25 Details About Early Church Workers, A to Z Quiz

Answer: Apollos

Apollos was tutored by Priscilla and Aquila, the dynamic husband-wife team in the New Testament. Acts 18:24-26, in the NKJV, describes Apollos as a "an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures." Verses 27-28 go on to state that in Achaia he "he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Achaia is an area in Greece.

The passage also states Apollos was born in Alexandria and linked up with Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus.

Answer: Barnabas

Barnabas is the correct answer. According to Acts 4:36 in the KKJV, his original name was Joses (Joseph in the NIV) and he was a Levite from Cyprus. However, the apostles opted to call him Barnabas, which means 'son of encouragement'. In addition to being an encouragement to others, Barnabas was a generous giver. Acts 4:37 states he sold a field he owned and "brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet".

Answer: Titus

Titus is the correct answer. Titus, one of thirteen books the apostle Paul is credited with writing, was addressed to him. Titus was serving in Crete at the time of the letter, as per Titus 1:5. The general theme of the letter is the emphases on good works. It appears after 2 Timothy and before Philemon.

Titus was a worker in the early church who was converted by Paul, as per Galatians 2:3. He was from Greece and appears to have been a Gentile. Titus is one of the smallest books in the Bible, consisting of three chapters and only 46 verses.

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Titus was written by Paul between his two imprisonments, between A.D. 62 and 65. The notes also state tradition holds that Titus was written after 1 Timothy, around A.D. 63.

Answer: Ananias

The Damascus resident who helped Paul was Ananias. His story is told in Acts 9:10-19. The conversion of Paul was a major turning point for Christianity. He was a vehement opponent of the early church and according to Acts 7:58, oversaw the execution of Stephen, the first reported Christian martyr. Things changed dramatically, however, when according to Acts 9:1-10, Paul encountered a blinding light while on his way to Damascus and he heard the voice of Jesus Christ. To the amazement of early church members as well as those who relentlessly persecuted them, Paul would become a Christian and a major force in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Opponents of the early church in Damascus sought to kill Paul shortly after his conversion, but he made his escape from the city by being let down in a large basket over the city wall.

Acts 9:23-25, in the NKJV, states: "Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket."

Answer: Erastus

Not much is known about Erastus apart from the fact he is described by Paul in Romans as the city's director of public works. (Paul was in Corinth when he wrote Romans.) The name Erastus also appears in Acts 19:22 and in 2 Timothy 4:20, but theologians suspect it might not be the same person because Erastus was a common name in Biblical times.

Here's some fascinating trivia from the notes in the NIV Study Bible. The notes state "at Corinth, archaeologists have discovered a re-used block of stone in a paved square with the Latin inscription: 'Erastus, commissioner of public works, bore the expense of this pavement'."

Answer: Fortunatus

Fortunatus is the correct answer. But little is known about him as he is mentioned in only 1 Corinthians 16:17. In the NKJV, Paul writes: "I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied."

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, it is believed Fortunatus, Stephanus and Achaicus "were the ones who confirmed the bad news brought by Chloe's household" in 1 Corinthians 1:11. The 'bad news' pertained to divisions among believers in the early church in Corinth.

In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul makes mention of receiving a letter from believers in Corinth. According to the NKJV study notes, the letter was likely delivered to Paul by Fortunatus, Stephanus and Achaicus.

Answer: Gaius

The report about Gaius being seized by the mob can be found in Acts 19:23-41. 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.

According to Acts 19, the riot was sparked by Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana. Gaius and Aristarchus were eventually released by the crowd, thanks to the actions of an unnamed city clerk.

Answer: He was a countryman of Paul, possibly a relative

According to Romans 16:11, Herodian was a countryman of Paul, with a footnote in the NKJV stating he could possibly be a relative. In the NIV, it states "greet Herodian, my fellow Jew." Meanwhile, in the Easy to Read Version, it refers to Herodian as "my relative." Little is known about Herodian, however, as he is mentioned in only passing reference.

Answer: The ability to tell fortunes

The owners were infuriated because the slave girl could no longer tell fortunes and according to Scripture, they had made a large profit out of her expertise.

Acts 16:16-24 states the owners of the slave girl "seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities". Scripture goes on to tell of a mob mentality taking over with Paul and Silas being beaten with rods.
After "they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison".

Later that night, an earthquake would strike and Paul and Silas, after converting the jailer to Christianity, would walk free.

