25 Details About the Life of Paul -- 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Athens

According to Scripture, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was in Athens when he came across a statue dedicated to "the unknown god." While addressing an assembly at the the Areopagus, Paul seized the opportunity and pointed out Athenians were actually worshiping the Lord without fully knowing it.

Acts 17:22-31, in the NKJV, gives this account of Paul's address:
"'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead'."

Apparently Paul's reference to the resurrection of Christ did not go over all that well with the assembly.

Verses 32-34 state: "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter.' So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them."

Answer: Barnabas

Barnabas is the correct answer. According to Acts 4:36, his original name was Joses and he was a Levite from Cyprus. (In the NIV, it states Joseph rather than Joses.) 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 laid it at the apostles' feet".

Answer: 13th

The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is known as the Love Chapter. Yes, the chapter is all about love. And make no mistake about it, Paul's writing is exquisite. In my view, it almost contaminates his message when one attempts to add anything in the form of a commentary on what he has penned.

The chapter is often read at weddings and even at funerals. Wikipedia has this interesting observation about 1 Corinthians 13: "It is also a commonly chosen reading in denominations which do not have a prescribed liturgy for marriage and even for non-religious weddings, so much to the point where it was on a list of wedding clichés to avoid in the television show 'How I Met Your Mother.'" It all brings back memories of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair reading the passage at the Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.

It's interesting to note the thirteenth chapter has thirteen verses.

I couldn't resist the temptation to feature the entire chapter for quiz players. This version is from the NKJV:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Answer: Demetrius

Demetrius lived in Ephesus and according to Acts 19:23-41 he made things interesting when he caused a "great disturbance." Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions, were ushered into a theater and so great was the anger of the assembled people they shouted "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours, Scripture states. According to Verse 35, the city clerk eventually quieted down the crowd and the riot came to an end.

Answer: Eutychus

Eutychus fell out of a third story window at Troas, when Paul preached on and on, according to Acts 20:7-12. After Eutychus tumbled out the window, people rushed downstairs and found him dead. According to Scripture, Paul raised the young man from the dead and went back upstairs and ate and did some more preaching. Troas is in present day Turkey, south of the ancient city of Troy.

Answer: Felix

The 24th chapter of Acts is devoted to the trial of Paul before Felix with charges against him levied by the high priest Ananias. Arguing the case on behalf of Ananias and some of the elders was a lawyer named Tertullus.

Paul appeared to be scoring major points in the trial. Acts 24:25, in the NKJV Bible states things this way: "Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.'"

However, Scripture also indicates Felix was hopeful of being bribed. Verse 26 states: "Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him."

With no bribe money coming his way, Scripture states Felix, "wanting to do the Jews a favor", left Paul bound for two years.

Answer: In present day Turkey

Galatia was in present day Turkey and it was there Paul established a church. The book of Galatians is addressed to believers in Galatia. Paul is credited with writing thirteen books in the New Testament and in the order the books appear, Galatians is fourth.

It appears after Romans, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. Paul's books that appear after Galatians are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon.

Answer: True

True. Herodion, Hermas and Hermes were workers in the early church but not much is known about them as they are mentioned in passing reference. In Romans 16:11, in the NKJV, Paul writes: "Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord." Then, in Romans 16:14 he writes: "Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them."

The sixteenth chapter of Romans is largely a tribute to unsung heroes in the early church. In others words, they were 'Jack' and 'Jill' Christians and their names have lived on over the centuries thanks to Paul's writings.

Answer: 195 lashes, 3 times beaten with rods, once he was stoned

It's mindboggling, but Paul was lashed no less than 195 times, three times he was beaten and once he was stoned. 2 Corinthians 11:24-25, in the NKJV, states: "From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned..." Scripture goes on to tell of more of his suffering.

When someone questions if a resurrected Jesus Christ is real, in my opinion all they have to do is think about Paul. If Christ's resurrection wasn't an absolute fact, why would Paul suffer so much to preach the Gospel? It's apparent Paul had a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus as reported in Acts 9. As a result, he went from a persecutor of Christians to the foremost advocate for Christ.

Answer: Heard a voice, but saw no one

Scripture reports Paul's traveling companions heard the Lord Jesus Christ's voice, but they didn't see anything. As a result, they were rendered speechless. Paul, of course, was known as Saul, at the time of the dramatic encounter with Christ. Here's how Acts 9:1-9, in the NKJKV, recounts Paul's encounter:
"Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

"As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

"And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?'

"Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

"So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'

"Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'

"And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank."

Scripture goes on to tell of Ananias baptizing Paul and how he became an unstoppable force in the early church.

Answer: True

True. Paul issues such a command in Romans 16:6, 1 Corinthians 16:30, 2 Corinthians 13:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In other words, they were to be warm and friendly to each other.

Males kissing each other was popular in Biblical times, and it is still that way in many nations in the Middle East. Today in the rest of the world, the kiss has given way to the handshake.

One of the jobs I have at my local chapel is serving as head of the greeters. In other words, I appoint couples each Sunday to serve as official greeters at the main entrance while I and other greeters serve in other locations. I suspect Paul would be horrified to find out we have official greeters at the main door of our chapel. It's almost as if we didn't have greeters, visitors would not be welcomed with a handshake.

I must confess, there are times when I think being in charge of the greeters is an unnecessary job. If people are stalwart Christians doing their job, there should be no need to have official greeters. People should greet each other with warm handshakes all the time. That's one point of view. The other point of view is that I see my job as head of the greeters as one of the most important ones at our chapel. In other words, I am doing exactly what Paul commanded in no less than four different places in his letters.

Answer: Luke

The correct answer is Luke, writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. In addition to writing the two books, Luke was a physician who labored behind the scenes in the early church. He was involved in everything from helping Paul establish a church in Philippi to a shipwreck off the coast of Malta. Luke never used his name in Scripture.

However, we know he was involved in various ventures of the early church because he used terms as "we did this" or "we traveled there", in the Book of Acts.

It's in the "we passages" Luke tells of the establishment of the church at Philippi (Acts 16) as well as the shipwreck (Acts 27 and 28).

Answer: Macedonia

The man in Paul's vision was in Macedonia. His request for help is known as 'The Macedonian Call'. Here's how Acts 16:6-10, in the NMKJV, tells of Paul's vision:

"Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them."

Scripture goes on to tell of Paul converting Lydia, the seller of purple cloth, and the Philippi jailer to Christianity.

Answer: Priscilla

Make no mistake about it. Priscilla was a dynamic person in the early church. Her husband Aquila is never mentioned without her and often her name appears before her husband's name in the books the apostle Paul is credited with writing. And this at a time when women were regarded as grossly inferior and not even included in census figures!

In Romans 16:3-5, in the NKJV, Paul writes: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house."

However, no details are given about what Priscilla and Aquila did to save Paul's life. The exploits of Priscilla and Aquila are reported in the 18th chapter of Acts. Paul also mentions the dynamic duo in 1 Corinthians 16:19 and in 2 Timothy 4:19. (Feel free to play another Bible quiz I have posted at FunTrivia about the couple. It's called 'The Dynamic Duo -- Priscilla and Aquila'.)

Answer: Let down through the city's wall in a large basket.

Paul, who was still known as Saul, at the time escaped undetected from Damascus when the disciples let him down over the city's wall in a large basket. The event happened right on the heels of Paul's conversion to Christianity. Scripture reports Paul defiantly went into synagogues preaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The synagogue rulers were outraged and plans were made to kill Paul. To avoid death, he made his escape in a large basket.

The story is told in Acts 9:20-25 and here's how it appears in the NKJV:
"Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

"Then all who heard were amazed, and said, 'Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?'

"But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

"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: 5 hours and possibly much more

When Acts 20:7-12 is carefully studied, it's apparent Paul did a lot of preaching that evening in Troas. It's possible he may have spoken for close to ten hours, but to be on the safe side, I've used "five hours and possibly more" as the correct answer.

Here are some facts to consider. Verse 7 states Paul "continued his message until midnight" with Eutychus falling to his death around that time. Scripture doesn't say when Paul started speaking to the gathering, but reading between the lines, it's apparent his message had gone on for several hours. In verse 9, Luke, the writer of Acts, states in the NIV Paul had talked "on and on."

It's possible he spoke for something like four hours before Eutychus fell out of the window. Scripture then tells of Paul going downstairs and bringing Eutychus back to life and then going back upstairs to break bread and eat. And after eating, Scripture states Paul started preaching again and continued until daylight. So it's possible he spoke for another four or five hours after Eutychus was brought back to life.

It's abundantly apparent Paul was unstoppable in his quest to preach a resurrected Jesus. Considering he possibly preached for something like four hours before Eutychus had his mishap and another five hours after breaking bread and eating, Paul would have spoken for about nine hours. And it's possible his overall address was even longer than nine hours! It's all conjecture, of course. No one knows for certain.

