25 Details, Gospel of Matthew -- 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Pilate

Pilate's wife was troubled by a dream she had about Jesus and passed the information onto her husband. But it was in vain.

Matthew 27:19 in the NKJV states: "While he [Pilate] was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, 'Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.'" She made the request just prior to her husband giving into the crowd and ordering the execution of Jesus. The world would never be the same again.

Incidentally, the account of the dream of Pilate's wife is found in only the Gospel of Matthew.

Answer: comforted

The missing word is 'comforted' with the verse being found at Matthew 5:4. Incidentally, apart from Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes are found in only Luke 6:20-26. Following the Beatitudes, Matthew provides details from Christ's famous 'Sermon on the Mount'.

Here's how the Beatitudes appear in their entirety in Matthew, as per the NKJV:

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you'."

Answer: The servant was healed without Jesus even going to see the centurion's servant.

According to Scripture, the centurion's servant was healed by Jesus on the spot, with Christ not even going to the centurion's house. Matthew 8:5-13 states the centurion had rock solid faith in Christ's powers, claiming Jesus could heal the servant by simply speaking a word. In other words, the centurion said there was no need for Jesus to visit his house.

Here's how Matthew 8:5-13 reads in the NKJV:

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.'

"And Jesus said to him, 'I will come and heal him.'

"The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.'

"When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Then Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.' And his servant was healed that same hour."

Surprisingly, centurions are portrayed in a good light in the New Testament with this incident being just one example.

Answer: Joseph

Joseph, the husband of Mary and the stepfather of Jesus, is the correct answer. According to Scripture, Herod was a ruthless king and he would do anything to maintain his grasp on power. In fact, he came up with a diabolical plan to kill all males aged two years and under in Nazareth and area to make sure the infant Jesus would not grow up and replace him as king.

Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepfather of Jesus, was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt before Herod carried out his heinous act. Joseph had the dream shortly after the Magi, or Wise Men from the east, departed after presenting gifts to Jesus.

Matthew 2:13-15, in the NKJV, states: "Now when they [the Magi] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt I called My Son.'"

Answer: True

True. It is in only the Gospel of Matthew you find the story about Jesus and His family going to Egypt. As stated in the answer to Question 4, Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepfather of Jesus, was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt as Herod was planning to kill all the male infants aged two and under.

In fact using the NKJV, Matthew is the only Gospel to make reference to Egypt. The placename Egypt is found in Matthew 2:13, 14, 15 and 19. In the NKJV, there is no reference to Egypt in Mark, Luke or John.

Answer: Hosted a dinner with his friends and Jesus in attendance.

One of the first things Matthew did was host a dinner at his house with his friends and Jesus in attendance. Details about the feast are recounted in Matthew 9:9-13.

Going by Scripture the dinner was a festive occasion for those in attendance. The Pharisees, however, were aghast Jesus would dare associated with tax collectors and "sinners".

Matthew 9:9-13 in the NKJV tells things this way:

"As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' So he arose and followed Him.

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'

"When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance'."

Answer: Make disciples of all the nations.

The Great Commission is all about preaching the Gospel in the four corners of the world and making disciples of the people and baptizing them.

Here's how the Great Commission reads in Matthew 28:16-20 in the NKJV:
"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."

As Wikipedia explains, the Great Commission has become "a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing ministry, missionary work, evangelism, and baptism."

Answer: Do not fear when you preach the Gospel message.

According to Matthew 10:27-30, believers have no reason to fear when they preach the Gospel message. The passage, however, in the hearts of many Christians, has come to mean there is no need to fear, or worry, period. The verses in question quote Jesus giving instructions to His disciples.

Here's how Matthew 10:27-30 quotes Christ in the NKJV:

"'Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows'."

Answer: God With Us

Yes, Immanuel means 'God With Us'. According to Isaiah 7:14, Immanuel would be born of a virgin, with many Christians believing this is direct reference to the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus. Immanuel is also spelled as Emmanuel in some versions of the Bible. The name Immanuel can be found only in Isaiah in the Old Testament and Matthew in the New Testament.

Answer: Graves were opened and people came back to life

In only the Gospel of Matthew is there an account of dead people coming back to life after the death of Jesus. The mindboggling details are found in Matthew 27:51-53.

