The circumcision group are saying that Abraham was an example of a good Jew who was circumcised.

44
Q

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

A

Galatians 2:15-21

Works of the law does not mean justification by faith. Paul is arguing that they don’t have to be Jewish to be saved. That is an old paradigm that was obliterated at the cross.

45
Q

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

A

Romans 16

This is evidence that there were female apostles. The name “Junia” is attested over 250 times in Latin inscriptions, not once does it refer to a man. This means that Junia is a woman’s name. Paul mentions 26 people in total, 18 men and 8 women. More than any other letter, Romans highlights the role of women in the church. Junia is an apostle, and a fellow worker. He only uses these words to refer to himself.

46
Q

What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. 19 You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

A

Romans 9

He says that God has divine freedom to do whatever he wants. 9:14-19. It’s not just a statement about the predestination of individuals. The main point is that God is merciful, in the context of Gentile acceptance and Jewish rejection of Christ. The core of Paul’s argument is Romans 9:24. He’s making the point that God is God. The issue here is that some of the Gentiles are predestinated to becoming the people of God.

47
Q

And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”

A

Romans 11

At this point in Romans, who is “Israel?” Bassler says that there are three options. 1. Israel is now the people of God (Jews and Gentiles), but we see this only in Galatians 6:16. 2. But he’s done a redefinition in Romans 2 and 9, the church is Israel. 3. Israel is all ethnic Jews who at some point in the future will accept Christ. They will be saved in an eschatological sense.

48
Q

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”

A

Romans 1:16-17

This is the thesis of Romans

49
Q

For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

A

Romans 3:20-26

Judicial Model of Salvation

50
Q

I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, 4 and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith.

A

1 Timothy 1

One of the false teachings in the Ephesian church under Timothy’s leadership; the preoccupation with myths and genealogies. Most likely a reference to Gnosticism. The Gnostics were preoccupied with the interrelationships between the gods in the divine pantheon.

51
Q

Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some.

A

2 Timothy 2:17-18

Hymenaeus was teaching people that the resurrection of believers had already occurred.

52
Q

Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

A

1 Timothy 3:16

The church at Ephesus was practicing Asceticism, where they abstained from sex and food. Paul says that Jesus came in the flesh, so life in the flesh should not be disdained.

53
Q

Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

A

1 Timothy 2:3, 8-15

It is an attempt to correct abusive speech from some wives in the congregation. There is a specific situation he’s addressing, he’s not trying to shut all women up. In all of these, the term being used is gyne (married woman). Those women are doing something that isn’t correct in the community, they are abusing power, or something is wrong.

Downs is saying the I Tim is the start of the household codes, and that the letter is a highly missional letter. He’s trying to make sure the community is acting in such a way that non-Christians would have no reason to say, “we don’t want to be like those Christians”. Downs is saying that this is not a discussion of “men and women”, but about “husbands and wives”. It is not theoretical. Some women owned slaves. But this is not a general discussion, this is specifically talking about roles in the house in antiquity.

There is a theological and missionary proscription here. When her modesty is embodied, she proffers a powerful social virtue to outsiders who think that Christians are deconstructing the Greco-Roman household. Women in this context are asked to dress modestly and listen. He’s not implying that women are more easily deceived, or created second, but that the Eve story is typological. And, the Genesis passage that is being followed in actually into 4:1-2, where childbearing is a symbol that she is restored to God. Eve’s story is a story of reconciliation to God in chapter 4. In Romans 5 it is Adam.

Also, don’t forget that in Corinthians he tells them that a man’s body doesn’t belong to him, but to his wife. Which was VERY countercultural, but we never talk about that.

Other examples of women leaders:
Junia
Phoebe
Priscilla (who corrects Apollos)

54
Q

women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says.

A

1 Corinthians 14

The Jewish law does not say that women should never speak. The law that might be referred to here are household codes. But don’t forget, in chapter 11 he says that woman can prophesy. That means that they are teaching men. They hear a word, and share it.

It is an attempt to correct abusive speech from some wives in the congregation. There is a specific situation he’s addressing, he’s not trying to shut all women up. In all of these, the term being used is gyne (married woman). Those women are doing something that isn’t correct in the community, they are abusing power, or something is wrong.

55
Q

Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands.

A

1 Peter 3:3-5

Modesty in antiquity was different than modesty here in Los Angeles, or modesty in Africa or Latin America. This would not be a difficult hermeneutical conversation for us to have and try to figure out in our contexts. There is a specific societal expectation he has on how people are supposed to dress.

56
Q

You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.

A

2 Timothy 2

57
Q

For yet “in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; but my righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.” But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

A

Hebrews

One of the core themes of Hebrews is to persevere. It is a very exhortative letter.

58
Q

Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one according to the order of Aaron?

