1993 Bible Content Exam

All biblical quotations have been taken from the NRSV.

The questions here are the property of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  Internet version software and formatting are copyright ©2000-2023 by Stephen A. Whitney. All rights reserved.


1. Who was made a leper for her insubordination, but was quickly healed?

a. Bathsheba
b. Jezebel
c. Miriam
d. Vashti

Bible reference for question 1 or the reference with options

2. Who was the diviner hired by the king of Moab to curse Israel?

a. Abiram
b. Balaam
c. Dathan
d. Korah

Bible reference for question 2 or the reference with options

3. Leviticus 16 speaks of a goat which "shall bear on itself all their inequities to a barren region." Of what ceremony is this goat a part?

a. Daily sin offerings
b. Day of Atonement
c. Passover
d. Ritual purification of priests

Bible reference for question 3 or the reference with options

4. What did circumcision signify according to the book of Genesis?

a. that God would never destroy the earth again by flood
b. the birth of Ishmael
c. the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants
d. the memory of taking Isaac to Mt. Moriah

Bible reference for question 4 or the reference with options

5. In Leviticus, the priestly line is established with the consecration of whom?

a. Aaron
b. Eli
c. Moses
d. Zadok

Bible reference for question 5 or the reference with options

6. Whom did Isaac marry?

a. Leah
b. Rachel
c. Rebekah
d. Tamar

Bible reference for question 6 or the reference with options

7. What is the name of Moses' brother, who went with Moses to Pharaoh?

a. Aaron
b. Caleb
c. Jethro
d. Joshua

Bible reference for question 7 or the reference with options

8. In the days of Noah, why was the Lord grieved in heart and sorry that he had made humankind on the earth?

a. Cain slew Abel.
b. God foresaw the building of the tower of Babel.
c. Noah's children uncovered his nakedness.
d. The wickedness of humankind was great and the inclination of their hearts was evil.

Bible reference for question 8 or the reference with options

9. What is the tenth and last plague that struck the land of Egypt before the exodus of the Hebrews?

a. The death of the first born son in all Egyptian homes
b. The land had darkness for three days
c. The land was full of flies
d. The Nile was turned to blood

Bible reference for question 9 or the reference with options

10. Abraham was called by God to go out of what place?

a. Arabia
b. Canaan
c. Egypt
d. Haran

Bible reference for question 10 or the reference with options

11. Which of the following is not in the ten commandments?

a. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
b. "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy."
c. "You shall not commit adultery."
d. "You shall not steal."

Bible reference for question 11 or the reference with options

12. Whom did Jacob cheat out of his birthright?

a. Esau
b. Isaac
c. Ishmael
d. Joseph

Bible reference for question 12 or the reference with options

13. Which book contains an account of Moses' death and burial?

a. Exodus
b. Leviticus
c. Numbers
d. Deuteronomy

Bible reference for question 13 or the reference with options

14. What did the mission of the twelve spies accomplish?

a. It caused Miriam to sing a song of victory to the Lord.
b. It caused the rod of Aaron to sprout forth buds and bear ripe almonds.
c. It incited Moses to strike a rock twice so that water came forth.
d. It resulted in Israel remaining in the wilderness for 40 years.

Bible reference for question 14 or the reference with options

15. Where was Aaron required to sprinkle blood on the Day of Atonement?

a. on every Israelite who confessed sin
b. on his sons who represented the people of Israel
c. on the mercy seat (the covering of the ark of the covenant)
d. on the scapegoat sent into the wilderness