Answer: A church worker who was imprisoned with Paul

According to Scripture, Junia was in prison with Paul, along with Andronicus. Paul has nothing but praise for the duo saying they are "of note among the apostles." (The Easy to Read Version quotes Paul as saying, "...they are some of the most important of the ones Christ sent out to do his work.") Junia and Adronicus were long-time Christians as Paul writes they "were in Christ before me."

Similar to information in the answer to Question No. 8, they are also described by Paul as "my countrymen", leading to some speculation they too were related to him. At the very least, they were Jews who were in Rome.

Answer: Euodia and Syntyche

The correct answer is Euodia and Syntyche.

Philippians 4:1-3, in the NKJV, states: "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life."

Answer: True

It might come as a surprise to some, but Luke was a tireless worker in the early church who often labored behind the scenes with Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Luke is one of my favorite Bible characters, this even though many simply regard him as a writer of two books and not as one of the men actively involved in working for the early church.

Luke is credited with writing the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Careful reading of Acts shows he was active in a number of endeavors, ranging from the conversion of Lydia, the woman who sold purple cloth, to surviving a shipwreck with Paul off the coast of Malta. However, Luke never inserted his name into Acts. Out of modesty, he simply states "we did this" or "we did that". When ever you see a 'we passage' in Acts, you can be assured Luke was active.

What's more, it appears Luke was beside Paul until the bitter end. In 2 Timothy 4:9-16, with his execution drawing near, Paul writes of being alone -- with the exception of Luke. In Verses 9-11, in the NKJV, Paul writes: "Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica -- Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me..." With this background, it makes only sense Paul would refer to Luke as the "beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14.

In addition to being a tireless worker, Luke is to be commended for writing two books in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke contains a number of accounts which don't appear elsewhere. For example, details about the dying thief on the cross being assured he would enter paradise and the healing of the ten lepers are found in only Luke. Details about the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son are also found only in Luke. Meanwhile, the book of Acts is seen by many as a history of the beginning of the early church in Turkey and Europe.

What's more, it's BELIEVED Luke is the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament. Feel free to play two quizzes I have posted at FunTrivia about Luke. The first quiz is called 'Let's Look at Luke -- Historian, Church Worker.' and the second one is '25 Details About the Life of Luke -- 'A' to 'Z''.

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: Nereus

Nereus is the correct answer. But as is the case with many of the people mentioned by Paul in Romans 16, little is known about Nereus as he is mentioned in passing reference. However, he did have a sister who was a believer in a resurrected Jesus Christ.

Romans 16:15, in the NKJV, states: "Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them."

Answer: Onesimus

Tradition holds that Onesimus became highly active in the early church. However, there are no details about his involvement in Scripture. According to Wikipedia, he is regarded as saint by a number of Christian churches.

Onesimus is part of one of those 'amazing small-world stories'. His master was Philemon who lived in Colosse, which is in present day Turkey. Paul converted Philemon to Christianity and then preached the news of a resurrected Jesus Christ in a number of other communities in Turkey and Europe before ending up in Rome. Philemon's slave Onesimus ran away and headed to Rome and wouldn't you know it, he met up with Paul, who in turn converted the run-away slave to Christianity. Later, Paul would write the book of Philemon, a passionate appeal to Onesimus' master to accept him back, not as a slave, but as an equal in Christ.

Answer: Priscilla

Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila, played a key role in helping spread the Gospel in the early days of the church. In Romans 16:4, Paul states Priscilla and Aquila risked their lives for him and "all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful for them." However, no details are given as to what exactly Priscilla and Aquila did to risk their lives for Paul. It's also interesting to note Paul places Priscilla's name before Aquila's in most of his letters, and this at a time when women were seen as grossly inferior and not even included in census figures of the day. As a result, many theologians believe Priscilla was extremely dynamic and a moving force in the early church.

As stated in the answer to Question No. 1, Priscilla and Aquila were instrumental in tutoring Apollos, a worker in the early church who was not only "eloquent", but also "mighty in the Scriptures".

Answer: True

True. Going by the New Testament, not much is known about Quartus as he mentioned in only Romans 16:23. The passage, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother." 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.

Church tradition holds that Quartus was one of the seventy disciples commissioned by Jesus in Luke 10:1-24. According to Wikipedia, tradition also holds that Quartus served as the bishop of Beirut "and suffered for the faith".

Answer: Chosen in the Lord

In the NKJV, Paul writes: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." Or as the NIV states: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too."

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Rufus is believed to be the son of Simon of Cyrene who helped carry the cross for Jesus to Golgotha. Mark 15:21 states Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.

