Word Association -- New Testament Characters #15 Quiz

Answer: Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, are, without question, the best-known sister act in the New Testament. According to Scripture, they both lived in Bethany and Jesus raised their brother from the dead. The account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead can be found in the eleventh chapter of John.

Scripture also tells of Mary sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him while Martha was busy preparing food for the guests. As a result, Martha became annoyed with the situation and requested that Jesus order her sister to lend a helping hand.

Luke 10:38-42, in the NKJV, reports things this way: "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'"

Answer: Barnabas

Paul took Silas with him on his second missionary journey, although Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul, however, opposed the idea of having John Mark take part. It appears the friction between Barnabas and Paul was so sharp they went separate ways.

Acts 15:36-41 gives this account in the NKJV Bible: "Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.' Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."

Answer: Malchus

Malchus was a servant of the high priest and he had his ear severed by Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane. The account of Malchus having his ear severed can be found in Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:7, Luke 22:50 and John 18:10. I find it highly fascinating that Luke, the physician, is the only one to report about the healing of Malchus' severed ear.

John 18:26 tells of one of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had severed, questioning the disciple about being with Jesus. Peter denied the man's claims and Scripture reports the rooster crowed, just like Jesus had predicted.

Answer: John the Baptist

The correct answer is John the Baptist. According to Scripture, John wore clothes made of camel hair and a leather belt and his diet consisted largely of locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 provide these highly unusual details about John, regarded by some as the last of the Old Testament prophets. John's purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus, whom he described as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). In addition to his unusual dress, John never seemed to be at a loss for words when it came to the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In Matthew 3:7, for example, he called them a "brood of vipers."

Many Christians regard John the Baptist as the last of the Old Testament prophets because he told the people to prepare for the arrival of the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", as per John 12:29. In the NKJV Bible, in Mark 1:1-5, John is introduced this way: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight'. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins."

Answer: James

James, the brother of John and the son of Zebedee, is the correct answer. He was the second martyr in the early church with Stephen being the first. While the execution of Stephen rates almost two chapters in Acts, a simple line tells of the death of James. Acts 12:2 tells of King Herod having James put to death by the sword, a term meaning he was beheaded. Verse 3 goes on to state that Herod had Peter arrested when he saw people were pleased with the execution of James. Peter, however, would avoid execution when he made a miraculous escape from prison, as per Acts 12:1-19.

Answer: Jesus

In John 15:5, Jesus uses the word 'vine' to describe Himself. The verse, in the NKJV Bible, states: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." The first verse of the chapter also begins with this statement from Jesus: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the word 'true' in the first verse is emphatic. And notes in the NIV Study Bible state 'the vine' is frequently used in the Old Testament as a symbol of Israel, e.g. Psalm 80:8-16; Isaiah 5:1-7 and Jeremiah 2:21.

Answer: Paul

Acts 18:18 tells of Paul sailing for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, but before he departed he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible sums up things this way: "Paul had his hair cut off as part of a Nazrite vow he had made (see Numbers 6). Such a vow had to be fulfilled in Jerusalem, where the hair would be presented to God. Vows were made in either gratitude for God's blessing (like Paul's safekeeping in Corinth) or as part of a petition for future blessing. The vow involved abstinence from drinking wine and a commitment not to cut one's hair for a period of time. At the end of this set period, the hair was cut and then burned along with other sacrifices as a symbol of offering oneself to God. Paul redirected his entire travel schedule because he wanted to get to Jerusalem in time to make this vow."

Answer: Apollos

The correct answer is Apollos. In addition to being a native of Alexandria, Apollos was a moving force in the early church.

Acts 18:24-26, in the NIV Bible, states: "Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately."

Verses 27 and 28 state Apollos later went to Achaia and he was "a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ."

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 told 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: Matthew

The passage is from Matthew 11:28-30. The passage quotes Jesus and is a classic among many Christians. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the term 'you who labor and are heavy laden' describes the people of the day as "suffering under a load of religious responsibilities laid on them by priests, rabbis, scribes and Pharisees." The word 'rest' is relief from such a burden, the notes state.