A Common Link Between Biblical Characters [9] Quiz

Answer: All came from Bethsaida

Peter, Andrew and Philip all came from Bethsaida, as per John 1:44. Bethsaida was a fishing community on the Sea of Galilee. Peter and Andrew, of course, were brothers, but were almost complete opposites. Peter was brash and bold while Andrew was relatively introverted. If Peter was a Lamborghini, Andrew would be a Volkswagen Bug. Out of the 12 disciples, Andrew and Philip are the only ones to have Greek names.

Answer: Both lived in Bethany

Lazarus and Simon the Leper both lived in Bethany, a community that was just outside Jerusalem in Biblical times. Lazarus, of course, was raised from the dead after being dead for four days. In fact, Lazarus' sister Martha protested to Jesus that rolling the stone away from the tomb might be foolhardy because there would be a "bad odor" from the corpse, as per John 11:39.

A few moments after the stone was rolled away, people were astounded to see Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Meanwhile, one of the accounts of Simon the Leper can be found in Mark 14:1-10.

It's at his residence Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume. (According to John 12:3, the woman's name was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and she wiped Jesus' feet with her hair.)

Answer: All three are mentioned in salutations of Paul's various books.

Timothy, Silas and Sosthenes are all mentioned in the salutations of Paul's books. Timothy is mentioned in the salutation of six different books, Silas in two books and Sosthenes in one. Timothy's name appears at the beginning of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. You'll find Silas' name in 1 and 2 Thessalonians as well while Sosthenes' name appears at the beginning of 1 Corinthians.

Answer: Four people who are listed in Paul's greetings in Romans 16.

Yes, Philologus, Julia, Nereus and Olympas are four of a number of people who are listed in chapter 16 of Romans. No details are given about the foursome, apart from a mention that Olympas was Nereus' sister. The chapter is largely a long list of personal greetings Paul sends to believers in Rome.

The chapter is seen by many today as a tribute to the common "Joe Christians" and "Jane Christians."

Answer: A vehement opponent of Christians and the man whose execution he oversaw.

Saul, of course, was a vehement opponent of Christians and he oversaw the execution of Stephen. The stoning of Stephen is told in Acts 7. The previous chapter states Stephen was one of seven Grecian disciples appointed to oversee the distribution of food to widows. According to Acts 6:9, Stephen was "full of God's grace and power and did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people." Saul would go on to become a Christian when he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, according to Scripture.

After his conversion, he became known as Paul and was largely unstoppable in his quest to preach the news of a resurrected Christ.

Answer: Both were appointed by the early church in Jerusalem to deliver a letter to Gentile believers.

The two men were appointed by the early church in Jerusalem to deliver a letter to Gentile believers. Acts 15:29, in the NIV Bible, makes it clear the church council did not want to burden the Gentile believers with a long list of rules in the letter.

The verse quotes the letter as stating, "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." Verse 31 states the people who read the letter "were glad for its encouraging message." Verse 32 goes on to state Judas and Silas, "who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers." After the delivery of the letter, there is no further mention of Judas in Scripture.

However, it's a different matter for Silas who plays a major role in Acts. One of the more memorable events having to do with Silas is his imprisonment with Paul, when the jail is rocked by an earthquake, all the chains fall off the prisoners and the doors are flung wide open.

Answer: They are generally believed to have written the Gospels.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are generally believed to have written the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. The books all tell of Jesus, his ministry which spanned a three-year period, his crucifixion and his resurrection. The literal translation of the word gospel is 'good news'. Mark and Luke were not listed in the original Twelve Disciples.

Answer: A Grecian disciple and the royal official he converted to Christianity.

Philip was a Grecian disciple who converted the Ethiopian Eunuch to Christianity while he rode along in a chariot. (He is not to be confused with Philip, one of the original 12 disciples) The story of the Ethiopian's conversion is found at Acts 8:26-40.

Incidentally, Scripture reports the eunuch worked for Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. After Philip baptized the Ethiopian in a pool of water by the side of the road, Scripture reports he was suddenly whisked away by the Spirit of the Lord and appeared miles away in Azotus. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian continued on his way home rejoicing about his newfound faith in a resurrected Jesus.

Answer: Two characters in parables that appear only in Luke.

Two characters in parables that appear only in Luke, is the correct answer. I suspect that if people were asked to list their favorite parables in the Bible, these two would appear at the top of the list. The Parable of the Good Samaritan can be found at Luke 10:25-37 while the Parable of Prodigal Son appears in Luke 15:11-32. Both parables tell of mercy and kindness.

The Samaritan was the unlikely hero in the first parable, as notes in the NIV Study Bible state "Jews viewed Samaritans as half-breeds, both physically and spiritually. Samaritans and Jews practiced open hostility but Jesus asserted that love knows no national boundaries."

Meanwhile, the NIV notes have this to say about the Parable of the Prodigal Son: "A beautiful picture of the return of the younger son, which also pictures Christian conversion. The words 'lost and is found' are often used to mean 'perished and saved'." Notes in the NIV Study Bible also suggest the Parable of the Lost Son could be better called the Parable of the Father's Love.

Answer: Both were Samaritans.

The correct answer is both were Samaritans. The account of the Samaritan woman at the well is found at John 4:1-25 while the account of the ten lepers is found at Luke 17:11-17. As stated in the answer to Question 9, the Samaritans were largely despised by the general Jewish population, and vice versa. However, in the New Testament Gospels, Samaritans are looked upon highly favorably by Jesus. It's in the account of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus makes the famous statement: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)

The account of the healing of the ten lepers can be found in Luke 17:11-19. Although all ten were healed of leprosy by Jesus, only one of them returned to Christ to give thanks. According to verse 16, the one who returned to give thanks was a Samaritan.