The Bare Facts: Nakedness in the Bible Quiz

Answer: David

David, according to Scripture, spotted Bathsheba from his rooftop while she was taking a bath. He would go on to have an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then end up taking her as his wife. Scripture states Bathsheba became pregnant as a result of her adulterous affair and David then proceeded to orchestrate the murder of her husband Uriah, a soldier who was away at war. With Uriah out of the way, David married Bathsheba. Later, she would become the Queen Mother when her son Solomon assumed the throne. As a result, she would be the most powerful woman in the land. Details about the romance of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11.

One can't help but find Bathsheba's name ironic as the first four letters of her name spell 'bath'. Talk about a woman quickly finding herself in hot water!

Answer: Micah

Micah is the correct answer with details appearing in Micah 1:8-9. In the two verses in the NKJV, Micah proclaims:
"Therefore I will wail and howl,
I will go stripped and naked;
I will make a wailing like the jackals
And a mourning like the ostriches,
For her wounds are incurable.
For it has come to Judah;
It has come to the gate of My people --
To Jerusalem."

Although the book of Micah tells of doom and gloom facing the people of Israel and Judah, it also tells of future blessings. Many Christians, for example, believe Micah 5:2-5, tells of the blessing that will result from the birth of Jesus Christ.

Answer: Isaiah

Isaiah, according to Scripture, walked naked and barefoot for three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia. Details can be found in Isaiah 20:1-6. Verse 2 quotes the LORD as telling Isaiah, "Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet." The verse goes on to state Isiah followed his divine instructions, "walking naked and barefoot."

Verse 3 goes on to quote the LORD as saying that, just as Isaiah walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, "so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered."

Answer: Saul

It might come as a surprise to some, but Saul is the correct answer. Details about the king of Israel going naked for twenty-four hours can be found in 1 Samuel 19:23-24. According to the verses, Saul stripped off his clothes in front of Samuel and prophesied "all that day and all that night." The chapter concludes with this question: "Therefore they say, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?'"

Saul was the first king of Israel, and while his reign started relatively smoothly, things began to fall apart in his latter years. According to Scripture, Saul had a severe case of jealousy against David and tried to do everything in his power to kill him. Try as he might, his efforts to kill David always met in dismal failure.

Answer: Ezekiel

The verse is found in Ezekiel 16:39. It is part of a passage in which Ezekiel, a prophet of God, likens Jerusalem's sins to those of a harlot, and makes a prophecy that there will be a horrible price to be paid. In Ezekiel 16:40, for example, it says the enemies of Jerusalem will "stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords."

While Ezekiel's writings are well known, little is known about the man. One of the few details given in Scripture about his personal life is the fact that he was the son of Buzi, as per Ezekiel 1:3.

Answer: Matthew

The verse is found in Matthew 25:43. The words were spoken by Jesus on the heels of two parables He presented, according to the Gospel of Matthew. The two parables are known as 'The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins' and 'The Parable of the Talents.'

After Jesus made the statement about a stranger being naked and not clothed, He stated that many will ask when did they see Him naked, or hungry or thirsty. He goes on to state, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to Me."

Answer: Hebrews

The verse is found in Hebrews 4:13 with the wording coming from the NKJV. The following verse goes on to state "we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God."

It's interesting to note no one knows exactly who wrote Hebrews. Some theologians believe Paul was the author, but many others strongly dispute the belief. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, strong cases have been made over the centuries for the likes of Apollos and Barnabas to be authors of Hebrews. Notes in the NKJV Study Bible also state scholar Adolf Harnack has suggested Priscilla is the author.

On top of uncertainty about the identity of the book's author, it is unknown when it was written. However, the general assumption is it was written prior to AD64, before Nero's persecution of Christians.

Answer: Mark

Details about the unnamed man fleeing naked are found in Mark 14:51-52. No one knows for certain, but many theologians believe the man who fled naked was actually Mark, also known as John Mark, the writer of the Gospel. With the details found in only Mark, the question arises how else would he have known about this incident? What's more, why would he have included it?

It is believed the Last Supper was held at the house of John Mark's mother and it would have made sense for Mark to go to the Garden of Gethsemane later that evening. According to Mark 14:51 the "young man" had a "linen cloth thrown around his naked body." When others laid hold of him at the scene of Christ's arrest, the young man fled naked, according to Verse 52.

The actions of the young man were typical of what happened on the night of Jesus' arrest. According to Verse 50, "they all forsook Him and fled."

Answer: Paul

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, tells of his immense sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33. Some of the things Paul had to deal with included being cold and naked, according to Scripture.

However, he suffered much more than being cold and naked, as a reading to the passage clearly shows. Paul states he was whipped on five different occasions, beaten with rods three times, stoned once and shipwrecked three times. The list goes on.

When someone questions the authenticity of Christianity, I suggest all they have to do is consider the life of Paul. Why would he endure such horrible suffering if he wasn't absolutely convinced Jesus had risen from the dead? Scripture makes it clear Paul encountered Christ while travelling to Damascus and suddenly, the most vehement and ferocious opponent of Christianity became its biggest advocate.

Answer: Revelation

The quote is found in Revelation 16:15. The verse in its entirety in the NKJV states, "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." The following verse goes on to make reference to Armageddon.

Revelation is the last book of the New Testament and was written by John while in exile of the island of Patmos. The contents of the book have perplexed and challenged readers for about 2,000 years.