Word Association -- New Testament Characters #4 Quiz

Answer: Sapphira

Sapphira and her husband were struck dead after selling their property and withholding part of the money from going to the Lord's work, as per Acts 5:1-11. According to Scripture, they were struck dead after they met separately with Peter and both lied, claiming they had turned over the entire proceeds from the sale of their property.

Answer: Paul

Paul, then known as Saul at the time, became temporary blind when, according to Scripture, he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9:3-9, in the NKJV Bible, states: "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.' And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank,"

Acts 9:17-18 reports about Ananias visiting Saul and restoring his sight. The two verses state: "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

Paul would go on to become an unstoppable force, preaching the Gospel throughout present day Turkey and Europe.

Damascus is in southwestern Syria and, according to Wikipedia, it is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

Answer: Julius

Acts 27 tells of Paul being a prisoner sailing for Rome when a centurion named Julius showed kindness to the apostle during a stop in Sidon. According to Scripture, Julius allowed Paul to visit with his friends so they could provide for his needs. Acts 27:1 states Julius was a centurion in the Imperial Regiment. Sidon is on the Mediterranean coast and, according to Wikipedia, it is the third largest city in Lebanon. It is about 25 miles south of Beruit and about 25 miles north of Tyre.

Answer: Sosthenes

The correct answer is Sosthenes. According to Acts 18:17, Sosthenes was a Synagogue ruler who was beaten by an unruly mob in front of the court. The beating took place in front of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, and according to verse 17, he showed "no concern whatever." There is no conclusive proof Sosthenes mentioned in Acts is the same person referred to by Paul in his salutations in 1 Corinthians. If it is the same person, he obviously had become a Christian after being a ruler of the synagogue.

Answer: Peter

According to Scripture, Peter wept bitterly after he denied knowing Christ on three different occasions just prior to His crucifixion. Peter's denials are reported in the 27th chapter of Matthew. After the third denial, a rooster crowed, just like Jesus predicted.

Matthew 26:75, in the NKJV, states: "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So he went out and wept bitterly."

Answer: Anna

According to the second chapter of Luke, Anna was the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was of "great age" and a widow "of about 84 years". Luke 2:37, in the NKJV Bible, states Anna "did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." After Jesus was presented as an infant at the temple by his parents Mary and Joseph, Scripture states Anna "gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

Answer: Timothy

Timothy is the correct answer. In addition to being young, many theologians believe Timothy was timid. In 1 Corinthians 16:10 in the NIV Bible, Paul writes: "If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am."

It appears Paul may have used the word "fear" because Timothy was young and possibly timid. Considering how hard he labored for the early church, it is a supreme compliment to Timothy for Paul to write "he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am." In 2 Corinthians 11:23-25, Paul writes about some of his sufferings. He states he had been in "prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again." He goes on to state: "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea." With this background, it boggles the mind to think how much young Timothy might have suffered to preach the news of a resurrected Christ.

1 Timothy 4:12, in the NIV Bible, Paul tells Timothy: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Notes in the NIV Study Bible sum up things this way: "Timothy was probably in his mid-30s or younger, and in that day, such an influential position was not held by a man so young. For this reason, perhaps his leadership had been called into question."

Answer: Barnabas

Barnabas is the correct answer. According to Acts 4:36, his original name was Joseph and he was a Levite from Cyprus. However, the apostles opted to call him Barnabas, which means 'son of encouragement'. In addition to being an encouragement to others, Barnabas was a generous giver. Acts 4:37 states he sold a field he owned and "brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet".

Answer: Luke

The Gospel of Luke is the only book in the English Bible to mention Nain. According to Scripture, Jesus raised a widow's son from dead at the small community.

Luke 7:11-15, in the NKJV Bible, reports: "Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother."

According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Nain is about ten miles south of Nazareth.

Answer: Ananias

Ananias was a high priest who was involved in a hearing involving Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Details are reported in the 23rd chapter of Acts.

In addition to the high priest, there are two other men who have the name Ananias in the New Testament.

The first Ananias was the husband of Sapphira and as noted in the answer to Question 1, both were struck dead by the Lord after selling their property and withholding some of the proceeds from the early church. (Acts 5:1-11)

The second Ananias went to visit Paul, then known as Saul, after his dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-19)

Although there are three different men with the name Ananias in the Bible, their accounts are listed in only Acts. In other words, the name Ananias appears nowhere else in Scripture.