This quiz on Josh McDowell's book More Than a Carpenter helped launch discussions in Albania. Could it help your ministry?
- What are some ways through which people communicated that they did understand Jesus’ assertion that He is God?
a. Through worshiping him, even though they were monotheists.
b. through persecuting him.
c. a and b
- Why does it seem that when people talk about religion they are calm, but when the conversation includes Jesus, people react emotionally?
a. Because Jesus’ declarations about himself confuse people.
b. Because people feel judged when Jesus’ name is mentioned.
c. Both.
- What is the importance of the fact that Jesus referred to himself as God, for the truthfulness of Christian faith?
a. This fact avoids doubts that people might have had about him.
b. By declaring himself that he is God, the accusation that Christian faith is a mitological invention doesn’t account as justifiable.
c. Because Jesus is a person who is much respected and trustworthy, he would help the reliability of Christianity.
d. Because it is good for the man to speak for himself, as none other than yourself knows the truth about yourself.
- Why the argument for forgiveness of sins favors the divinity of Christ?
a. Because that testifies to the goodness of someone who declares himself as God.
b. That might suggest that forgiveness of sins is not a big deal for him.
c. Because sins are a wrongdoing toward God, and as such the only one who can forgive sins is God himself.
- Jesus Christ, it’s a name and a title.
a. Which one is the name, and which one is the title?
b. What’s the meaning of the title?
- Why does the author say it’s important that the New Testament authors are Jews?
Because this suggests that the authors understood Jesus’ language and they understood him when he spoke.
Because, it would be harder for Jews to be convinced on the identity of Jesus.
Because they were committed radical monotheists and it was hard to convince them.
- How does the answer to Question 6 contribute to the issue of “Who is Jesus?”
a. As monotheists, they had a hard time accepting another God.
b. Because as monotheists, if Jews were convinced, it would be easier for us to get convinced, as Jews are far more radical than us in this issue.
c. Because as monotheists, the Jews would not worship other gods exept God the Creator. So, when they said that Jesus was God, the meant that Jesus is God the Creator.
c. a & b
d. a, b, c
- According to the author, why is it important that Jesus reproached Thomas for unbelief but didn’t reproach him for the worship in regard to Jesus?
As a Jew, Jesus should refuse worship directed to him.
Because Jesus, accepting Thomas’ worship, was giving a good lesson to Thomas in regard to his unbelief at the beginning.
By not refusing the worship directed to him, Jesus was accepting that he was worthy of worship.
- What is Jesus communicating by accepting Thomas’ worship?
According to the Jewish and Christian faith, the only one worthy of worship is the Creator, and by accepting this act of worship, Jesus was declaring that He is the Creator.
That Jesus is worthy of worship because he has done great acts for humanity.
Because Jesus accomplished the mission, then he becomes worthy of worship.
- What does the author wants for us to remember from the chapter entitled “What makes Jesus so different?”
That none has performed more miracles through all his life than Jesus.
That there exist a lot of evidence that Jesus is God.
That Jesus proclaimed clearly that He is God and people understood his claim very well.
That Jesus was God and because he resurrected.
That people throughout the history called Jesus God by mistake.
- Why is not possible that Jesus was only a great teacher of morality?
a. Because He was a healer too.
b. Because He was a man who could walk on water.
c. Because He declared himself as God.
d. Because His teachings were not so great.
e. a & b
f. c & d
- In what way, your answer from question 11, goes contrary to the reasoning of those who call Jesus only a great teacher of morality?
Jesus couldn’t reach the necessary standards to be a great teacher of morality.
Because he acted in other ways, in addition to what a great teacher of morality would do.
Because that would destroy someone's idea that Jesus was a great teacher of morality.
- If there are problems with Jesus being only a great moral teacher and prophet, would those problems prevent Jesus to be also a great moral teacher and a prophet?
a. Yes
b. No
- In your opinion, why is the author not worried about people choosing to believe that Jesus is “either crazy, or a liar?"
a. Because the author doesn’t care.
b. Because no one would choose these two options having in mind the historical context of Jesus.
c. Because the author is not sure.
d. The author hopes that people would be sensitive, or would be afraid to reach such conclusions about Jesus.
e. a & b
- As Jesus couldn’t be classified only as a great teacher, what would be the other alternatives?
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
- Why is it difficult to decide among these options regarding Jesus?
a. Because they are impossible.
b. Because they are not logical.
c. Because they require a life direction change.
d. a & b
- “Scientific Method” is useful in all the cases to prove the reliability of something.
a. Yes
b. No
- What’s the name of the method that studies the truthfulness of historical events?