Bible reference for question 15 or the reference with options

16. What was the name of Abraham's relative who lived in Sodom?

a. Ammon
b. Hagar
c. Keturah
d. Lot

Bible reference for question 16 or the reference with options

17. Along with the manna, what meat did God provide for the Israelites during the wilderness wandering?

a. goat
b. lamb
c. pork
d. quail

Bible reference for question 17 or the reference with options

18. Who called Samuel by name in the middle of the night?

a. Eli
b. Elkanah
c. Hannah
d. the Lord

Bible reference for question 18 or the reference with options

19. Who was spared in the destruction of Jericho?

a. Dinah
b. Lot and his family
c. Rahab and her household
d. Tamar

Bible reference for question 19 or the reference with options

20. The duties of a "next of kin" figure strongly in what book?

a. Judges
b. Ruth
c. 1 Kings
d. Esther

Bible reference for question 20 or the reference with options

21. "Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals, and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors." This comment is typical of what book?

a. Joshua
b. Judges
c. 1 Samuel
c. 2 Samuel

Bible reference for question 21 or the reference with options

22. To whom did God say, "My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites"?

a. Aaron
b. Gideon
c. Joshua
d. Samson

Bible reference for question 22 or the reference with options

23. Who was the prophet who promised that David would never lack an heir to sit upon the throne in Jerusalem?

a. Ahijah
b. Deborah
c. Elijah
d. Nathan

Bible reference for question 23 or the reference with options

24. Which of the judges refused to be elected king?

a. Deborah
b. Ehud
c. Gideon
d. Samson

Bible reference for question 24 or the reference with options

25. What did Nathan say would be the consequences of David's sin with Bathsheba?

a. broken treaties with neighboring allies
b. his army being unprepared
c. tolerating idols
d. trouble within his own household

Bible reference for question 25 or the reference with options

26. Who led 300 men with trumpets, empty jars, and torches against Midian?

a. Deborah
b. Ehud
c. Gideon
d. Jephthah

Bible reference for question 26 or the reference with options

27. Which book records Israel's crossing the Jordan to take possession of the land?

a. Joshua
b. Judges
c. 1 Samuel
d. 2 Samuel

Bible reference for question 27 or the reference with options

28. Who directed a battle fought by certain tribes against the Canaanites?

a. Deborah
b. Jael
c. Miriam
d. Ruth

Bible reference for question 28 or the reference with options

29. Who anointed Saul king?

a. Jonathan
b. the judges of Israel
c. the Levites
d. Samuel

Bible reference for question 29 or the reference with options

30. Who was the Canaanite army commander defeated by Deborah and Barak at the River Kishon?

a. Anak
b. Cushan
c. Ehud
d. Sisera

Bible reference for question 30 or the reference with options

31. Whose prophecy contains God's instructions about how the prophet is to name his children?

a. Ezekiel
b. Hosea
c. Amos
d. Micah

Bible reference for question 31 or the reference with options

32. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped" is found in which of the following?

a. Isaiah
b. Lamentations
c. Daniel
d. Amos

Bible reference for question 32 or the reference with options

33. In what book is the vision of a new covenant to be written on the hearts of God's people found?

a. Jeremiah
b. Hosea
c. Amos
d. Micah

Bible reference for question 33 or the reference with options

34. Which book opens with these words: "How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal"?

a. Nehemiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Lamentations
d. Ezekiel

Bible reference for question 34 or the reference with options

35. Regarding whom was the following said: "I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can tell the king the interpretation"?

a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Ezekiel
d. Daniel

Bible reference for question 35 or the reference with options

36. "Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended" is found in which of the following?

a. Jeremiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Hosea
d. Amos

Bible reference for question 36 or the reference with options

37. When the sailors cast lots to determine who had caused their calamity, what did they do to Jonah?

a. They arrested him.
b. They put him in chains.
c. They put him in the hold of the ship.
d. They threw him overboard.

Bible reference for question 37 or the reference with options

38. Which prophet describes this sign: "Look, the young woman...shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel"?

a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Micah
d. Malachi

Bible reference for question 38 or the reference with options

39. Which prophet addressed most of his oracles to Israel although he was from Judah?

a. Hosea
b. Amos
c. Obadiah
d. Malachi

Bible reference for question 39 or the reference with options

40. Which book contains the following quotation" "But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and with his bruises we are healed"?

a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Ezekiel
d. Daniel

Bible reference for question 40 or the reference with options

41. "Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land" is most characteristic of which prophetic book?

a. Jeremiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Hosea
d. Amos

Bible reference for question 41 or the reference with options

42. Which prophet was commanded, "O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel"?

a. Jeremiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Jonah
d. Micah

Bible reference for question 42 or the reference with options

43. Why was Daniel cast into the den of lions?

a. He asked to return to Jerusalem.
b. He ate the forbidden meat.
c. He insisted on praying to his God.
d. He prophesied the destruction of the empire.

