Symbols of New Testament Saints Online Quiz | Religion

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which of the Four Evangelists is depicted as a lion, often winged, often with a halo over his head, often with a book in or under one paw?

Answer: Saint Mark

Saint Mark's lion is the symbol of the City of Venice. Legend has it that, when Mark reached Venice, an angel said to him "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum." (May Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist. Here your body will rest.) The lion is one of the "four living creatures" described in Revelation 4:6-8 and in Ezekiel 1:5-11.

2. According to Sacred Tradition, which of the Apostles, represented by a sea shell, took the Gospel to the Iberian Peninsula and became the patron saint of modern-day Spain?

Answer: Saint James the Greater

James and his brother John (the Evangelist) were among the first disciples called by Jesus and were related to Jesus in that their mother Salome was Mary's sister. Jesus nicknamed James and John "the Sons of Thunder." Their father, Zebedee, was a fisherman in Galilee.

The scallop shell has become associated with James the Greater. The Way of Saint James/the Road to Compostela, a route for pilgrims, is marked everywhere by scallop shell designs.

3. Whose story, in Acts 6-8, describes him as the first Christian martyr and one of the first seven deacons of the Early Church?

Answer: Saint Stephen

Stephen was chosen to serve as deacon. He argued with members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen who accused him of blasphemy before the Sanhedrin. He was dragged out of town and stoned by an angry crowd, one member of which was Saul, who would later become Saint Paul. Stephen is most often depicted in Christian art with three stones and a palm; the stones symbolize the manner of his murder and the palm symbolizes martyrdom.

4. Which of the Four Evangelists is depicted as a man (or perhaps an angel), often winged, often with a halo over his head, often with a book in his hands?

Answer: Saint Matthew

St. Irenaeus of Lyons (d. 202) and St. Jerome (347-420) both identify Saint Matthew with the symbol of a winged man. The man is one of the "four living creatures" described in the Revelation 4:6-8 and in Ezekiel 1:5-11. Because Matthew was a tax collector before being called as one of Jesus' disciples, he is the patron saint of bankers.

5. Which female friend of Jesus is most often depicted wearing a red robe, commonly holding a jar?

Answer: Saint Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene is a central character in the Gospels. She is either the first or among the first witnesses to the Resurrection. The red robe and the alabaster jar result in a confusion of her identity with the woman of ill repute who anointed Jesus' feet in Luke 7:36-50. This centuries-long conflation has yet to be fully sorted and rectified.

6. Which of the Four Evangelists is depicted as an eagle, winged (as eagles are), often with a halo over his head, often with a book in its talons or under one wing?

Answer: Saint John

First Century people believed that the eagle could look directly at the sun without hurting its eyes, just as John looked directly at God. The eagle is one of the "four living creatures" described in Revelation 4:6-8 and in Ezekiel 1:5-11. St. John's Day is December 27.

7. Which apostle, famous for writing most of the epistles in the New Testament, is represented by a book and a sword?

Answer: Saint Paul

In classical art, Saint Paul is often depicted with a book and a sword. The book refers to the New Testament of which he wrote a major part. The sword refers to the means of his martyrdom in Rome in 67 AD -- he was beheaded. Early paintings of Saint Paul show him with a receding hairline; the spiritual significance of this remains unknown.

8. The saltier or crux decussata or chi cross or X-shaped cross is a symbol of which of the Twelve Apostles?

Answer: Saint Andrew

Also known as Saint Andrew's Cross, the X-shaped cross represents the manner of cross on which the Apostle Andrew was martyred. It appears on the flag of Scotland, the Union Jack, the flag of Jamaica, the flag of Burgundy, and on the seal of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, of which Saint Andrew is the patron saint.

9. Numerous symbols represent the chief apostle of the apostles: keys, a book, a pallium, papal vestments, a rooster or cock, a man nailed upside-down to a cross. Who is this prominent saint?

Answer: Saint Peter

The keys are a reference to Matthew 16:19a, in which Jesus says to Peter "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." (New Revised Standard Version). The book refers to the two epistles in the New Testament which bear his name. The vestments refer to the Roman Catholic belief that Peter was the first pope.

The rooster/refers to Peter's betrayal of Jesus three times before the cock crowed on Good Friday. The upside-down cross refers to the manner of the apostle's martyrdom.

10. Which of the Four Evangelists is depicted as an ox or bull, often winged, often with a halo over his head, often with a book in or under one hoof?

Answer: Saint Luke

The choice of the ox to represent Saint Luke points to the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament and the self-sacrifice of Jesus in the Gospels. Luke's account of the Gospel begins with the revelation of the impending birth of Saint John the Baptist to Zechariah, a Jewish priest who was making sacrifices in the Temple.

The ox is one of the "four living creatures" described in Revelation 4:6-8 and in Ezekiel 1:5-11. More modernly, Saint Luke is associated with healing ministries because of the tradition that he was a physician.

Source: Author FatherSteve

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Symbols of New Testament Saints Quiz

The saints of the New Testament are represented in art, heraldry and architecture by symbols associated with them. How many of these can you sort?

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