"Though a common name, this Rufus is often identified with the one in Mark 15:21," the notes states. "Since 'chosen in the Lord' is true of all believers,. many interpret this phrase to mean 'outstanding' or 'eminent'. But it is possible that just as some believers demonstrate God's love and reflect God's justice, so Rufus was an exceptional example of God's election."

Answer: Silas

Silas was a remarkable man and his imprisonment with Paul at Philiippi is extra remarkable. According to Acts 16:16-40, Silas and Paul ended up before the magistrates after they drove demons out of a slave girl who was capable of telling people's fortunes. With the demons no longer living in her, she lost the ability to tell fortunes and her owners were furious as she brought them much profit.

Acts 16:19 states the owners of the slave girl seized Paul and Silas and "dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities". And this is where things turned ugly. Scripture states a crowd ended up attacking the two church workers and after they were stripped, flogged and severely beaten, they were thrown into prison. Despite their condition, Silas and Paul "were praying and singing hymns to God" shortly after midnight while with their feet in stocks!

Then a miracle took place. According to Scripture there was an earthquake and "immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed." And then things get even more incredible. The dynamic duo stayed put and did not make a break for it. When the jailer was amazed to find out his prized prisoners had not escaped, Silas and Paul seized the opportunity to convert him to Christianity. Acts 16:34 states the jailer's entire household came to believe in God.

Feel free to play a quiz I have posted on Fun Trivia about Silas. The quiz is titled 'Short Sketch of Scripture's Selfless Silas'

Answer: Titus

Titus, similar to Timothy, was a recipient of a letter, or book, from Paul. Apart from Philemon, Titus and Timothy are the only individual recipients of letters from Paul to have the contents named after them. As a result, we have 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul's other books, of course, were named after various collective bodies of recipients, such as 1 and 2 Corinthians for believers at Corinth and Philippians for believers at Philippi.

While Timothy is known for being young and timid, not much is known about Titus, apart from the fact he was Greek and was a worker in the early church. As explained in the answer to Question No. 3, Titus was serving on the island of Crete when Paul wrote the letter addressed to him.

Answer: A co-worker in Christ.

Urbanus is described by Paul in Romans 16:9 as a "fellow worker in Christ". (In the NIV, he is described as a "co-worker.") However, not much is known about Urbanus as he is mentioned in only this verse in Scripture. In the NKJV Bible, Paul simply states: "Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved." In total, Paul extends greetings to twenty-nine people in the sixteenth chapter of Romans with ten of them being women.

Answer: Victorious

The friends of Eutychus would have been feeling victorious as well as filled with awe and wild delight. After all, Euthychus was the young man who fell out of a third story window when he fell asleep during one of Paul's messages. Scripture states that after Eutychus fell out of the window, the gathering rushed downstairs and found him dead. To the amazement of the crowd, however, Paul raised Eutchyus from the dead. Afterward, Paul went back to the third story room and, after eating, preached some more, according to Scripture. The story of sleepy Eutychus is told in Acts 20:7-12.

According to Wikipedia, no person in the New Testament has a name that starts with the letter 'V'.

Answer: True

Yes, Tryphena and Tryphosa are two of a number of people who are listed in chapter 16 of Romans. The chapter is largely a long list of personal greetings Paul sends to believers in Rome. Out of the twenty-nine people Paul greets in Romans, ten of them are women.

Not much is known about Tryphena and Tryphosa as they are mentioned in passing reference. Their names appear in only Romans 16:12. No one is certain, but many theologians suspect the two women were sisters. Some suspect the women were twins because their names are so similar.

According to Wikipedia, the names Tryphena and Tryphosa mean "dainty, delicate, or luxurious."

Answer: Young

Timothy is known for being young, with the apostle Paul telling him not to feel inferior because of his age. In 1 Timothy 4:12, he tells Timothy "don't let anyone look down on you because you are young." In 1 Corinthians 4:17, he refers to Timothy as his son. In addition to his youth, Timothy is also known for being timid. In 1 Corinthians 16:10, Paul tells the believers at Corinth "when Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear."

According to Wikipedia, no person in the New Testament has a name that starts with the letters 'X or 'Y'.

Answer: Barnabas

The correct answer is Barnabas. In addition to calling Barnabas Zeus, the crowd called Paul Hermes "because he was the chief speaker". The crowd called them Zeus and Hermes right after Paul healed an unnamed crippled man.

Acts 14:8-13, in the NKJV, states: "And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes."

Scripture goes on to tell of Barnabas and Paul being infuriated by the crowd and telling the people to turn "from these useless things to the living God."