Here's how the verses read in the NKJV:

"Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many."

Details about the sky turning black, the curtain of the temple being torn in two as well as a centurion at the crucifixion scene proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God can be all found in Matthew as well as other Gospels.

Answer: Two and under

According to Scripture, Herod ordered the execution of all male children two and under in Bethlehem and district. All this in an all-out effort to kill the Baby Jesus because Herod feared the Child would grow up and replace him as king.

Matthew 2:13-18, gives this account in the NKJV: "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt I called My Son.' Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
'A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more'."

There is considerable speculation about how many children were killed by Herod. According to Wikipedia, some claim as many as 14,000 boys were killed. However, a number of theologians have disputed this claim, speculating less than 20 boys were killed because Bethlehem was a "rather small town", Wikipedia reports. It's all speculation, of course. No one knows how many children were killed by heartless Herod.

Answer: Levi

Matthew, the writer of the first of the four Gospels in order of appearance, was also known as Levi. Tradition has it he is the same Matthew that wrote the first Gospel that bears the same name. According to Mark 2:14, Levi was the son of Alphaeus. The Web site Christiananswers.net states Matthew was a common name after the exile. Before becoming a disciple, he was a tax collector, as per Matthew 9:9.

It was common for people in Biblical times to have two names. For example, among the Twelve Disciples, Peter is also known as Simon, Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew and Thomas as Didymus. Then there's Saul who became Paul and Joses who was better known as Barnabas.

Answer: Temple Tax Found in the Fish's Mouth

The correct answer is the Temple Tax Found in the Fish's Mouth. The miracle is found in Matthew 17:24-27.

According to Scripture, Jesus instructed Peter to go fishing and after he caught his first fish to look in its mouth. Inside the mouth, he would find a coin to pay the obligatory temple tax.

Matthew 17:24-27 explains things this way: "When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, 'Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?' He said, 'Yes.' And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, 'What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?' Peter said to Him, 'From strangers.' Jesus said to him, 'Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.'"

The three other miracles can be found in different Gospels, including Matthew.

Answer: first

The Gospel of Matthew is not only the first of the four Gospels, but also the first book in the New Testament. It appears before Mark which is followed by Luke and John.

Theologians believe the Gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish audience as it makes numerous references to the Old Testament and prophecy about the coming Messiah.

"The Gospel of Matthew stresses Jesus is the Christ (1:16, 16:16) or Messiah foretold in Hebrew Scripture, our Old Testament, and that the Kingdom of the Lord is the Kingdom of Heaven," states the Website Biblescripture.net. "For example, Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, that the Lord is to be born of a virgin, and Micah 5:2, that the Lord is to be born in Bethlehem."

Answer: Tax collector

Matthew, according to Scripture, served as a tax collector before he accepted Christ's invitation to follow Him.

Matthew, also known as Levi as per information in the answer section of Question 12, is identified as a tax collector in three different places in the Bible: Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27.

Answer: The Dragnet

The Parable of the Dragnet is found in only the Gospel of Matthew. The parable quotes Jesus and is based on a dragnet being used to catch fish.

The parable, found in Matthew 13:47-50, reads in the NKJV as follows:
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

This is one of a number of parables in which Jesus talks about a judgment that will take place. The general theme is the faithful will be rewarded and the wicked will be condemned.

The three other parables given as possible answers can be all found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Answer: True

True. But before an explanation is given, let's take a look at Scripture referring to the queen of the South. To give things context, here's how the queen of the South is described in Matthew 12:38-42 in the NKJV:

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.'

"But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

Study notes in the NKJV Study Bible, as well as a number of Websites state the queen of the South, as well as the men of Nineveh, represent Gentiles.

"The men of Nineveh and the queen of South represent Gentiles who came to faith because of the words of God's prophets and kings, lesser people than Jesus Christ, God's only Son," the study notes state.

Answer: Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.

The message from Jesus is to lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.

Here's how Matthew 6:19-20 reads in its entirety in the NKJV:

"'Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal'."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this interesting information about the verses: "'Do not lay up ... but lay up' may be rephrased as 'Do not give priority to this, but give priority to that.' This passage does not mean it is sinful to have such assets as insurance, retirement plans, and savings accounts. After all, parents are to save for their children (See Proverbs 13:22 and 2 Corinthians 12:14).

