Question 1

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus spoke fluent Greek.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 2

List and explain the arguments for Markan priority.

Accepted Answer

Students should fully explain the patterns of agreement between the Synoptics, the sequence of the narratives, and the characteristics of the changes that Matthew and Luke made to Mark. In their discussions they should explain how these three elements work to show that Mark was written first and used as a source by Matthew and Luke.

Question 3

Which New Testament Gospel was probably written last?

Accepted Answer

A)  Matthew 
B)  Mark 
C)  Luke 
D)  John 
A)  Matthew 
B)  Mark 
C)  Luke 
D)  John D

Question 4

Where was Q finally discovered?

Accepted Answer

A)  a cave in Qumran 
B)  It is still lost. 
C)  near the Dead Sea 
D)  It was discovered to be an oral tradition passed down by the Essenes. 
A)  a cave in Qumran 
B)  It is still lost. 
C)  near the Dead Sea 
D)  It was discovered to be an oral tradition passed down by the Essenes.

Question 5

How far into the narrative would ancient readers/listeners of the Gospels have expected to get before they would be able to discern Jesus' character and identity?

Accepted Answer

A)  the end 
B)  near the midpoint 
C)  only after reading all of them through 
D)  the opening scenes 
A)  the end 
B)  near the midpoint 
C)  only after reading all of them through 
D)  the opening scenes

Question 6

Ancient biographies were usually arranged in chronological order.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Most scholars believe Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a source.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Q contains mostly Jesus'

Accepted Answer

A)  birth narrative. 
B)  sayings. 
C)  death. 
D)  resurrection appearances. 
A)  birth narrative. 
B)  sayings. 
C)  death. 
D)  resurrection appearances.

Question 9

In the story of the women who find Jesus' tomb empty and are instructed by a young man (or angel) to go tell Peter and the other disciples (Mark 16), the last twelve verses of this story in Mark were

Accepted Answer

A)  added to the Gospel of Mark by a scribe. 
B)  an original part of the Gospel of Mathew and later inserted into the Gospel of Mark by the author of Mark. 
C)  an original part of the Gospel of Mark. 
D)  a pagan parable. 
A)  added to the Gospel of Mark by a scribe. 
B)  an original part of the Gospel of Mathew and later inserted into the Gospel of Mark by the author of Mark. 
C)  an original part of the Gospel of Mark. 
D)  a pagan parable.

Question 10

There is only one accepted scholarly solution to the Synoptic Problem.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Methodical character development of the central character of a biography would be expected by readers of

Accepted Answer

A)  any ancient Greco-Roman biography. 
B)  just the Gospels. 
C)  modern biographies. 
D)  ancient legends. 
A)  any ancient Greco-Roman biography. 
B)  just the Gospels. 
C)  modern biographies. 
D)  ancient legends.

Question 12

According to the four-source hypothesis, in addition to Mark, both Matthew and Luke used

Accepted Answer

A)  M. 
B)  L. 
C)  John. 
D)  Q. 
A)  M. 
B)  L. 
C)  John. 
D)  Q.

Question 13

Discuss the four-source hypothesis. How are these four sources related? What is their character (oral, written)?

Accepted Answer

Students should discuss Markan priority,

Question 14

The Gospel of Mark was originally written in Aramaic.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

When Jesus is baptized, the spirit of God descends on him in the shape of

Accepted Answer

A)  a dove. 
B)  flames. 
C)  angels. 
D)  a sunbeam. 
A)  a dove. 
B)  flames. 
C)  angels. 
D)  a sunbeam.

Question 16

Which is the shortest, overall, of the three Synoptics?

Accepted Answer

A)  Matthew 
B)  Mark 
C)  Luke 
D)  They are all of equal length. 
A)  Matthew 
B)  Mark 
C)  Luke 
D)  They are all of equal length.

Question 17

Biographies written by Christians put a significant amount of emphasis on Jesus' __________, which is very unusual for ancient biographies?

Accepted Answer

A)  birth 
B)  death 
C)  childhood 
D)  ministry 
A)  birth 
B)  death 
C)  childhood 
D)  ministry

Question 18

Most scholars think that Q was a written document because

Accepted Answer

A)  the L source refers to Q as a written document. 
B)  the M source refers to Q as a written document. 
C)  there are long stretches of verbatim agreement between Matthew and Luke. 
D)  Matthew and Luke share the same sequencing of miracles. 
A)  the L source refers to Q as a written document. 
B)  the M source refers to Q as a written document. 
C)  there are long stretches of verbatim agreement between Matthew and Luke. 
D)  Matthew and Luke share the same sequencing of miracles.

Question 19

What was it about Mark's grammar that influenced Matthew and Luke to change the way they talked about the same material?

Accepted Answer

A)  It was awkward. 
B)  It was too "flowery" and overemotional. 
C)  It was ungrammatical. 
D)  It was too technical. 
A)  It was awkward. 
B)  It was too "flowery" and overemotional. 
C)  It was ungrammatical. 
D)  It was too technical.

Question 20

Modern biographers are less trusting of ____________ of information than the ancient biographers were.

Accepted Answer

A)  oral sources 
B)  written sources 
C)  prophetic forms 
D)  mystical forms 
A)  oral sources 
B)  written sources 
C)  prophetic forms 
D)  mystical forms

Exam 18: The Synoptic Problem and the Gospel of Mark

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus spoke fluent Greek.

List and explain the arguments for Markan priority.

Which New Testament Gospel was probably written last?

Where was Q finally discovered?

How far into the narrative would ancient readers/listeners of the Gospels have expected to get before they would be able to discern Jesus' character and identity?

Ancient biographies were usually arranged in chronological order.

Most scholars believe Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a source.

Q contains mostly Jesus'

In the story of the women who find Jesus' tomb empty and are instructed by a young man (or angel) to go tell Peter and the other disciples (Mark 16), the last twelve verses of this story in Mark were

There is only one accepted scholarly solution to the Synoptic Problem.

Methodical character development of the central character of a biography would be expected by readers of

According to the four-source hypothesis, in addition to Mark, both Matthew and Luke used

Discuss the four-source hypothesis. How are these four sources related? What is their character (oral, written)?

The Gospel of Mark was originally written in Aramaic.

When Jesus is baptized, the spirit of God descends on him in the shape of

Which is the shortest, overall, of the three Synoptics?

Biographies written by Christians put a significant amount of emphasis on Jesus' __________, which is very unusual for ancient biographies?

Most scholars think that Q was a written document because

What was it about Mark's grammar that influenced Matthew and Luke to change the way they talked about the same material?

Modern biographers are less trusting of ____________ of information than the ancient biographers were.

What Is the Bible

Why Is the Bible so Hard to Understand

The Book of Genesis

Who Wrote the Pentateuch

From Egypt to Mount Sinai: Exodus and Leviticus

From Mount Sinai to the Promised Land: Numbers and Deuteronomy

The Deuteronomistic History: Joshua and Judges

The Books of Samuel and Kings

The Early Israelite Prophets: Amos and Isaiah

Other Pre-Exilic Prophets: Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk

The Historians of Exile and Return: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Beyond

The Exilic and Post-Exilic Prophets

The Poets of Ancient Israel

Storytellers in Ancient Israel

The Wisdom Literature

Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and the Apocrypha

The World of Jesus and His Followers

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke

The Gospel of John and the Later Gospels

The Historical Jesus

The Life of the Apostle Paul

The Letters of Paul

The Acts of the Apostles

In the Wake of Paul: Deutero-Pauline Epistles

The General Epistles and the Book of Revelation

Appendix: the Canon and Text of the Bible

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