Order! Order! Can I Have Some Order! Quiz

Answer: Mark

There are four Gospels in the New Testament and in the order they appear they are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Although there is no conclusive proof, many theologians believe the writer of Mark was John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. Similar to many people in the New Testament, John Mark often did not go by his full name and was simply referred to as Mark. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and John Mark had a major falling out, according to Acts 15:36-41.

However, their fractured relationship was smoothed over as Paul states in 2 Timothy 4:11 he wanted Mark to come to him because he was helpful to him in his ministry.

Answer: Acts

The correct answer is Acts. The book was written by Luke, a physician who served in the early church alongside Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. We know Luke's occupation because Paul describes him as the "beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14.

Acts, similar to the Gospel of Luke, is addressed to Theophilus. However, there is no conclusive proof as to who Theophilus actually was. Some believe he was a prominent official in the Roman government while others believe he was a lawyer who represented Paul in his trial before Felix. Some believe Theophilus is a collective name for Christians in general but this view is disputed by others because the Gospel of Luke describes Theophilus as "most excellent," a term for a specific person and not a collective body.

The book is largely a history of the early church and how Christianity was introduced to Europe and present-day Turkey.

Answer: 1 Peter

1 Peter is one of two books Peter, a member of the Twelve Disciples, is credited with writing. Some theologians challenge the view, stating the vocabulary and literary style of the book is much more advanced than that of an uneducated fisherman, according to notes in the NKJV Study Bible.

1 Peter was addressed to members of the early church in Asia Minor, part of present-day Turkey. "Peter wrote to these Christians to encourage them, to explain to them why suffering occurs, and to remind them of their eternal reward at the end of this earthly life," notes in the NKJV Study Bible state.

Answer: Galatians

Galatians is the correct answer. The book was written by Paul and addressed to believers in Galatia, a community in present-day Turkey.

The book consists of only six chapters but is big on theology. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible have this to say: "In the whole Bible, there is no more passionate, comprehensive, yet concise statement of the truth of the gospel than Galatians. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone (2:16; 3:11-12)."

Answer: Philemon

Philemon is the correct answer. Out of the 13 books the apostle Paul is traditionally credited with writing, Philemon is the shortest, consisting of 25 verses. Philemon was the owner of the runaway slave Onesimus and he lived in Colossae, in what is now part of Turkey. After Onesimus ran away, he ended up in Rome where the apostle Paul converted him to Christianity. The tiny book of Philemon is a heart-felt request by Paul to Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a runaway slave, but as an equal in Christ.

Incidentally, there is no such book called 2 Titus, given as a possible answer.

Answer: 1 Corinthians

The correct answer is 1 Corinthians. The book was written by Paul and is addressed to believers in Corinth. Ancient Corinth was part of Greece and a modern-day city bears the name Corinth. Fittingly, 1 Corinthians is followed by 2 Corinthians.

The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians is known as 'The Love Chapter' and is a favorite with tens of millions of Christians around the world.

Paul had received reports from Chloe's household about division in the church (1 Corinthians 1:11) and he apparently responded by writing the book.

Answer: Philippians

Philippians was written by Paul and the book was addressed to believers at Philippi, a community in present-day Greece. Incidentally, some of the people who belonged to the early church at Philippi were Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe, and the Philippi jailer. Their conversion is recorded in Acts 16:11-40.

Two of the major themes in Philippians are joy and being content in whatever the circumstance. In his letter to the believers at Philippi, Paul praises them for being generous givers (Philippians 4:14-16).

Answer: 1 Timothy

1 Timothy is the correct answer. The book was written by Paul and addressed to Timothy, a young worker in the early church.

"Paul wrote 1 Timothy in order to instruct his young protege on how the church should function and on how mature men and women of God should interact in it," according to notes in the NKJV Study Bible.

1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus are often referred to as Paul's Pastoral Epistles.

Answer: James

Although the book is named after James, no one knows for sure who he was. Some believe the book was written by the half-brother of Jesus while others insist the brother of John was the author. Other possibilities are James, the son of Alphaeus and James the father of the apostle called Judas.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible also state James was a common name in the days of the early church. The beginning sentence in the book says "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." With that claim, James could have been practically any Christian with such a name.

Answer: Revelation

Revelation, written by John of Patmos, is the last book of the New Testament. It's a complex book and there is no shortage of views about what the book is 'really saying'. In my opinion, the book is a tale of two cities -- Babylon the Fallen and the New Jerusalem. According to Revelation, Babylon faces a horrific future while residents of the New Jerusalem will have a glorious future.

The traditional belief is that the writer of the book was John, the brother of James, and one of the Twelve Disciples.

Some scholars, however, dispute this belief.