Word Association -- New Testament Characters #14 Quiz

Answer: John

Acts 3:1-2 tells of Peter and John going to the temple at the time of prayer -- three in the afternoon -- when they saw a crippled man being carried to the temple gate to beg for money.

The crippled beggar had only one thought on his mind when he saw Peter and John: he wanted money. Acts 3:3 in the NIV Bible states the man asked the two disciples for money and they responded by looking "straight at him" and asked the man to look at them. Verse five goes on to state: "So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them." The beggar, however, would receive something much more valuable than money. He would soon be able to walk for the first time in his life.

In Acts 3:6, Peter declared to the crippled beggar "silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

After Peter made his statement to the man, a miracle happened. Act 3:7-8, in the NIV Bible, describes things this way: "Taking him by the right hand, he [Peter] helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk." The man was obviously ecstatic because verse eight states he went into the temple courts with Peter and John and he was "walking and jumping and praising God." It must have been a wonderful sight to behold.

Answer: No name is given for that person

No name is given for the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' gown and was cured of bleeding after suffering from the condition for twelve years, according to the fifth chapter of Mark. No further details are given in Scripture as to the type of bleeding she was suffering from. Perhaps today her condition would be known as hemophilia. Mark 5:28 states the woman was convinced if she simply touched Jesus' clothes she would be healed.

The Bible isn't precise, but it's abundantly apparent the woman had seen a number of doctors. Mark 5:26 states she had spent all her money on "many" doctors, but the condition continued to worsen, instead of improve.

According to Mark 5:29, the woman was immediately healed after she touched the hem of Jesus' gown.

Answer: Herod

The correct answer is Herod. Although he gave the execution order, Scripture indicates he was outmaneuvered by his wife Herodias who left him with no choice but to have John put to death.

Matthew 14:6-12 reports Herod hosted a lavish birthday party for himself and when the daughter of his wife Herodias danced at the reception, Herod was so pleased he told the unnamed girl he would give her whatever she asked for. Verse nine, in the NIV Bible, states: "Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist'."

Verse eleven goes on to tell of this macabre scene: "His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother."

Herodias was not only conniving, but extremely vindictive. When she left her first husband (Herod Phillip I) and married his half brother Herod Antipas, John the Baptist was disgusted and denounced the union, according to the fourteenth chapter of Matthew. As a result, Herod ordered the arrest of John the Baptist and from this point on, his fate was sealed as Herodias had him in her evil clutches.

Answer: John the Baptist

John the Baptist, of course, is the correct answer. John's baptism of Jesus is reported in the third chapter of Matthew, the first chapter of Mark and the third chapter of Luke.

Mark 1:9-11 gives this account in the NKJV: "It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, 'You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

Answer: Peter

Peter is the correct answer. According to Acts, he was released from prison on two different occasions by angels.

The first jailbreak is reported in Acts 5:17-29 and the second one is in Acts 12:1-17. The fifth chapter of Acts tells of Peter being jailed with other apostles for preaching the news of a resurrected Jesus Christ. However, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, enabling Peter and the other apostles to escape. As per instructions from the angel, the jail-breakers went back to the temple and continued to preach the Gospel message.

The twelfth chapter of Acts tells of Peter being imprisoned and bound with chains between two soldiers. However, once again, Peter was able to escape when an angel of the Lord struck him on his side with the chains falling from his hands. Scripture goes on to tell of Peter making his escape and visiting the home of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark.

Answer: Unnamed Samaritan woman

According to the fourth chapter of John, an unnamed Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at Jacob's well had five husbands.

John 4:18, in the NKJV, quotes Jesus telling the woman, "The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."

In John 4:13-14, Jesus makes the famous declaration to the woman: "'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.'"

Answer: Paul

Paul is the correct answer. He was bitten by a viper after he survived a shipwreck and ended up on the Mediterranean island of Malta.

According to Acts 28:2-6, once ashore the islanders built a fire and welcomed Paul's group. Verse three states Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

Scripture states the snake bite had no impact on Paul, much to the amazement of the islanders. Verses 4-6 in the NIV Bible, state: "When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god."

Answer: Rahab

The correct answer is Rahab, the famous prostitute of Jericho. Her name appears in the genealogy of Christ as per the first chapter of Matthew with Scripture stating Salmon and Rahab were the parents of Boaz. While Rahab's name appears in the genealogy in Matthew, it doesn't appear in the genealogy of Christ in Luke. Luke's genealogy makes mention, of course, of Rahab's husband Salmon and their son Boaz.

Rahab is also commended for her faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. The chapter provides names of prominent Old Testament people who are cited for their faith, including Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David.

Hebrews 11:31 states: "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."

Answer: Eutychus

Eutychus is the young man who fell asleep in a third storey window while the apostle Paul preached on and on in Troas. According to Acts 20:7-12, Eutychus fell out of the window and plunged to his death only to be raised from the dead by Paul.

After breaking bread and eating, Paul proceeded to preach on until day break, according to verse eleven.

Troas was in Asia Minor, which is present day Turkey. The community is now in ruins and is referred to as Eski Stamboul, according to the Web site Christiananswers.net.

Answer: Melchizedek

According to Genesis 14:18, Melchizedek was the king of Salem and the priest of God Most High who blessed Abram. However, his name also appears no less than nine times in the Book of Hebrews -- 5:6, 10, 6:20, 7:1, 10, 11 15, 17, 21.

The name can be also found in Psalm 110:4, which states in the NKJV Bible: "The LORD has sworn And will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'."

In a nutshell, the writer of Hebrews makes a comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus and states Christ is far greater. Hebrews 7:20-23, in the NKJV, states: "And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
'The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek,'
by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."