Authenticity and Authority of the Bible Assessment - Vision College

This document presents a solved multiple-choice assessment on the authenticity and authority of the Bible, originating from Vision College. The assessment covers a wide range of topics, including the formation of the Old and New Testament canons, the Apocrypha, and the significance of the 'day of the pulpit.' It explores key concepts like divine inspiration, revelation, and the role of personal experience in spiritual life. The questions delve into the differences between the Bible and the Koran, the sources of spiritual authority, and the importance of the Bible's historical claims. It examines the historical context, including the influence of figures like Moses, Ezra, and the impact of the exile. The assignment tests the understanding of the Bible's unique characteristics and its relationship with the concept of salvation. This assignment is a valuable resource for students studying the Bible, offering insights into its authenticity, authority, and key doctrines.

Running head: TITLE
Title:
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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1. The basic problem confronting Christianity can be expressed in one word. That word is
a) justification
b) inspiration
c) verification
d) liberation
Ans: 1. c
2. Which man commenced the sacred writings in the form we now have them?
a) Adam
b) Noah
c) Abraham
d) Moses
Ans: 2. d
3. The Greek words "ta biblia'. mean simply
a) holy writings
b) the books
c) the Bible
d) inspired words
Ans: 3. b
4. The arrangement of the books of the 0.T. into five sections was probably made

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a) by unknown persons about the middle of the 3rd century B.C.
b) by David when the kingdom was established.
c) by Ezra after the return of the Jews from exile.
d) by Malachi, the last of the prophets.
Ans: 4. a
5. The first N. T books to be written were probably
a) the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
b) Luke's history of the church, the Book of Acts.
c) the letters of Peter and John.
d) the letter of James and some of Paul's letters.
Ans: 5. d
6. The Greek translators of the 0. T chose diatheke instead of suntheke because it enabled
them to convey the idea of a
a) guaranteed inheritance.
b) mutual agreement.
c) divine initiative.
d) never-ending covenant.
Ans: 6. c
7. What three terms did the Jews use to describe the 0.T. collectively?

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a) "Moses, David, and the Prophets"
b) "The writings, the songs, and the oracles"
c) "The law, the prophets, and the writings"
d) "The rolls, the scrolls, and the books"
Ans: 7. c
8. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) One of the marks of a genuine apostolic writing was prompt recognition throughout the
entire church.
b) The LXX was a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, made by a group of 72 Jewish
scholars at Alexandria, circa 250 B.C.
c) Josephus reduced the number of books in the Jewish Bible, to make it conform to the
number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
d) The three-fold division in the Jewish Bible resulted from historical circumstances, not
from the contents of the books.
Ans: 8. a
9. The term "canon"
a) was invented by scholars; it does not occur in scripture.
b) comes from an ancient Latin word for an ox-goad.
c) was first used in its present meaning about 350 A.D.
d) should strictly be applied only to an ecclesiastical dignitary.

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Ans: 9. c
10. The only true criterion of a book's canonicity is its
a) apostolic endorsement.
b) historical veracity.
c) divine inspiration.
d) majority approval.
Ans: 10. c
11. It is true to say that –
a) each canonical book was at once recognised as being divinely inspired.
b) the process of canonisation sometimes took several centuries.
c) each canonical author knew he was writing scripture.
d) there has never been any serious quarrel about which books belong in the canon.
Ans: 11. B
12. The word "Pentateuch" describes
a) the first five books of the Bible.
b) the five books of poetry.
c) the five major prophets.
d) the four gospels and Acts.
Ans: 12. a

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13. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) In an age of unblushing plagiarism, one of the special marks of the canonical books was
their pure originality.
b) No book that contained evidence of being a collection of separate sayings or records was
ever admitted into the canon.
c) Our Bibles name Moses as the author of the Pentateuch, but textual evidence points more
toward Joshua as the main compiler.
d) The Pentateuch probably did not take its present shape until the time of Solomon, and after
that may still have undergone further emendation.
Ans: 13. d
14. The writings of Haggai and Zechariah were added to the canon
a) before the division of the tribes into two kingdoms.
b) at the time of the division of the tribes into two kingdoms.
c) after the commencement of the Christian era.
d) after the Jews' return from their captivity in Babylon.
Ans: 14. d
15. The word "apocrypha" signifies
a) hidden
b) revealed
c) prophetic