As stated in the question above, the word rust can be found in only Matthew 6:19-20 and no where else in the entire NKJV.

Answer: True

Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew are devoted to the Beatitudes as well as a series of teachings by Jesus that are known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes and the related series of teachings by Jesus are also found in the sixth chapter of Luke, but the report is no where near as comprehensive as Matthew's. (Luke also has some details in Chapter 11. However, the reports are believed to have come from similar messages given by Jesus in different locations.)

As a result, many theologians suspect Matthew knew some form of shorthand when he took notes during Christ's delivery of the Beatitudes as well as the Sermon on the Mount and other meaty sermons. In fact, the Web site Remannatreport.com says knowing a form of shorthand would've been part of the "job description" for a tax collector like Matthew. Several other Christian Web sites express a similar point of view.

"...as a tax collector, Matthew would have been used to writing in a form of shorthand which was used at the time," states the Web site UKapolgetics. "This was very rapid, and one may well imagine Matthew using shorthand to record things which Jesus said, such as in the 'Sermon on the Mount'."

Answer: Three

The correct answer is three. The three temptations are found in Matthew 4:1-11. According to the passage, Jesus had faster for forty days and forty nights when He was visited in the wilderness and tempted by the devil. The three temptations voiced by the devil in the NKJV were:
1.) "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
2.) After taking Jesus up into the holy city and setting Him on the pinnacle of the temple, the devil told Jesus, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down."
3.) After taking Jesus up on "an exceedingly high mountain" and showing Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" the devil said to Christ, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

Scripture states Jesus was defiant and did not flinch with Matthew 4:11 stating, "Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."

Answer: Sermon on the Mount

Jesus made the statement during the Sermon on the Mount. As stated in the answer to Question 19, the Sermon on the Mount contains a series of teachings by Jesus that are found in Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. In a nutshell, Matthew 5:44-45 is about loving your enemies. It's an easy topic to think about but an entirely different matter when it comes to putting the teachings into practice.

To give the verses in the question above context, here's how Matthew 5:43-48 reads in the NKJV:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Answer: Prepared for the bridegroom's return

The wise virgins were prepared for the coming of the bridegroom while the foolish virgins were not, according to Matthew 25:1-13. Many theologians believe the moral of the parable is for Christians to be always prepared for the return of the Lord, because you never know when it is going to happen.

"The ten virgins in this parable were waiting for the wedding possession that went from the bride's home to the home of her husband," notes in the NKJV Study Bible state. "This nighttime procession would use lamps to light the way because ancient cities did not have streetlights." The wise virgins had an adequate supply of oil for their lamps while the foolish virgins did not and were literally left in the dark.

Here's how the parable reads in it entirety in the NKJV:

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

"And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

"Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the possession of oil illustrates the concept of being prepared while a lack of oil represents being unprepared for Christ's return.

The term 'the door was shut' "speaks of being shut out of the kingdom," the study notes say. "The unwise virgins were not ready when Christ returned."

Answer: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba

In the genealogy, found in Matthew 1:1-16, direct and indirect mention is made of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. In the NKJV, Tamar, Rahab and Ruth are mentioned by name while there is an indirect reference to Bathsheba. Verse 6 states "David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah".

Here's how the genealogy appears in its entirety:

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

"David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

"And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ."

Incidentally, the genealogy contained in Luke 3:23-28 does not make reference to any female names.

Answer: Matthew 11:28-30

The correct answer is Matthew 11:28-30. For many people, they are the most notable verses in Matthew, especially for those who are experiencing stress and pressures in their lives.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say about the verses: "'You who are labored and are heavy laden' describes the Jews as suffering under a load of religious responsibilities laid on them by priests, rabbis, scribes and Pharisees (see Mattthew 23:4 and Acts 15:10. 'Rest' is relief from this burden."

Answer: True

True. The quote is from Zechariah 9:9. As stated in the answer to Question 14, the Gospel of Matthew makes a number of references to the Old Testament and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy pertaining to Jesus. Many evangelical Christians believe Matthew 21:5, which is in reference to Jesus riding on a donkey, is fulfillment of prophecy foretold in Zechariah 9:9.