Biblical Alphabetics -- The Letter 'S' Quiz

Answer: Sarai

The correct answer is Sarai. Prior to becoming known as Abraham, her husband was called Abram, according to Scripture. Genesis 17:15-16, in the NIV Bible, states: "God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her'."

Answer: Simeon

Simeon is the correct answer. Simeon is perhaps best known for going on a killing spree with his brother Levi after their sister Dinah was defiled by Shechem, as per the 34th chapter of Genesis. The 49th chapter of Genesis tells of Jacob blessing his 12 sons.

In Genesis 49:5-7 in the NIV Bible, Jacob has some unkind things to say about Simeon and Levi: "Simeon and Levi are brothers -- their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel."

Answer: Samson

Samson is the correct answer. He was betrayed by his mistress Delilah, of course. Scripture states he had immense strength, enabling him to wrestle with a lion and slay 1,000 soldiers with only the jawbone of a donkey. When Delilah discovered the secret to Samson's super-strength was his long hair, she cut off his locks and delivered the immensely weakened Samson to his enemies who blinded and imprisoned him.

When Samson's hair grew back, his strength was restored and he caused a temple to collapse destroying thousands of Philistines as well as himself, as per Judges 16:23-31.

The final verse states Samson led Israel for twenty years.

Answer: Shadrach

Nebuchadnezzar was burning with uncontrollable rage after he learned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had refused to bow down and worship an image of gold he had made that measured 90 feet high and 9 feet wide, according to the third chapter of Daniel. As a result, he ordered the three Jewish men to be bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. According to Scripture, the furnace was so hot the flames killed the soldiers who were attempting to take Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to their doom. However, the trio was not harmed by the immense heat, and Nebuchadnezzar, after seeing a fourth men in the furnace who looked like "a son of the gods", ordered their release. The story ends with the king singing the praises of "the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!" The three men, according to Scripture, were subsequently promoted by the king.

Daniel assumed the name Belteshazzar while three other Jewish men were re-named, as per Daniel 1:7. As a result, Hananiah became known as Shadrach while Mishael became known as Meshach and Azariah as Abednego.

Answer: False

The answer is false. Without question, the parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most popular in the New Testament, perhaps rivaled by only the parable of the Prodigal Son. However, the parable of Good Samaritan, as well as the parable of the Prodigal Son, can be found only in the Gospel of Luke.

In the parable, Jesus tells of a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who was attacked by robbers, stripped of his clothes, savagely beaten and left "half dead". According to the parable, a priest and a Levite passed the helpless man, but a Samaritan stopped to help. In addition, the Samaritan made sure the man was taken care of in the future after he took him to an inn and gave the innkeeper two silver coins to take care of his needs. (See Luke 10:25-37.)

Answer: Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene is the correct answer. Little is known about Simon, but Mark 15:21 states he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. According to the
"International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", Cyrene was a city of Libya in North Africa. It was separated from ancient Egypt by a portion of the Libyan desert.

Answer: Silas

Silas served with Paul on missionary journeys. He is perhaps best known for being imprisoned in Philippi with Paul for preaching the Gospel. Their imprisonment is recorded in Acts 16:16-40. Scripture states after being stripped, beaten and severely flogged, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God shortly after midnight while being in jail with their feet in stocks!

Answer: Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira were stuck dead after selling their property and withholding part of the money from going to the Lord's work, as per Acts 5: 1-11. According to Scripture, they were struck dead after they met separately with Peter and both claimed they had turned over the entire proceeds from the sale of their property.

Answer: Simon the Tanner

Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner after raising Dorcas from the dead, as per Acts 9:36-43. However, little is known about Simon the Tanner, although his name appears three different times in Scripture. In each case (Acts 9:43, 10:6 and 10:32) it states Peter was staying with Simon.

In both references in the 10th chapter, it states Simon the Tanner's house was by the sea. In that chapter, an unnamed angel of the Lord tells Cornelius he must summon Peter who was staying with Simon the Tanner. Cornelius, of course, was one of the first Gentile believers in a resurrected Christ with perhaps only the Ethiopian Eunuch coming before him.

Answer: Sosthenes

The correct answer is Sosthenes. Although he is only one of three people to rank in the salutations of Paul's books, little is known about him. Sosthenes' name appears at the beginning of 1 Corinthians. There is a Sosthenes mentioned in Acts 18:17, a Synagogue ruler who was beaten by an unruly mob, but there is no conclusive proof he is the same person referred to by Paul in his salutations in 1 Corinthians. If it is the same person, he obviously had become a Christian after being a ruler of the synagogue.