One other comment. It appears Paul preached "on and on" because according to Verse 7 he was leaving the next day. In other words, this was his last chance to preach the Gospel message to the gathering. With no cell phones or other forms of instant communication, this was Paul's last chance to make sure the believers in Troas were given all the necessary information to be able to fight the good fight for Christ.

Answer: False

Yes, Paul did end up on Malta after a shipwreck and yes he did heal the father of an important figure. However, the important figure wasn't a queen. The official was Publius, described by Luke in the NKJV as "a leading citizen" for the Mediterranean island. (In the NIV, Publius is described as the "chief official of the island.")

After Paul healed Publius' father, Scripture tells of a large number of people being taken to the apostle for healing. In Verse 9, Luke writes: "...the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed."

Answer: Philippians

The verse in question is found in Philippians 4:4. To put the verse in context, here's how Philippians 4:4-7 reads in the NKJV: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

The passage is a classic. And while it can be enlightening to read, it can be an entirely different matter when one tries to put it into practice in everyday life.

The book of Philippians was addressed to members of the early church in Philippi. Members of the church included Lydia, the woman who sold purple cloth, and the Philippi jailer, as per Acts 16:11-34.

Answer: 3

Paul survived no less than three shipwrecks, as per 2 Corinthians 11:25. One of the shipwrecks is documented in Acts 27 and 28. According to the chapter, Paul and his fellow workers were shipwrecked off the coast of Malta after their ship was tossed back and forth like a tennis ball at Wimbledon for fourteen days. Details of the two other shipwrecks are not given in Scripture.

Feel free to play another quiz I have posted on FunTrivia. It's called, 'Move aside Molly Brown, Make Way for Paul'.

Answer: Aquila

Aquila is the correct answer. Acts 18:1-3, in the NKJV, states: "...Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers."

Although Paul worked for a while as a tentmaker, he was still active in witnessing for the Lord. Verse 4 goes on to state, "And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks."

Answer: A worker in the early church

Urbanus was a worker in the early church. However, not much is known about him as he is mentioned in passing reference. In Romans 16:9, in the NKJV, Paul writes:
"Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved."

Answer: Miraculously he was not harmed.

Miraculously nothing happened after Paul was bitten by a viper. The snake bite happened after Paul and his party made their way to shore in Malta after surviving a shipwreck.

According to Acts 28:2-3, the islanders built a fire and welcomed Paul's group. Verse 3 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. However, Scripture states the snake bite had no impact on Paul, much to the amazement of the islanders. Acts 28:4-6, in the NKJV Bible, states: "So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, 'No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.' But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god."

Scripture goes on to tell of Paul's party staying on the island for some time and in the process, Paul performed a number of miraculous healings and many came to believe in a resurrected Jesus Christ.

Answer: No way of knowing for certain

When it comes to Paul, there appears to be no clear consensus about his marital status. In 1 Corinthians 7:8, Paul states in the NIV: "Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do." However, in 1 Corinthians 9:5, he states: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?" Going by these two passages, some people are of the view Paul was married at one time, but his wife had passed away.

Meanwhile, Paul is apparently stating in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 he had the gift of celibacy. Here's how the passage reads in the NKJV:
"Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that."

The Web site Gotquestions?org provides this answer when a query is made about Paul's marital status: "So, was the Apostle Paul married? It is possible that he was at one time, but again, the Bible does not specifically say."

So the correct answer to this question has to be there is "no way of knowing for certain".

Answer: Timothy

Timothy is the correct answer. In addition to being young, Timothy was known for being timid. For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:10, Paul tells the believers in Corinth to make sure Timothy has nothing to fear, should he visit. Paul, on a number of occasions, describes, Timothy as his son. The last we read about Timothy is in Hebrews 13:23 and it tells of him being released from prison.

Answer: Romans

Yes, I agree that question was tough. The correct answer, however, is Romans. Paul makes reference to Zion in Romans 9:33 and in Romans 11:26. No where else does he use the term in the thirteen books he is credited with writing.

Zion is an Old Testament term that usually applies to the nation of Israel. However, in some cases, it refers to only Jerusalem.

To give the verse context, here's how Romans 9:30-33 reads in the NKJV: "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame'."

Meanwhile, here's how Romans 11:26 reads: "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'."