My Word -- Common Sayings from the Bible -- #4 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. 'For they shall see eye to eye' is a common saying found in the KJV Bible in Isaiah 52:8. Complete the missing word from the passage: "Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they _______: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion."

Answer: sing

The missing word in the passage is 'sing'. To see eye-to-eye, of course, means to have two or more people in complete agreement. I suppose you could say former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher often saw issues of the day eye-to-eye.

The preceding verse in the 52nd chapter of Isaiah contains Scripture that has been adapted to a popular Christian hymn. Isaiah 52:7, in the NIV Bible, states: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns'."

2. 'A house divided among itself cannot stand' is another common expression coming from the Bible, with Jesus using words to that effect in Matthew 12:25 in both the KJV and the NIV Bibles. According to Scripture, Jesus used the phrase just after curing a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Some people, however, were indignant about the healing. To whom was Jesus speaking when he used the phrase 'every city or household divided against itself will not stand?'

Answer: The Pharisees

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were indignant, claiming he had performed the miraculous healing by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. It seems the Pharisees were always on his case, and this story is a classic example. It's interesting to note the phrase 'a house divided among itself cannot stand' has been largely associated with former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

The famous 'House Divided' speech was given in June of 1858 when Lincoln accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination as that state's United States senator, according to Wikipedia.

3. A common expression in the New Testament is 'the bread of life' with the words appearing in John 6:35 in both the KJV and NIV Bibles. Who described himself as 'the bread of life' in this passage?

Answer: Jesus

Jesus, of course, described himself as the bread of life in the passage. Verse 35, in its entirety in the NIV Bible states: "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'" This is the first of seven 'I am' statements made by Jesus in the Gospel of John. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state: "In the Greek the words are solemnly emphatic and echo Exodus 3:14."

4. 'Lamb to the slaughter' is a common expression that appears in an Old Testament book written by one of the major prophets. What's the name of the book?

Answer: Isaiah

The term 'lamb to the slaughter' appears in Isaiah 53:7. The verse in the NIV Bible reads: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Many Christian believe this Old Testament passage actually refers to Jesus. Incidentally, Isaiah 53:7 was one of the passages the Ethiopian eunuch was reading just prior to being converted to Christianity by Philip. The conversion is recorded in Acts 8:26-40.

5. The common saying 'good Samaritan' comes from a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament. The parable has become known as the Good Samaritan and in a nutshell, the parable tells of a man who is robbed, severely beaten and left for dead along the side of a road. Scripture states a priest and a Levite passed by the man, even though he was desperately in need of help. However, a Samaritan stopped and helped the man. The parable of the Good Samaritan appears in only one book in the Bible. Can you name it?

Answer: Luke

Luke is the correct answer with the parable appearing the 10th chapter. It is noteworthy the Samaritan in the parable stopped to help the man because Jews and Samaritans largely despised each other in Biblical times. The parable of the Good Samaritan is known by tens of millions of people around the world and is perhaps rivaled in popularity only by the parable of the Prodigal Son, which incidentally also appears in only the Gospel of Luke.

6. 'In the twinkling of an eye' is a common expression that appears in one of the New Testament books Paul is credited with writing. Can you name the book?

Answer: 1 Corinthians

The common saying 'in the twinkling of an eye' is found in 1 Corinthians 15:52. Many theologians believe the passage is in reference to the return of Jesus Christ. Notes in the NIV Study Bible sum up things this way: "Paul lived in anticipation of Christ's return, as all believers should." The phrase 'in the twinkling of an eye', of course, means something that happens extremely fast.

7. 'Blessed are the peacemakers' is a common expression used by Jesus in Matthew 5:9. What was the occasion in which he used the term?

Answer: Sermon on the Mount

Jesus used the term 'blessed are the peacemakers' in his Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:9, in the NIV Bible, states: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." The verse in the KJV is almost identical, but states they will be called 'the' children of God. Matthew 5:3-12 is a section of the Sermon on the Mount that is known as The Beatitudes. According to various Web sites, no one knows exactly on what mountain the address was given. On top of this, opinions differ as to whether the Sermon on the Mount was one major address given by Jesus or the compilation of a number of different messages. Notes in the NIV Study Bible sum up things this way: "Matthew possibly took a single sermon and expanded it with other relevant teachings of Jesus."

8. 'To everything there is a season' is a common expression that appears in Ecclesiastes 3:1 in the Old Testament. Much of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes was set to music in 1959 by Pete Seger and in 1965 a musical group released a rendition of the song titled "Turn, Turn Turn (to Everything There is a Season)". The song quickly became an international hit. What's the name of the group that made the song a giant hit?

Answer: The Byrds

The correct answer is The Byrds, an American band. According to Wikipedia, "Turn, Turn Turn (to Everything There is a Season)" hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was popular for a number of reasons, not the least of which was it struck a chord with a world which was desperately seeking peace at a time when the War in Vietnam was dominating the headlines and newscasts of the day. According to Wikipedia, the song was first released by the folk group The Limeliters on their 1962 album "Folk Matinee". Wikipedia reports Judy Collins also released a version of the song in 1963.

However, the version by The Byrds would prove to be far and away the most successful.

9. 'A thorn in the flesh' is a common expression that appears in 2 Corinthians 12:7. In the NIV Bible, the writer of the book states he was given a 'thorn in the flesh' so he would not become conceited. Who is credited with writing 2 Corinthians?

Answer: Paul

'A thorn in the flesh' means something that is painful and long lasting. And when it comes to long-lasting pain, the apostle Paul certainly knew what he was talking about. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-25, Paul writes he had been whipped five different times, beaten with rods three times, pelted with stones and shipwrecked three times, once spending a night and a day in the open sea. However, many theologians believe Paul's reference in 2 Corinthians 12:7 to a thorn in his flesh was a chronic health issue such as migraine headaches or severe arthritis. Other scholars believe the thorn in the flesh for Paul might have been an incessant temptation.

It also appears Paul's statement comes from Numbers 33:55 when the LORD was communicating with Moses. The passage in the NIV Bible states: "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live."

10. Another common saying that comes from the Bible is 'it's better to give than to receive,' as per Acts 20:35 in both the NIV and KJV. Acts is credited with being written by Luke and the passage in question quotes Paul as using the common expression. However, in the same passage, who does Paul say originally used the expression?

Answer: Jesus

Jesus is the correct answer. (In the KJV and the NIV Bibles it states "It is more blessed to give than to receive.") While Christ repeatedly made statements to this effect in the four Gospels, there is no direct quote indicating he said the exact words Paul used. Notes in the NIV Study Bible sums up things this way: "This is a rare instance of a saying of Jesus not found in the canonical Gospels."

Source: Author Cowrofl

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

It might come as a surprise to some that many of the common sayings we use today originate from the Bible. How much do you know about the sayings? This is my fourth installment. (Different versions of the Bible were used for this quiz.)

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