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d) mysterious
Ans: 15. a
16. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Despite their rejection from the Protestant canon, at least two books of the Apocrypha are
alluded to several times in the N.T.
b) Since the time of the Reformation, the Protestant churches have been unanimous in
rejecting the Apocrypha from the canon.
c) Even while the apostles were still alive, collections of their writings were being made and
recognised as "scripture".
d) One of the earliest lists we have of the N.T. books is dated near the end of the 2nd century,
and omits only five of our present books.
Ans: 16. b
17. Early in the fourth century Eusebius included among his list of disputed books
a) Acts.
b) James.
c) Romans.
d) Galatians.
Ans: 17. a
18. The canonicity of the Book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible) was
a) still being questioned as late as the early fourth century.

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b) accepted without question by the whole early church.
c) not accepted until the time of the Reformation.
d) questioned at first, but universally accepted by the second century.
Ans: 18. a
19. The letter to the Hebrews
a) was written by Paul.
b) was written by John.
c) was written by Matthew.
d) is anonymous.
Ans: 19. d
20. Which one of the following statements is false? By the latter part of the fourth century
a) almost unanimous agreement had been reached on the present collection of 27 N.T. books.
b) disputes about the apostolic authorship of the Revelation were ended, and its canonicity
confirmed.
c) the anonymity of the letter to the Hebrews was no longer reckoned a bar to its canonicity.
d) the 27 books of the N.T. were placed alongside the Hebrew canon and widely recognised
as scripture.
Ans: 20. a

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21. The famous Golden Rule was coined by Christ in opposition to the teaching of
a) Confucius.
b) Buddha.
c) Zarathustra.
d) None of the above
Ans: 21. d
22. Concerning the eight common methods of salvation, your notes claim that
a) they are essential parts of the gospel way of salvation.
b) they are a proper part of Christian life, but not of salvation.
c) the last three belong to salvation, and the first five to Christian life.
d) none of them have any place in Christian experience.
Ans: 22. b
23. The salvation offered by the gospel of Christ is found through
a) repentance, prayer, and godly living.
b) water baptism and membership in the church.
c) priestly absolution and intercession.
d) belief in a particular set of propositions.
Ans: 23. d
24. Across the centuries the great aim of religion (as distinct from the gospel) has always
been
to
a) close off access to the throne of God.
b) create a way for people to get answered prayer.

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c) establish an effective atonement for sin.
d) humanise the image of the Lord God.
Ans: 24. a
25. Which of the following four statements about the Koran is true?
a) Muslims deeply reverence the Koran, but they do not love it as Christians love the Bible.
b) The Koran is very much like the Bible in its contents, except that it curses Jesus of
Nazareth.
c) A major distinction between the Bible and the Koran lies in the relationship they each
claim with God.
d) Muslims find in the Koran a system of law and moral guidance, but they do not seek
spiritual inspiration from its pages.
Ans: 25. c
26. The Christian faith imposes upon itself a strange limitation. Unlike other great religions,
Christianity inextricably links its doctrines with
a) the truth of its historical claims.
b) the necessity of atonement for sin.
c) the transcendence and inaccessibility of God.
d) the legendary character of its sacred records.
Ans: 26. a
27. The Koran
a) denies the historicity of Abraham and Solomon.
b) rejects the idea that Jesus worked miracles.

