True and False

Question 1

According to Origen the doctrine transmitted by the apostles fall into three categories.

Answer 1

False; They fall into 2 categories: certain and other

Question 2

Origen identifies several doctrinal topics about which certain things are clearly known, but other things are not.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Greece provided the societal structure in which early Christianity grew.

Answer 3

False; This was provided by Rome

Question 4

At the beginning of Christianity Greek influences were predominant in the area of literature and philosophy but not in the area of language and education.

Answer 4

False; All are true

Question 5

It is not possible to neatly separate the culture and thought of Judaism, Greece and Rome at the time of the early Christianity.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Ferguson divides the literature of Subapostolic age (Apostolic Fathers) into the categories of Jewish and Gentile Christianities but it is better to speak of of Jewish or Greek influence upon Christianity than to divide Christian literature into these categories.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

The Ebionites regarded Jesus as a human being, rejecting his virgin birth but affirming he was the true prophet, the Messiah because of his righteousness.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

In his Epistle to the Ephesians 7:2 Ignatius uses opposites to affirm that Jesus is both divine and human.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Christians could not engage in the accepted expressions of political loyalty to the Roman state because those expressions involved idolatry.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

When Nero authorized the persecution of Christians, his officials did not act simply on the basis of ‘the name’- that is to say, people were not persecuted simply for identifying themselves as Christians.

Answer 10

False; Nero did persecute on the basis of ‘the name’

Question 11

When it comes to the persecution of Christians, the Roman government was not principled so much as utilitarian. Christians were persecuted when they were perceived as being disruptive of threatening to Roman rule or society.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

Empire-wide persecutions commissioned by Roman emperors were never few and far between. Prior to the year 250 persecutions of Christians were hardly ever local and occasional matters.

Answer 12

False; Empire-wide persecutions were few and far between prior to 250

Question 13

Justin Martyr’s 1 Apology 20-22 is a good example of the Christian approach to Apologetics. He establishes the similarities of Christian beliefs to the Greek beliefs, even going so as far as to affirm that Greek beliefs are superior to Christian beliefs.

Answer 13

False; The last bit is untrue

Question 14

While Justin says that Christians worship angels, he does not say that the (Holy) Spirit is the Word.

Answer 14

False; He does call the Spirit the Word

Question 15

Marcion considered John to be the only true apostle.

Answer 15

False; Paul was the only true apostle

Question 16

The discovery of Coptic codices in Nags Head dramatically change the study of Gnosticism.

Answer 16

False; the discovery of the Nag Hammadi 12 codices changed the study of Gnosticism

Question 17

According to Irenaeus the rule (s) of faith/truth he affirms has/have been passed down from the apostles and that all of the churches with apostolic foundation agree upon the tradition found in his rule(s)

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Athanasius’ Festal Letter 39 is the first ancient list to correspond exactly to our present OT canon.

Answer 18

False; our present NT canon

Question 19

The early Christian dispute over which books belong in the OT is at least partially explained by that Christian received a disputed canon from the Jews.

Answer 19

True.

Question 20

Simply defined, the books of scripture are those writings that early Christians regarded as authoritative.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

While literal and non-literal senses of Scripture have always been recognized, non-literal interpretations are never used to protect the text or to protect God.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

In the Edict of Thessalonica (313) Theodosius granted Christianity rights equal to other religions and in the Edict of Milan (380) Constantine made Christianity the official state religion.

Answer 22

False; Edict of Thessalonica (380) Theodosius made Christanity the official state religion, Edict of Milan (313) Constantine made Christianity equal to other religions

Question 23

According to Augustine’s theory of the two cities, the Roman state will fail but the city of God will endure.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

The four ministry positions mentioned by the Didache are bishops, teacher, preachers and prophets.

Answer 24

False; bishops, teachers, apostles, prophets

Question 25

In the early second century Christians met for worship in homes on Saturdays, following Jewish custom.

Answer 25

False; the met on Sunday

Question 26

The Greek term ‘askesis’ the basis for the terms ascetic and asceticism, originally meant ‘exercise’ or training.

Answer 26

True

Question 27

Pachomius is the founder of coenobitic monasticism, was the first to construct the separate world of monasticism, and used the rule developed by Antony.

Answer 27

False; Pachomius developed the first rule

Question 28

The mendicants differed from other religious order in that they affirmed communal poverty in addition to individual poverty.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

In the 1st through 3rd centuries Christianity spread from the top down, a king or queen converted and then the people followed. In the 4th through 11th centuries Christianity spread from the ground up, through the personal contacts and individual initiative of the people.

Answer 29

False; 1st through 3rd Christainity spread from the ground up. 4th through 11th spread from the top down

Question 30

The missionaries to the East and the monks in the West took different approaches to language. The Eastern pattern was to use the language of the people; the Western pattern was to teach Latin to the people.

Answer 30

True

Question 31

By establishing monasteries and making provisions for teaching Irish Patrick laid the foundation for institutional structure that would allow the new faith to flourish.

Answer 31

False; Patrick taught Latin

Question 32

Complete the following sentence so that it reflects what Augustine says about the human ability to speak about God (in Trin 7.4.7)? Human language….

Answer 32

Cannot fully express in any way the things of God.

Question 33

Which of the following were among the three concentric circles of influence that circumscribed the world in which early Christianity began?

Answer 33

The Roman Context
The Greek Context
The Jewish Context

Question 34

What was the immediate religious context for the early Christianity?

Answer 34

Judaism

Question 35

What was the Bible of the early church?

Answer 35

The Jewish Scripture in their Greek translation.

Question 36

What is not a core of Jewish belief that formed the basis of the faith of the early disciples?

Answer 36

The belief that the anticipated Messiah is divine