Word Association -- New Testament Characters #5 Quiz

Answer: Luke

Luke is the correct answer. He is credited with writing the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Both New Testament books are addressed to Theophilus. However, there is no conclusive proof as to who Theopilus actually was. Some believe he was a prominent official in the Roman government while others believe he was a lawyer who represented Paul in his trial before Felix.

Some believe Theophilus is a collective name for Christians in general but this view is disputed by others because the Gospel of Luke describes Theophilus as "most excellent," a term for a specific person and not a collective body.

Answer: Paul

Quartus was an early Roman convert to Christianity and a friend and assistant to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. However, not much is known about Quartus as he mentioned in only Romans 16:23. The passage, in the NIV Bible, states: "Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings." Romans 16 is largely devoted to greetings from Paul and it is seen by many today as a tribute to "Joe" and "Jane" Christians in the early church.

Answer: Herodias' daughter

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 9, in the NIV Bible, states: "Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist'."

Verse 11 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 14th 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: Matthias

Judas Iscariot, one of the original Twelve Disciples, hanged himself after betraying Jesus prior to the crucifixion, and Matthias was selected to replace him. Judas Iscariot's suicide is reported in Matthew 27:5. Meanwhile, the selection of Matthias is reported in Acts 1:12-26. He was selected over Joseph, called Barsabas, according to Scripture.

However, little is known about Matthias as his name appears in only the first chapter of Acts.

Answer: Tertius

Tertius is the correct answer. Romans 16:22, states "I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord." There is no further mention of him in Scripture. According to Biblos, a Web site that serves as a Bible encyclopedia, some theologians suspect Tertius was a friend of Silas while others believe he was a Roman Christian living in Corinth. It's all speculation, of course.

Answer: Cana

John 2:1-11 tells of Jesus performing His first miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding banquet in Cana. Verses 7 and 8 tell of Jesus instructing people to fill a number of jars with water and then to draw some out and give a sample to the master of the banquet.

After tasting the liquid, the master expressed surprise at how fine the wine is. In verse 10, the master complimented the bridegroom, stating "everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Cana was west of the Sea of Galilee and about 10 miles north of Nazareth.

Answer: Saul

Yes, Saul, or Paul, came from Tarsus, a city in present-day Turkey. In much of the 22nd chapter of Acts, Paul tells of his life before he became a Christian and after he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Tarsus is in present-day south-central Turkey.

In some circles today, the apostle to the Gentiles is known as 'Paul of Tarsus,' however, nowhere in the NIV Bible does it state Paul referred to himself as "Paul of Tarsus". In Acts 21:39, while addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, he states "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city." In Acts 22:3, Paul makes much the same statement. However, a drama by George Barber Paley in 1855 titled "Saul of Tarsus" changed things somewhat, with his birthplace being linked to his name. There's also a popular song titled "Saul of Tarsus" as well.

Answer: Bartimaeus

According to Mark 10:46, Timaeus was the father of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who had his sight restored at Jericho by Jesus. The account of Bartimaeus having his sight restored is found in Mark 10:46-52. Incidentally, my first quiz for FunTrivia was about Bartimaeus.

Answer: Gaius

According to Acts 19:23-41, a riot erupted in Ephesus with Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions being seized. However, not much is known about Gaius as he is mentioned in passing reference. Scripture, however, does state he was from Macedonia.

His name also appears in Acts 20:4, where it states he was from the Macedonian community of Derbe. Mention of Gaius is also made in Romans 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14, two books Paul is credited with writing.

Answer: Ananias

According to Scripture, Ananias was instructed by the Lord in a vision to go to a certain house on Straight Street in Damascus to meet with Saul after his conversion to Christianity. The story of Ananias can be found in Acts 9:10-18. Initially, Ananias was reluctant to follow the Lord's orders as he knew the notorious reputation Saul had for causing harm to believers in the early church. Nevertheless, he followed the orders. Acts 9:17-19 in the NIV Bible states: "Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord -- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here -- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."

Incidentally, there are two other men mentioned in Acts with the name Ananias.
One was struck dead, along with his wife Sapphira, after lying about turning over all the proceeds from the sale of their property to the early church, as per Acts 5:1-11. The other Ananias was the high priest who opposed Paul who was on trial before Felix, as per the 24th chapter of Acts.