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c) completely ignores the history of the Hebrews.
d) condones the marital infidelity of Mohomed.
Ans: 27. d
28. The Bible is not so much a book about God as it is a self-revelation of God. Which of the
following would be a proper response to that statement?
a) Our ultimate goal, "the face of God," cannot be found in, but lies beyond the pages of
scripture.
b) The Bible splendidly shows us God's actions in history, and the doctrines built upon those
actions - but nothing more.
c) A devout Muslim does not expect to meet God face to face in scripture; a devout
Christian does.
d) That is why Christians approach the Bible with reverential awe - a sentiment lacking from
the Muslim attitude toward the Koran.
Ans: 28. c
29. The church and the mosque both contain a pulpit. Which of the following is a proper
response to that statement?
a) The statement is false, because the only mosques that have a pulpit are those linked with
heretical cults.
b) True; but the sermon is an integral part of Christian worship, while it is optional in the
mosque.
c) The introduction of a pulpit into the mosque was a nineteenth century innovation by Imam
Baha'ullah.
d) The pulpit is not essential to the proper function of either the church or the mosque.

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Ans: 29. b
30. One of the great turning points of history and the day when the true glory of God was
transferred to the "pulpit", occurred under the leadership of
a) Moses.
b) Solomon.
c) Hezekiah.
d) Ezra.
Ans: 30. d
31. The writings of Sirach (circa 200 B. C.) show that 200 years after Malachi
a) among thoughtful rabbis the written law had come to exceed the temple in importance.
b) the temple and its sacrifices, which were to endure for another two centuries, were
supreme in the estimation of the devout.
c) the supernatural guidance of the Urim was preferred by the rabbi to the stern moralising of
the law.
d) the high priest had gained an authority in Israel superior to that of either the temple or the
law.
Ans: 31.a
32. Your lesson claims that the " day of the pulpit" could not have occurred sooner than it
did. Which one of the following distracters is not a reason for that delay?
a) The confirmatory impact of the exile.
b) Time to recognise the writings as scripture.

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c) Time to collect all of the writings.
d) The destruction of the Temple.
Ans: 32. d
33. When Paul wanted to specify the chief glory owned by the Jews, he named
a) the temple.
b) the high priest.
c) the synagogue.
d) the law.
Ans: 33. d
34. According to your book, there are three possible sources of spiritual authority. They are
a) the church, the word, the Spirit.
b) the sacraments, the priesthood, prayer.
c) conscience, prophecy, scripture.
d) the word, the church, personal experience.
Ans: 34. d
35. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) Personal experience is the foundation of the gospel.
b) Personal experience should be a serendipity of life.
c) Personal experience is antagonistic to the gospel.

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d) Personal experience is the foundation of spiritual life.
Ans: 35. b
36. The great goal of every Christian should be to enter the holiest That goal can be gained
only by
a) fervent and persistent intercession.
b) Holy Spirit baptism.
c) "breaking through" in worship and praise.
d) simple trust in the promise of God.
Ans: 36. d
37. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) The greatest thing about Jesus was his relationship with the word of God.
b) Jesus pointed to his miracles as the most reliable source of knowledge about his true
identity.
c) Jesus saw many astonishing things in scripture that were quite hidden from his disciples.
d) Jesus was the first man in history to perceive the need for an inner revelation of the word
of God.
Ans: 37. b
38. Concerning 1 Th 2:13 it would be proper to say that
a) the living voice of God speaks with an authority higher than that of the written word.

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b) the written word has the character of God and is indistinguishable from God.
c) only those parts of scripture where God himself is speaking have the same authority as
God.
d) the apostles shrank from giving their preaching and teaching any kind of divine authority.
Ans: 38.b
39. Which one of the following sentences is false?
a) Islam does not hesitate to teach that God is free to "mislead" anyone whom he chooses to
turn aside from the truth.
b) Islam and Christianity share many basic principles, including that of uncomplaining
submission to the inexorable will of God.
c) There is in Islam a strong element of fatalism, which is happily lacking from the gospel.
d) Islam declares that salvation is available only to those to whom Allah chooses to reveal
himself.
Ans:39. b
40. Which one of The following sentences is false?
a) The perfect obedience Jesus gave to his Father was not born in him; he had to learn it, and
that through suffering and struggle.
b) One of the things that marked Jesus as the holy Son of God was his instinctive, easy, and
perfect grasp of scripture.
c) Until the very eve of his crucifixion there were aspects of his coming death that were
mysterious and appalling to Jesus.