Bible reference for question 43 or the reference with options

44. Which prophet said, "Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy"?

a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Ezekiel
d. Amos

Bible reference for question 44 or the reference with options

45. According to Ezekiel 1:1, when did Ezekiel's visions occur?

a. before the Babylonian invasion
b. during the Babylonian exile
c. immediately following the fall of Samaria and the northern kingdom
d. shortly after Solomon's death, when the kingdom was divided

Bible reference for question 45 or the reference with options

46. What was the name of Jeremiah's scribe?

a. Balaam
b. Barnabas
c. Baruch
d. Benjamin

Bible reference for question 46 or the reference with options

47. Which book contains many passages concerning a "servant of the Lord"?

a. Isaiah
b. Lamentations
c. Ezekiel
d. Amos

Bible reference for question 47 or the reference with options

48. Which book contains the following quotation: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth"?

a. Job
b. Proverbs
c. Ecclesiastes
d. Song of Solomon

Bible reference for question 48 or the reference with options

49. Which book asks, "A capable wife who can find"?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Ecclesiastes

Bible reference for question 49 or the reference with options

50. The Psalm often used as an assurance of pardon, "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities" also includes which line?

a. "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him."
b. "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to thee"
c. May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us."
d. "O lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise."

Bible reference for question 50 or the reference with options

51. Which of these statements is from Job?

a. "A time to kill and a time to heal"
b. "Avert the evil design of Haman"
c. "Curse God, and die"
d. "The Lord will keep you from all evil"

Bible reference for question 51 or the reference with options

52. In which book is the following quotation: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge"?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. The Song of Solomon

Bible reference for question 52 or the reference with options

53. Where does the following quotation occur: "A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother's grief"?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Ecclesiastes

Bible reference for question 53 or the reference with options

54. In which book is the bride referred to as a "rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys"?

a. Job
b. Proverbs
c. Song of Solomon
d. Hosea

Bible reference for question 54 or the reference with options

55. In which book do we find the directive to praise God with music and dance?

a. Ruth
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Song of Solomon

Bible reference for question 55 or the reference with options

56. Which book contains the following statement: "A human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps"?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Ecclesiastes

Bible reference for question 56 or the reference with options

57. Where does this quotation appear: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord"?

a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Song of Solomon

Bible reference for question 57 or the reference with options

58. To whom did Jesus address this statement: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me"?

a. inner circle of disciples
b. John the Baptist
c. synagogue audience
d. the Sanhedrin

Bible reference for question 58 or the reference with options

59. Which of the following said, "My God, my god, why have you forsaken me"?

a. Jesus
b. John the Baptist
c. Judas Iscariot
d. Stephen

Bible reference for question 59 or the reference with options

60. Which of the following asked to be seated at the right and left hand of Jesus in his glory?

a. James and John
b. Matthew and Judas
c. Peter and Andrew
d. Philip and Thomas

Bible reference for question 60 or the reference with options

61. Which of the following correctly completes Jesus' saying: "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back..."?

a. is fit for the kingdom of God
b. shall be called a prophet of the Most High
c. shall be exalted in heaven
d. shall inherit the earth

Bible reference for question 61 or the reference with options

62. Which of the following went to the tomb on Easter morning to anoint the body of Jesus?

a. Cleopas
b. John Mark
c. Mary Magdalene
d. Peter

Bible reference for question 62 or the reference with options

63. Which of the following is not one of the "I am" sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of John?

a. the good shepherd
b. the resurrection and the life
c. the suffering servant
d. the true vine

Bible reference for question 63 or the reference with options

64. Which of the following did not earn his living by fishing?

a. James
b. John
c. Matthew
d. Peter

Bible reference for question 64 or the reference with options

65. What was Thomas's response when Jesus offered to let him touch his hands and side?

a. "My Lord and my God."
b. "Our Lord and Savior."
c. "You are the Christ, the Son of God."
d. "You are the King of Israel."