A

Hebrews 7

Melchizedek is mentioned only in Genesis 14, and one of the Psalms. He seems to have captured the imagination of Jewish writers at the time, and so is the author of Hebrew. He gives a Christological reinterpreting of Genesis 14. If you read Genesis 14, you don’t see that.

The point being made in the text is that Jesus is a high priest by the order of Melchizedek; that is, he is an eternal priest.

The Levitical Priesthood: Descendant from David, have to repeat sacrifices over and over, are polluted by sin and must sacrifice for themselves also, offer worship in the sanctuary.

Jesus the Great High Priest: Eternal, from the order of Melchizedek, performs a once and for all sacrifice, is without sin, and enters the true sanctuary in heaven.

59
Q

For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

A

I Thessalonians 4

Parousia is an eschatological term that refers to the second coming of Christ. The New Testament refers to Jesus’ second coming in different ways: advent, epiphany, appearance, the day of the Lord, the day of Christ, or the last day. The Greek word “parousia” was used as early as the 3rd century BC to describe the visit of a king or dignitary to a city arranged in order to show his magnificence to the people.

60
Q

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

A

James 2:14-26

This will be an essay question. Memorize how to explain it.

61
Q

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

A

galatians 2:15-21

This will also be on the final. Memorize it.

62
Q

He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

A

Titus 2:14

This will help you answer the question about James and Paul. Use it to explain how Paul agrees with James.

63
Q

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

A

James 1:27

45% of the verses in James talk about the poor. He is very similar to the Old Testament prophets.

64
Q

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” 14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.

A

James 4:13-17

Condemnation of merchants who make plans without reference to God.

65
Q

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. 2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. 4 Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

A

James 5:1-6

James condemns the rich. Don’t forget that you can’t think of just money, but also power, esteem, and status. James makes us ask is it even possible to be a Christian and to be rich. His condemnation of the rich is very similar to the Old Testament prophets. This includes believers in the church.

Other things talk about: the impermanence of wealth, the concern for the needy, impartiality within the community of faith, wealth as a temptation to idolatry, and harsh judgment upon economic injustice.

66
Q

1 Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent that the Lord, and not any mortal, has set up. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need to look for a second one. 8 God finds fault with them when he says: “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I had no concern for them, says the Lord. 10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of “a new covenant,” he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear.

A

Hebrews

Make sure you can draw out the triangle.

There is a heavenly reality.

Everything before Jesus is a shadow of that heavenly reality coming down. It is the old covenant.

Jesus brings the new covenant. The reality of the heavenly realm actually comes down. This is the revelation of Jesus.

67
Q

1 Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the message declared through angels was valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, 4 while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.

A

Hebrews 2

Exhortation to pay attention in Hebrews. This is one of the core themes of the book. Christians are pilgrim people who are supposed to persevere (this is faith in Hebrews).

68
Q

14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A

Hebrews

Jesus is the high priest, unlike High priest in the OT. Through Jesus we have access to the throne of grace.

69
Q

25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

A

Jesus is the high priest who is like us, but not like us. He is eternal. He has done one sacrifice once and for all. He doesn’t sin. He did his offering in the real sanctuary in the heavenly realms before the presence of God.

70
Q

7 The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

A

1 Peter 4:7-11

Modern day readers of 1 Peter 4 agree that it is God’s love for humans that covers a multitude of sins. So does 1 Clement.

This is the section on redemptive alms giving. Clement of Alexandria and 2 Clement both agree that human love atones for the sins of the one who sinned. There is a notion here that giving to the needy redeems (cancels or cleans) ones sins. This is strangely familiar to indulgences in the Reformation.

There is also Meritorious Almsgiving, the notion that some merit or reward is accrued for the donor who gives alms to the needs of others.

71
Q

In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

A

1 Peter

1 Peter has a huge theme of suffering.

i) Jesus as the One Who Suffered Vicariously for Others (1:2, 11, 18-19; 2:4, 21-25; 3:18; 4:1)
ii) Believers Share in the Suffering of Christ (4:13; 2:20-21)
iii) Suffering as Temporally Brief When Compared with Eschatological Glory (1:4-6; 5:10)
iv) Suffering and Refinement (1:6-7; 4:1-2, 12)
v) Suffering as Honor Reversal (2:4-10; 3:17)
vi) Suffering as a Sign of Trust in a Just and Faithful God (1:17; 2:23; 4:15-19)

72
Q

14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.

A

2 Peter

Importance here is that Peter refers to Paul’s writing as “scripture”.

73
Q

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home–these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

A

Jude

Jude talks mad trash about immoral people who are leading the church astray. He gives several examples from the OT of people who God judged. These people are like unreasoning animals.

74
Q

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

A

Romans 1:16-17

Memorize this, son! This is the core theology of the book of Romans. You need to be able to discuss the righteousness of God, and why it is important in relation to the Gentiles. This might be one of the essay questions.