Match These New Testament Characters -- #20 Quiz

Answer: Early church worker

Little is known about Fortunatus as he is mentioned only in 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 that 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.

Answer: Seized by mob

The report about Aristarchus and Gaius being seized by the mob can be found in Acts 19:23-41. Not much is known about Aristarchus and Gaius as they are mentioned in passing reference. Scripture, however, does state Aristarchus was a Macedonian of Thessalonica and Gaius 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: Demons driven out

Acts 16:16-24 tells of a slave girl having demons driven out of her by Paul, with her owners being infuriated because she could no longer make income for them.

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: Euodia

According to Philippians 4:1-3, Euodia and Syntyche, two women who were active in the early church, were in a kerfuffle with each other.

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: Mentioned in Romans 16

As is the case with many of the people mentioned by Paul in Romans 16, little is known about Philologus, Julia and Nereus as they are mentioned in passing reference. However, Nereus 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: Stripped and beaten

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 had 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: Boanerges

Jesus called John and James 'Boanerges', which means Sons of Thunder. Mark 3:16-19, in the NKJV Bible, gives a list of the names of the Twelve Disciples in which James and John are identified as both sons of Zebedee and Boanerges: "Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, 'Sons of Thunder'; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him."

Notes in the NIV Study Bible state the brothers were called Sons of Thunder because it was "probably descriptive of their dispositions."

The term Boanerges can be found in only this passage in Mark in the entire Bible, using the KJV, NKJV or the NIV.

Answer: Beloved

In Colossians 4:14, Paul describes him as "Luke the beloved physician" and says he sends his greetings to the people at Colosse.

(The NIV quotes Paul as writing "my dear friend Luke, the physician". The Easy to Read Version states "our dear friend, Luke the doctor".)

It is believed by many theologians that Luke was an easy going individual who was well liked by all. In addition to writing the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, Luke 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 uses 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: Stoned at Lystra

In Acts 14:19-20, Luke writes about the brutal stoning of Paul by a frenzied mob at Lystra. After the mob dragged Paul out of the city, they dumped the body presuming him to be dead. However, Luke, the writer of Acts, reports Paul got up and departed with Barnabas the next day for Derbe.

The suffering by Paul must have been immense, and Luke spares us the details. Acts 14:19-20 simply states: "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe."

According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, Derbe was about 20 miles from Lystra, on the eastern part of the upland plain of Lycaonia. It was in Asia Minor, now known as present day Turkey.

In Acts 14:21, Luke writes that Paul and Barnabas "preached the gospel" to the people of Derbe and "made many disciples".

Answer: Household baptized

The Philippi jailer became a Christian and his household was baptized. It's one of a number of amazing Bible stories written by Luke in the book of Acts.

The passage tells of Paul and Silas being stripped and severely beaten with rods by a frenzied mob in Philippi. Later they were thrown in prison and put in an inner cell with their feet in stocks making escape highly unlikely. To make things even more difficult for Paul and Silas to escape, Scripture tells of the Phippi jailer being told to guard his two prize prisoners "carefully".

Despite their immense suffering, Luke writes Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns at about midnight when a miracle happened.

Acts 16:26-27 states: "Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped."

The other prisoners may have escaped, but to the amazement of the jailer Paul and Silas stayed put. Luke goes on to tell of Paul and Silas converting the jailer to Christianity.

Acts 16:29-34 states: "The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved -- you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God -- he and his whole household."