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d) We may imagine Jesus as a young man having great difficulty comprehending and
believing such passages as (Is 9:6.)
Ans: 40. c
41. Which one of the following statements is false? To say that the Bible is authentic means
a) the books of the Bible are not spurious, but are what they appear to be.
b) the books of the Bible were written by the people stated in the text as their authors.
c) the Bible is reliable in its religious teaching but may be unreliable historically and
scientifically.
d) the Bible does not contain anything counterfeit, dishonest, or deceptive.
Ans: 41. c
42. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Despite the Dead Sea scrolls, and other remarkable finds, we still have no original
manuscripts of any biblical book.
b) To arrive at a document as close as possible to the original scriptures, scholars work only
with ancient copies that are written in either Hebrew or Greek.
c) For most classical authors, scholars are obliged to work with manuscript copies that are
more than 1500 years removed from the original documents.
d) There is a gap of 1600 years between Euripides and the oldest extant copy of his writings.
Ans: 42. d
43. The gap between the writing of the N.T and the first complete copy that is still extant is

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a) 70 years.
b) 110 years.
c) 250 years.
d) 360 years.
Ans: 43. c
44. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) In Jesus' day there were in use several slightly different Hebrew versions of the O.T.
b) The Jews in the time of Christ depended mainly on the LXX version of the O.T.
c) Jesus and his disciples had the use of both a Greek and a Hebrew version of the O.T.
d) The Hebrew text of the O.T. was not fixed until toward the end of the first century A.D.
Ans: 44. c
45. The Masoretic text of the 0.T (upon which our Bibles are based) was fixed by the Jews
a) in the LXX version (circa 250 B.C.).
b) at the Synod of Jamnia (circa 100 A.D.).
c) by Rabbi Hillel about the time of Jesus.
d) by the scribe Ezra, in the 5th century B.C.
Ans: 45. b
46. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain copies of every 0.T; book except
a) Exodus

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b) Isaiah
c) Jonah
d) Esther
Ans: 46. d
47. A comparison of The Dead Sea Scrolls with the MT and The LXX shows that
a) during a thousand years of copying many errors were introduced into the text of the O.T.
b) between 100 B.C. and 900 A.D. no significant changes were introduced into the text of the
O.T.
c) the LXX is more true to the original text than the MT.
d) the scrolls have a certain historical value, but they do not help to establish the text of the
O.T.
Ans: 47. b
48. Among the various extant Greek manuscripts of the N.T; there are some 150,000 textual
variations,
a) but none of them alter the sense of any passage significantly.
b) of which some 400 alter the meaning of the passage.
c) which do cast doubt upon some of the articles of our faith.
d) but remarkably, none of them are in the gospels.
Ans: 48. b

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49. Opponents of the gospel story often argue that there is no independent witness of the
events recorded. Apart from the Bible (they say), there is no contemporary account of Christ.
In response to this we say that:
a) in their combined writings, at least four secular historians contemporary with the New
Testament, confirm the broad outline of the life of Christ.
b) Eusebius was contemporary with the gospel writers and he gives detailed information
about their accuracy.
c) the poet Tertullian was an associate of Paul, and he has left an independent witness of the
genuineness of the gospel story.
d) the sober "Clementine Gospel" gives the actual date of the crucifixion of Christ, namely,
32 A.D
Ans: 49. a
50. The authenticity of the first three gospels is confirmed by the fact that
a) they do not record the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
b) they record the earthquake that destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D.
c) they record the plague that decimated the Assyrian army.
d) they do not record the sack of Rome by the Barbarians.
Ans: 50. A
51. The authenticity of the four gospels is demonstrated by

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a) their remarkable similarity in style, despite the fact they were written by authors separated
from each other in time and culture.
b) the testimony of the Greek historian Livy, who quotes extensively from the Greek-style
gospel of John.
c) the story of Jesus, for it defies reason to imagine that such a life could be nothing more
than a creative fiction.
d) the several extant manuscripts of the gospels that go back almost to the year 100 A.D.
Ans: 51. a
52. Which one of the following should not be included among reasons for believing in the
authenticity of the N. T.?
a) The remarkable number of references to the resurrection of Christ that occur in secular
writings of the period.
b) The lack of any natural and material advantage the authors could have expected from their
writings.
c) The manner in which a Jewish-born religion so quickly conquered an antagonistic Gentile
world.
d) The claims of Jesus are so startling that unless they are true they must be reckoned as the
mark of a madman.
Ans: 52. b
53. “Form Criticism" argues that the gospel stories
a) Are based on true oral accounts around which many legendary accretions have gathered.

