Who Said It? New Testament Quotes -- #4 Quiz

Answer: Jesus

Jesus made the statement to Peter, also known as Simon Peter, one of the original Twelve Disciples. He made the statement after Peter made the declaration Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 16:16-19 explains things this way: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'"

Answer: John the Baptist

John the Baptist made the statement. Basically, John was saying his ministry was coming to an end and Jesus' ministry was about to pick up steam.

According to Scripture, John made the statement to his disciples after some of them were in a disagreement with the Pharisees about purification, or baptism. It had been explained to John a large number of people were now going to Jesus to be baptized, rather than to John and his disciples. So he assured them there was a divine plan behind the events that were unfolding.

John 3:25-36 explains things this way: "Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!'
John answered and said, 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.'"

Answer: Pilate's wife

The statement was made by Pilate's wife. No name is given for her in Scripture. According to the 27th chapter of Matthew, her statement would have little effect on her husband, however. Even though Pilate did not find Jesus guilty of any crime, he gave into demands of the chief priests, the elders and the multitude to have Him crucified.

Matthew 27:24-25, states: "When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.' And all the people answered and said, 'His blood be on us and on our children.'."

The chapter goes on to tell of Pilate having Jesus scourged and then having Him delivered to be crucified.

Answer: Herodias' daughter

The statement was made by Herodias' daughter who is not named in Scripture. Although the words came out of her mouth, it's obvious her mother Herodias manipulated her into making the macabre request.

Herodias was not only conniving, but extremely vindictive. When she left her first husband (Herod Phillip I) and married his half brother Herod Antipas, John the Baptist was disgusted and denounced the union, according to the 14th chapter of Matthew. As a result, Herod ordered the arrest of John the Baptist and from this point on, his fate was sealed as Herodias had him in her clutches.

Mark 6:21-29 reports Herod hosted a lavish birthday party for himself and when Herodias' daughter danced at the reception, Herod was so pleased he told the girl he would give her whatever she asked for, "up to half my kingdom." Verse 24 states: "So she [Herodias' daughter] went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask?' And she said, 'The head of John the Baptist!'"

Verse 25 goes on to state: "Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.'"

Verses 27 and 28 tell of this macabre scene: "Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his [John the Baptist's] head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother."

Answer: Peter

Peter is the correct answer. According to Scripture, Peter made the request on Mount Transfiguration.

The events on Mount Transfiguration are recorded in the seventeenth chapter of Matthew, the ninth chapter of Mark and the ninth chapter of Luke. According to Scripture, Peter, James and John were with Jesus when Moses and Elijah appeared in their midst.

Matthew 17:1-8, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.' When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

Answer: Agrippa

The statement was made by Agrippa after Paul made a lengthy pitch to Festus and him about the case for believing in a resurrected Jesus Christ. The entire 26th chapter of Acts is devoted to Paul telling of his early life as a Pharisee, his conversion while traveling on the road to Damascus and his post-conversion life. At the end of his presentation, Agrippa made the comment to Paul, "you almost persuade me to become a Christian." It was all for naught, however. Paul would be later sent to Rome to appeal his case to Caesar.

According to Christiananswers.net, Agrippa was the brother of Bernice and Drusilla. "His private life was abandoned to vice," the Web site reports.

Answer: Cornelius

Cornelius, a centurion and one of the first Gentile believers in the early church, made the statement to Peter, one of the original Twelve Disciples.

Acts 10:30-32 explains things this way: "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'"

In verse 33, Cornelius goes on to tell Peter: "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

In Acts 10:1, it states Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian Regiment. Cornelius was possibly among the first handful of Gentiles to join the early church as he is the first non-Jewish believer mentioned in Acts, with the exception of the Ethiopian eunuch. Up to this point, it is believed the only non-Jewish believers were Samaritans, who claimed Jewish descent.

Answer: Nicodemus

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, is the correct answer. He asked the questions of Jesus after Christ told him he must be born again, as per John 3:3.

In response to Nicodemus' question, Jesus, in John 3:16, made the famous declaration: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." It's that statement which has become a pillar of the evangelical Christian movement.

Answer: Unnamed centurion

The statement was made by an unnamed centurion. Mark 15:37-39 states: "And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this Man was the Son of God!'"

Quite often when I see this passage, I am reminded of the movie "The Greatest Story Ever Told" about the life of Jesus, in which John Wayne portrays a centurion at the crucifixion scene. Although Wayne is portraying a Roman centurion, his drawl is overly evident when he says "Surely, this is the Son of God." According to the Web, this was Wayne's smallest role of his illustrious career.

Answer: Jesus

Jesus is the correct answer. According to Scripture, He made the statement to Phraisees who were questioning Him on a variety of issues, including His claim He was from God.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state this about the passage: "Jesus was not claiming to have lived before Abraham; He was claiming eternal existence. He was claiming to be God Himself. (See Exodus 3:14)"

On top of this, Jesus is quoted as making seven different "I am" statements in the Gospel of John. They are:
1.) "I am the bread of life." -- John 6:35.
2.) "I am the light of the world." -- John 8:12.
3.) "I am the door." -- John 10:7.
4.) "I am the good shepherd." -- John 10:11.
5.) "I am the resurrection and the life." -- John 11:25.
6.) "I am the way, the truth and the life." -- John 14:6.
7.) "I am the true vine." -- John 15:1.

The seven "I am" statements are the cornerstones of Christianity. Many theologians link them back to Exodus 3:14, when God calls Himself I AM.