New Testament Characters with Two Names Quiz

Answer: Levi

The correct answer is Levi. Matthew was a tax collector, one of the most despised people in Biblical times. While Matthew is the most common name given to the disciple today, the name Levi appears more often in the New Testament. The name Levi, when referring to the disciple, appears eight times in the NIV Bible, while the name Matthew appears six times.

Answer: Nathanael

The correct answer is Nathanael. Many theologians believe Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and Acts, Bartholomew only appears when a list of names of the disciples is given. In John, where he's known as Nathanael, it's a different story.

His name appears six times in the fourth Gospel and he's credited with proclaiming Jesus is "the Son of God," as per John 1:49. His proclamation was made months, possibly years, before Peter's statement that Jesus is "the Son of God."

Answer: He who hears

According to Wikipedia, Simon means "He (God) has heard." Peter was brash and bold and often acted without thinking. Be it attempting to walk on the water on the Sea of Galilee or boldly proclaiming he would never deny Christ just prior to the crucifixion, Peter was front and center.

In other words, he was the shop foreman of the disciples. In Acts, he is seen as a completely different person. Rather than being a border-line flake, Peter is seen as one who was rock solid in working to spread the gospel of a resurrected Jesus Christ.

He would go on to be credited with writing two books in the New Testament, 1 Peter and 2 Peter.

Answer: Joseph

Joseph was the real name of Barnabas. According to Scripture, he was a Levite from Cyprus. He is often seen as a secondary worker in the early church, and this is unfortunate because Barnabas truly played a key role. In fact, he was so prominent his name often appears before the name of Paul, who was also known as Saul.

For example, Acts 12:25 tells of Barnabas and Saul (not Saul and Barnabas) returning to Jerusalem after completing their mission. Acts 13:2 tells of the Holy Spirit telling believers in Antioch so "set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Answer: Tabitha

The correct name is Tabitha, which means "gazelle". The story of Peter raising her from the dead is the first such account of a person in Acts. According to Acts 9:36, Dorcas was well-liked because she was always doing good and helping the poor.

Answer: Tarsus

The correct answer is Tarsus. Nowhere in the NIV Bible does it state Saul, or Paul, refers to himself as "Saul of Tarsus". In Acts 21:39, while addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, he states "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city." In Acts 22:3, he makes much the same statement.

However, a drama by George Barber Paley in 1855 titled "Saul of Tarsus" changed things somewhat, with his birthplace being linked to his name. There's also a popular song titled "Saul of Tarsus" as well.

Answer: Mark

The correct answer is Mark. No details of his abandonment are given, apart from a passing reference in Acts 15:40. The verse simply states that Mark abandoned Paul in Pamphylia. Scripture goes on to state Paul sharply disagreed with a suggestion by Barnabas that Mark should be included as a member of a second missionary journey.

As a result, Paul selected Silas to accompany him on the journey and Scripture reports Barnabas and Mark headed for Cyprus. There is no smoking gun, but many theologians believe John Mark was the writer of the Gospel of Mark.

Answer: Barsabbas

Barsabbas is the correct answer. The council's letter to the Gentile believers was short and sweet with the contents found at Acts 15:27-29. In a nutshell the letter tells the Gentile believers they "are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

Answer: Justus

Justus is the correct answer. He would get the short end of the stick and Matthias would go on to replace Judas Iscariot, who had committed suicide. Acts 1:26 reports "they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." However, there are no further reports about Matthias and Justus after this event.

Answer: Justus

The correct answer is Justus. However, not much is known about him, as he is mentioned only in passing reference. Paul does say Jesus, or Justus, is one of the few Jews who are part of his ministry preaching the message of a resurrected Christ.