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b) have no foundation in fact, but are simply pious fables told in a set "form".
c) were originally written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but were drastically altered in
"form" by later writers.
d) were created by the Essenes to strengthen their position as a dissident Jewish sect.
Ans: 53. c
54. The failure of the first three gospels to record the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans,
indicates that they were written –
a) prior to 7O A.D.
b) after 8O A.D.
c) after 90 A.D.
d) after l00 A.D.
Ans: 54. a
55. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) There are some areas where archaeology has made the task of understanding the Bible
more complex.
b) Archaeology has everywhere confirmed the accuracy of the Bible and made it easier to
understand.
c) It is fair to say that archaeology has nowhere finally proved the Bible to be in error.
d) The general trend of archaeology is toward confirmation of what the Bible says.
Ans: 55. b

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56. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) Nelson Glueck was undoubtedly true when he said that no archaeological discovery has
ever controverted a biblical reference.
b) Modern archaeology began when the Moabite stone was discovered in Egypt in the year
1868.
c) Cuneiform writing was used not only on clay tablets, but also on marble and metal.
d) The decipherment of various cuneiform scripts was made possible by Rawlinson's
translation of the Rosetta Stone.
Ans: 56. c
57. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Archaeology has confirmed the probable historicity of Abraham.
b) Archaeology has shown that Moses could have written documents in at least three different
scripts.
c) Archaeology has shown that the city of Ur was actually the capital of the Hittite empire.
d) Archaeology has shown the historicity of many biblical events that were earlier thought to
be myths.
Ans: 57. c
58. For a long time the Bible was the only witness to the existence of the great city of
a) Susa.
b) Babylon.

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c) Sardis.
d) Nineveh.
Ans: 58. d
59. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Although some scholars have argued that Moses based his laws upon those of Hammurabi,
the reverse is more likely to be true.
b) The Bible writers had no interest in recording history; their goals were religious, not
political, sacred, not secular.
c) The names Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were common in Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C.;
there were probably many "Abraham's" in Ur.
d) Yigael Yadin claims that archaeology has falsified the biblical account of Joshua's
destruction of Ai.
Ans: 59. b
60. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) The Hittite empire reached the height of its strength from 1400 to 1200 B.C.
b) Archaeology has even shown the significance of the ancient custom of walking between
the two halves of a split carcass.
c) Archaeologists were astonished to discover that in ancient Babylon, contrary to other
lands, there was no link between dentistry and religion.
d) We now recognise a need to be cautious about ascribing 20th century motives and
standards to peoples of the ancient world.

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Ans: 60. c
61. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) Archaeology has greatly simplified the task of translators by providing the meaning of
every formerly obscure word in the O.T.
b) The use of bitter curse-formulae by the Gentiles is one of the factors that strongly
separated them from Israel.
c) A goat-shaped demon, and one shaped like a hag, were part of a widely accepted
demonology in the time of Isaiah.
d) One disappointment has been the failure of archaeology to find any trace in the ruins of
Babylon of Nebuchadnezzars "fiery furnace".
Ans: 61. c
62. Which one of the following statements is false? A study of the use of curse formulae in
the ancient world shows that
a) Isaiah's prediction that Babylon would become a demon-haunted ruin should not be taken
literally.
b) there was no serious intention that each word of the curse should be taken literally.
c) ancient curses were just as hyperbolic as similar idiomatic expressions used in our day.
d) the ancients, as we do, used these idiomatic expressions in a mainly informal or jocular
sense.
Ans: 62. d
63. Among the surprising discoveries of archaeology has been this:

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a) in virtually every aspect of her cultural and social life, Israel differed from her neighbours.
b) even the prophets in Israel believed implicitly in the names and identities of at least some
Babylonian demons.
c) weddings and funerals were among the few ceremonies in which Israeli practice differed
markedly from that of her neighbours.
d) the design of Israel's great temple in Jerusalem was virtually identical to that of many
splendid contemporary pagan temples.
Ans: 63. d
64. Israel's worship and psalmody differed little in style and structure from that of her
heathen neighbours. One striking example of this is found in the great hymn composed by
a) Nebuchadnezzar.
b) Esar-Hadden.
c) Benhadad.
d) Akhenaton.
Ans: 64. d
65. The great Egyptian hymn to "The One Sole God" presents God under the symbol of
a) the Moon.
b) a Nile crocodile.
c) Osiris.
d) the Sun.

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Ans: 65. d
66. That Egyptian hymn carries a striking resemblance to Psalm
a) 53
b) 104
c) 28
d) 91
Ans: 66. b
67. The worship of Aton in ancient Egypt was
a) a 14th century B.C. form of monotheism.
b) built upon a deification of Moses.
c) hated by the prophets of Israel.
d) a source of idolatry among 8th century B.C. Jews.
Ans: 67. a
68. Concerning the Babylonian Genesis,
a) it closely resembles the biblical account of Creation.
b) it probably goes back to the same source as the biblical account.
c) it differs in every way from the biblical account.
d) it has its source in an Egyptian Creation Myth.
Ans: 68. b

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69. Concerning the struggle between monotheism and polytheism,
a) among the ancient nations only in Israel was monotheism ever practiced.
b) monotheism flourished from time to time in Assyria, but nowhere else, apart from Israel.
c) in ancient Chaldea a monotheistic school flourished for a time under the name of the God
Anu.
d) from the time of Moses, polytheists remained a small and unimportant minority in Israel.
Ans: 69. c
70. The reason given in your notes for the amazing differences between Israel and her
neighbours is:
a) her policy of unbroken political isolation.
b) her distance from the major trade routes.
c) the uniquely divine quality of her religion.
d) her strikingly different worship style.
Ans: 70. c
71. The Christian faith is unique among the world's great religions because
a) it bases salvation upon belief in a set of propositions.
b) it bases its doctrines on the teachings of one man.
c) it has endured longer than any other great religion.
d) it does not depend on a sacred book to sustain its life and faith.

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Ans: 71. a
72. The concept of authority being vested in a written revelation began with
a) the record of the covenant God made with Abraham.
b) the ten commandments given to Moses.
c) the written psalms of David.
d) the written oracles of the prophets.
Ans: 72. b
73. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) The phrase "canon of scripture" expresses our belief that the Bible is the only complete,
inspired, and authoritative rule of faith.
b) It is reasonable to insist that there are certain things we cannot know unless God himself
chooses to reveal them to us.
c) Nature, apart from scripture, is insufficient to prove that God is a God of love.
d) The concept, "God is love", did not originate with Christianity, but is common to all great
religions.
Ans: 73. d
74. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) It is reasonable to appeal to the Bible itself to support the argument that the Bible has
authority.

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b) The Bible has an incredible power to authenticate itself in the experience of those who
believe it.
c) The concept of authority being vested in a written revelation began with the Ten
Commandments.
d) The writing of scripture may be said to have begun when Abraham recorded the words
God spoke to him.
Ans: 74. d
75. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) The oral and visionary disclosure God gave of himself before the Bible was written, was
inadequate, even for its own time.
b) The phrase "the oracles of God" is used several times in the O.T., but it does not occur in
the N.T.
c) It is important to notice how often the scriptures present vigorous argument in favour of
their claim to be the Word of God.
d) The Bible simply assumes its divine authority; therefore it is improper for us to cite
rational grounds in support of this claim.
Ans: 75. a
76. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Christ drew his concept of the Messianic office from the pages of O.T. prophecy.
b) Without the scriptures, Christ could not have come, and even if he had come, his life could
not have had any Messianic value.