_____________ ___________
- What are 3 evidences that are used in the method that establishes historical events?
a. ______________
b. ______________
c. ______________
- Are the methods used to intellectually prove historical events less reliable than the "Scientific Method?"
a. Yes
b. No
- In the chapter “Are true Bible records reliable?” the author deals with:
a. Reliability of Christ’s events.
b. We can rely on the ways/tools through which the Bible was transmitted to us.
c. a & b
- What are the 3 tests that we can apply to transmitting ways/tools in order to see their reliability?
a. _______________________
b. _______________________
c. _______________________
- Write down the name of each test, according to the definitions given.
a. If the text we have today is faithful to the original._________________________________________
b. Are the written documents reliable and did the writer tell the truth. ____________________________
c. Do other writings exist that verify the declarations of Scripture? _______________________________
- How does it help the truthfulness of the message of the gospel the fact that the disciples were eyewitnesses of Christ’s life?
a. People who told us the story of Jesus were alive in the same time with Jesus and as such, they are not telling us mythological descriptions.
b. People who wrote the story of Jesus are not writing their own philosophical concepts but a story that they have seen with their own eyes, and it cannot be interpreted differently.
c. Because we can believe only what we see by our own sight and nothing else.
d. a & b
- Why it is important for Christ’s disciples to become convinced that they saw Jesus resurrected with their own eyes, before they start preaching about him?
a. They were not naive that would trust something like that easily, and as such they are trustworthy.
b. Those who oppose at the beginning and then become convinced are more reliable.
c. That is the patter of the stories of antiquity: they start by followers being negative toward the story and then there is a change and a happy ending.
d. a & b
- What are the implications for the truthfulness of the gospel, that disciples act in courage after being afraid at the beginning?
a. That’s the way the stories of the time would end – positively at the end.
b. That change suggests that disciples faced something that transformed them: from being sceptics and scared into people full of courage and ready to die.
c. It is important that close relatives would not be opposing the news.
d. b & c
- Communist’s disciples gave their life for something. What is the difference between them and Christ’s disciples?
a. Christ’s disciples gave their life for ______________________
b. Communists gave their life for ___________________
- What kind of Messiah were the Jews expecting?
a. A prophet.
b. A Savior from the Romans.
c. A king that would establish David’s kingdom.
d. a, b, and c
- How about Christ’s disciples, what were they expecting?
a. A prophet.
b. A savior from the Romans.
c. A king that would establish David’s kingdom.
d. a, b, and c
- According to the author, why wouldn't the death of Jesus be an invention of the Apostles?
a. Because they (the Apostles) were very naive.
b. Because even for them, it was a complete surprise.
c. Because none would invent things that would make the hero weak.
d. a & b
- What can we say about Paul’s educational background?
a. Highly educated.
b. Well educated.
c. Little education.
- What is the importance of Paul’s conversion, in regard to the truthfulness of the gospel of Christ?
a. It is significant that a highly educated person follows Jesus.
b. An opposing enemy converts.
c. a & b
- What are some of the areas in Paul’s life that changed after his conversion. Mention 2.
- What would be the main factor that might convince us that Paul’s conversion is true?
a. His great speaking abilities.
b. The fact that he was a influential man.
c. His readiness to suffer for his claims.
d. b & c
- What do have in common the other disciples and Paul, that serves the trustfulness of their message?
- Why is the truthfulness of Christianity not a philosophical issue but a historical one?
a. Because the philosophical aspect of Christianity is weak.
b. Because it is not easy to identify what is truth in philosophy, as philosophy is subjective.
c. Because the truthfulness of Christianity is tightly connected with Christ’s resurrection.
d. a & b
e. b & c
- What are 2 out of 3 common objections for the empty tomb?
- Is it possible that the prophecies about Jesus may be fulfilled accidentally?
a. Yes
b. No
- How much prophecies exist in relation to the coming of Jesus?
- Mention in line the names of kings/people in Daividic line, line which is tightly connected with the prophecies about Jesus (from Shem to David).
1. Shem
2. _________
3. _________
4. _________
5. _________
6. _________
7. David
- In the chapter dealing with the possibility of the prophecies being fulfilled accidentally, the author uses a state to clarify his point. Which state is that? How large the state would be? How thick would be if you put coins that cover all that state, in comparison to the prophecies being fulfilled accidentally?
__________________ _______________
- There are people who claim that Jesus tried to fulfill the prophecies about himself by himself. Recall any prophecy that Jesus couldn’t control.
- Is it possible that Jesus fulfilled, intentionally, all the prophecies concerning the Messiah?
a. Yes
b. No
- Why can a loving God cannot accept all people into Paradise without conditions?
1. Because he is _____________ and ____________.
- What is the event that creates a conflict between God as a loving God, and God as a just judge?
- Who suffers the consequences of the forgiven sins?
- In the book, More than a Carpenter, the author states that Jesus did die not only for people, but also for the Father. In what sense he died for the Father?
- Is it possible that God forgives us without Jesus’ payment of sin on the cross?
a. Yes
b. No
- Because God is sovereign, He can forgive whoever He wants to and He doesn’t have to pay anything.
a. True
b. False
- What does somebody have to do, to appropriate the forgiveness given by someone else?
He needs to ___________forgiveness.
Additional questions not evaluated by points:
1. Are there similarities between your spiritual conditions and the author’s?
1. Yes 2. No
- As we have been exploring different arguments about Jesus, has your opinion related to him has changed?
1. Yes 2. No
- Please, give a general impression about the book.