Bible reference for question 65 or the reference with options

66. When Jesus interprets the parable of the sower in Mark, he says that the sower was sowing which of the following?

a. mustard seed
b. seeds of kindness
c. tares among the wheat
d. the word

Bible reference for question 66 or the reference with options

67. What was Zacchaeus's profession?

a. centurion
b. fisherman
c. priest
d. tax collector

Bible reference for question 67 or the reference with options

68. To whom was Jesus referring when he said, "He is Elijah who is to come"?

a. John the Baptist
b. Simeon
c. Zacchaeus
d. Zechariah

Bible reference for question 68 or the reference with options

69. Who helped carry the cross for Jesus on the way to Golgotha?

a. Bartimaeus
b. Joseph
c. a Roman soldier
d. Simon of Cyrene

Bible reference for question 69 or the reference with options

70. Which of the following is not a saying of Jesus?

a. "God helps those who help themselves."
b. "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin."
c. "The sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the sabbath."
d. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."

Bible reference for question 70 or the reference with options

71. To what do the parables of leaven, wheat, and tares, hidden treasure, and the dragnet all refer?

a. instruction given to the seventy
b. the end of the world
c. the kingdom of heaven
d. the second coming

Bible reference for question 71 or the reference with options

72. Which words immediately follow this statement from John 20:30-31: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come..."? (Note: The NIV uses "Christ" where the NSRV uses "Messiah.")

a. "to believe that Jesus is the Messiah."
b. "to believe that Jesus is the Son of God."
c. "to have life in Jesus' name."
d. "to know all the signs that Jesus did."

Bible reference for question 72 or the reference with options

73. Which of the following was not one of Jesus' temptations?

a. "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."
b. "Command these stones to become loaves of bread."
c. "If you are the messiah, walk over the sea of Galilee."
d. "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down."

Bible reference for question 73 or the reference with options

74. In the Fourth Gospel, who calls Jesus the Lamb of God?

a. John the Baptist
b. Mary Magdalene
c. Nathaniel
d. Peter

Bible reference for question 74 or the reference with options

75. What was the answer given to the scribe's question: "Which commandment is first of all"?

a. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
b. "Love one another as I have loved you."
c. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well."
d. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength."

Bible reference for question 75 or the reference with options

76. Which Gospel contains the parable of the Good Samaritan?

a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John

Bible reference for question 76 or the reference with options

77. What did the disciples of Jesus do to replace Judas?

a. They commissioned Matthew to record the teaching of Jesus in a Gospel.
b. They decided that the eleven disciples who had then received the Holy Spirit were sufficient.
c. They elected a man converted on the day of Pentecost.
d. They elected a man who had been with Jesus throughout his ministry.

Bible reference for question 77 or the reference with options

78. In which epistle does Paul state his desire to visit Spain?

a. Romans
b. 1 Corinthians
c. Galatians
d. Philemon

Bible reference for question 78 or the reference with options

79. What word completes the following quotation: "And it was in _______ that the disciples were first called 'Christians'"?

a. Antioch
b. Caesarea
c. Damascus
d. Jerusalem

Bible reference for question 79 or the reference with options

80. Where does Paul preach a sermon about the unknown god?

a. Antioch
b. Athens
c. Lystra
d. Philippi

Bible reference for question 80 or the reference with options

81. Which letter contains the following quotation"...and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me'"?

a. 1 Corinthians
b. 2 Corinthians
c. Galatians
d. 1 Thessalonians

Bible reference for question 81 or the reference with options

82. When Paul was brought to trial, he was able to set Pharisees against Sadducees by raising what issue?

a. fate versus free will
b. justification by faith
c. paying taxes to Caesar
d. resurrection of the dead