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c) Christ acknowledged the authority of the O.T., but he also claimed at least equal authority
for his own doctrines.
d) Christ is so superior to scripture, that it is possible to truly believe in him, while rejecting
the authority of scripture.
Ans: 76. a
77. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) The N.T. writers insisted that salvation could be found only by obedience to the message
of scripture.
b) The N.T. nowhere quotes itself; hence when the N.T. uses the word "scripture, the
reference is always to the O.T.
c) It is sometimes claimed that Peter refers to Paul's writings as scripture", but there is no
specific evidence of this in the N.T.
d) Christ himself called into question many of the statements found in the laws, histories, and
oracles of the O.T.
Ans: 77. a
78. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) The authority of the apostolic writings stems from two things: the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit; the sanction of the Council of Nicea.
b) The early church accepted into the canon only apostolic writings, or writings that carried
the sanction of the apostles.

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c) The apostles claimed authority for their teaching, but they stopped short of equating their
words with the words of God.
d) There is a strange omission from the N.T. letters of any citations from any of the four
gospels.
Ans: 78. b
79. In support of his personal authority Jesus claimed two witnesses, which he said were
sufficient to remove doubt. They were
a) himself and his Father.
b) the Old and New Testaments.
c) Moses and Elijah.
d) John the Baptist and Mark.
Ans: 79. a
80. Included in the definition of 'inspiration" given in your lesson, is the following idea:
a) while the authors inserted much of their own material, some of it erroneous, they also
included everything necessary to guide us to salvation.
b) we should accept the clear explanation the Bible itself gives in several places of both the
"how" and the "why" of its inspiration.
c) inspiration is best understood, not as applying to every part of scripture, but only to those
parts that discuss the way to salvation.
d) the Holy Spirit so moved upon the authors of scripture that, knowingly or unknowingly,
they included everything necessary for the redemptive purposes of God.

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Ans: 80. d
81. Although the Spirit used various methods to convey the word of God to us, one thing
must be excluded, namely,
a) a trance.
b) laborious editing.
c) human invention.
d) forcible control.
Ans: 81. b
82. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) One of the proofs of the inspiration of the Bible is the uniform style of writing found in all
of its books.
b) The approximations in numbers and distances found in the Bible do not disprove its
inspiration.
c) God was able to accommodate himself to the idiosyncrasies of each Bible writer, yet still
maintain their inspiration.
d) A "mechanical" theory of inspiration is the mark of false religions, such as spiritism.
Ans: 82. a
83. Which one of the following statements would provide evidence that the Bible is not
inspired?
a) Inaccurate citations in the N.T. of the wording of O.T. passages.

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b) Proof that any biblical book was an edited collection of sayings, rather than an original
document.
c) An unvarying consistency, in style, dramatic detail, reporting of speeches, statistics, and
the like.
d) A low standard of grammar, different accounts of the same event or saying, a multitude of
manuscript variations.
Ans: 83. d
84. The idea of verbal, plenary inspiration, which produced a wholly inerrant Bible
a) was scornfully rejected by Martin Luther, and indeed by most of the Reformers.
b) would not describe the viewpoint presented in your lesson.
c) is correct, except that inerrancy must be limited to salvation doctrine.
d) was taught by J'Annin, but is firmly rejected in your lesson.
Ans: 84. b
85. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) If the Bible is inspired by God, then every statement in it must be taken literally.
b) In many places the Bible uses "poetic license", and such passages cannot be understood
literally.
c) One of the most difficult tasks facing translators is to render biblical idioms into equivalent
English idioms.