Bible reference for question 82 or the reference with options

83. "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" is a theme from which of the following?

a. Paul's letter to Rome
b. Paul's sermon at Mars Hill
c. Paul's second letter to Corinth
d. Peter's sermon at Pentecost

Bible reference for question 83 or the reference with options

84. According to the second chapter of Acts, the early followers of Jesus received the Holy Spirit during what feast?

a. Booths
b. Dedication
c. Passover
d. Pentecost

Bible reference for question 84 or the reference with options

85. Paul's words in 1 Corinthians concerning the excellence of love come in the midst of a discussion concerning what?

a. marriage
b. salvation of the gentiles
c. spiritual gifts
d. the resurrection of Christ

Bible reference for question 85 or the reference with options

86. "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" is a cry from whom?

a. Paul
b. Peter
c. Silas
d. Titus

Bible reference for question 86 or the reference with options

87. What was Peter's accusation against Ananias and Sapphira (who sold property while keeping back some of the proceeds)?

a. They dishonored the name of Jesus.
b. They lied to God.
c. They spoke blasphemous words.
d. They were filled with new wine.

Bible reference for question 87 or the reference with options

88. To which church did Paul write a letter before ever visiting them?

a. Athens
b. Corinth
c. Philippi
d. Rome

Bible reference for question 88 or the reference with options

89. Where does the following quotation appear: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children"?

a. 1 Corinthians
b. Galatians
c. Ephesians
d. 1 Thessalonians

Bible reference for question 89 or the reference with options

90. Under intense persecution, Paul says in Philippians that "living is Christ." What, then, is dying?

a. gain
b. God
c. loss
d. Satan

Bible reference for question 90 or the reference with options

91. According to the opening chapter of Acts, for how many days did the resurrected Jesus appear to the apostles?

a. 3
b. 12
c. 40
d. 50

Bible reference for question 91 or the reference with options

92. Why do we love, according to 1 John?

a. because Christ has forgiven our sins
b. because God first loved us
c. because love is the fulfillment of the law
d. because love never fails

Bible reference for question 92 or the reference with options

93. To whom is the Book of Revelation addressed?

a. seven churches in Asia
b. the church in Jerusalem
c. the church in Rome
d. the Roman emperor

Bible reference for question 93 or the reference with options

94. According to the letter of James, what are the elders of the church to do for sick church members?

a. Ask the minister to visit them.
b. Ask the whole church to pray for them.
c. Call a physician.
d. Pray over them and anoint them with oil.

Bible reference for question 94 or the reference with options

95. What does 2 Peter say to help Christians understand the delay of the coming of the day of the Lord?

a. It doesn't really matter whether the Lord comes again or not.
b. The Lord has already come in the person of the Holy Spirit.
c. The Lord will surely come soon.
d. With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Bible reference for question 95 or the reference with options

96. What will happen to the lukewarm Christians in Laodicea?

a. One like a Son of Man will spit them out of his mouth.
b. They will be cast into hell.
c. They will be rebuked.
d. They will be warmed up.

Bible reference for question 96 or the reference with options

97. What does James say stains the whole body and is set on fire by hell?

a. pride
b. sexual passion
c. the love of money
d. the tongue

Bible reference for question 97 or the reference with options

98. Which of the following is a central concern in 1 Timothy?

a. circumcision
b. eschatology
c. orphans
d. widows

Bible reference for question 98 or the reference with options

99. In which book does this line of argumentation appear: "Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother"?

a. Galatians
b. 1 Timothy
c. 2 Timothy
d. Philemon

Bible reference for question 99 or the reference with options

100. Which book compares Jesus to Melchizedek?

a. Hebrews
b. James
c. 1 Peter
d. 2 Peter

Bible reference for question 100 or the reference with options

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