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d) The concept of biblical inspiration does not preclude the Bible from using many common
literary devices.
Ans: 85. a
86. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) If it can be shown that the Bible uses exaggerated language, then confidence in its
accuracy will be destroyed.
b) It is deceptive to argue that eastern writers were accustomed to a style of speech much
more extravagant than ours.
c) The biblical authors make free use of hyperbole in their writings, for this was part of the
contemporary style.
d) If the biblical curses were not literally and actually fulfilled, then Bible prophecy is proved
to be unreliable.
Ans: 86. c
87. Concerning the inspiration of the Bible, we may say that
a) it can be scientifically and indisputably proved.
b) it must ultimately be accepted as an article of faith.
c) the value of the Bible does not depend on supernatural inspiration.
d) each person who wrote the inspired words knew he was under the control of the Spirit.
Ans: 87. a
88. The Bible tells the story of

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a) man's search for God.
b) Israel's search for empire.
c) God's search for man.
d) man's search for immortality.
Ans: 88. c
89. The great strength of the Christian faith lies in the fact that it
a) embodies a unique code of ethics.
b) is built essentially upon historical events
c) is the product of the finest philosophy.
d) does not depend upon a coded law.
Ans: 89. b
90. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) The Bible has been given to us primarily to prove that God actually exists.
b) The Bible nowhere attempts to prove that God exists, but everywhere simply assumes the
reality of God.
c) The Bible assumes the existence of God, but nonetheless in several places offers a formal
proof of his existence.
d) The O.T. presents no formal argument for the existence of God, but the N.T. does so in at
least three places.

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Ans: 90. B
91. On the question of authority, we say that
a) the church, as the interpreter of scripture, is the ultimate authority.
b) the traditions of the church have an authority equal with that of scripture.
c) the Bible is supreme, but must be interpreted through the traditions of the church.
d) the Bible stands above the doctrines, traditions, dogmas, and authority of the church.
Ans: 91. d
92. Human reason fails as a proper source of authority because
a) different minds do not always agree on how logically compelling an argument may be.
b) the spiritual and poetic revelation of scripture is not susceptible to rational analysis.
c) people thinking about God will all come to the same human conclusions, but will miss the
mind of God.
d) there is an inherent conflict between reason and faith; they are relentless foes of each
other.
Ans: 92. d
93. According to scripture, the highest level of understanding comes from
a) revelation.
b) faith.
c) inspiration.

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d) study.
Ans: 93. b
94. All scientific knowledge begins with
a) a reasonable hypothesis.
b) an unprovable assumption.
c) an established fact.
d) a repeatable experiment.
Ans: 94. b
95. Supply the missing word: “Not just practical but also…..obstacles prevent the laboratory
achievement of absolute zero.”
a) theoretical
b) mathematical
c) metaphysical
d) political
Ans: 95. c
96. “Apologetics” is the name given to the branch of knowledge that deals with
a) the study of biblical grammar.
b) A reasoning defence of Christianity
c) The reconciling of science and faith

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d) Excusing the brutality of the past
Ans: 96. b
97. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) The very nature of religion versus science demands that one be approached irrationally and
the other rationally.
b) Any attempt to keep the Bible abreast of modern ideas will simply condemn the Bible to
increasing obsolescence.
c) The French Academy of Science in 1968 produced a list of fifty-one scientific “facts” that
were supposed to invalidate the Bible.
d) The earth-centred nature of scientific research inevitably brings it into conflict with the
God-centred quest of the church.
Ans: 97. b
98. Which one of the following statements is true?
a) Our intellect does not draw its laws from nature, but rather imposes them upon nature.
b) Scientific “law” is entirely a human invention; it exists only in the mind of the scientist.
c) Unlike science, which is rooted in the changing sands of this planet, Christianity is
grounded upon a higher, unchanging metaphysical principle.
d) Two great things unite science and religion; the search for a unifying concept; discovery
that comes through revelation.
Ans: 98. a

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99. The basic assumption upon which all rational thought about the world is based is
a) the uniformity of natural law.
b) The trustworthiness of scripture.
c) The spiritual nature of all things.
d) The capriciousness of the elements.
Ans: 99. a
100. Which one of the following statements is false?
a) Both Christianity and science are built upon a first premise that in neither case is proven or
provable.
b) We know that science can stand apart from scripture, because the roots of modern science
lie in the culture of ancient pagan Greece.
c) Two of the strong characteristics of biblical faith are, on the one hand, unshakeable
optimism , and on the other, utter pessimism.
d) The theist who says, “There is a God,” and the atheist who denies it are both making a
faithstatement, which neither can “prove”.
Ans: 100. b