Bible Quiz II

We had a bit of fun at Christmas with this Bible quiz. There were four teams of two players and the trophy went to Joseph and Kathie. Of course, I definitely would have won it, but I devised the quiz so I knew all the answers. I therefore took the role of question master.

As in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, there are four options for each question. No phone a friend, 50:50 or ask the audience though.

40 is often a number of testing in the Bible, so there are 40 questions. This is not an exam though, just a game. Test your Bible knowledge. Answers are found in italics below. No cheating!

1. According to the Book of Genesis, Lot’s drunken incest with his two daughters results in the origin of which two peoples

A. The Moabites and Ammonites 

B. The Hittites and Jebusites

C. The Perizites and Edomites

D. The Parisians and Liverpudlians

 

2. Exodus tells how people built a golden calf in the Sinai desert. But 1 Kings tells us they later made two others. Where were they located?

A. Hebron and Lachish

B. Bethel and Dan

C. Bethlehem and Beersheba 

D. Shiloh and Shechem

 

3. Which is the correct chronological order?

A. Ephesians Ezekiel Ecclesiastes Exodus

B. Ecclesiastes Exodus Ezekiel Ephesians

C. Ezekiel Ephesians Exodus Ecclesiastes 

D. Exodus Ecclesiastes Ezekiel Ephesians 

 

4. According to Leviticus, what day every 50 years announces the year of Jubilee with a blast of the ram's horn throughout the land?

A. The first day after the Passover 

B. The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles 

C. The day of Atonement 

D. Christmas Day

 

5. According to the book of Numbers, why was Moses not permitted to enter the promised land?

A. Because he complained to God about having only manna to eat

B. Because he struck the rock to give water instead of just speaking to it 

C. Because clumsily broke the two tablets with the commandments

D. Because his passport was well out of date

 

6. When Joshua and the Israelites are conquering Canaan, a group of people trick Joshua into swearing to grant them perpetual safety by pretending to come from a distant land. Who are they?

A. The Rekabites

B. The Gibeonites

C. The Hittites

D. The Gigabytes

 

7. The book of Ruth is contemporary with which other book in the Bible?

A. Job

B. Judges

C. Joshua

D. Joel

 

8. The Bible’s record of Elijah and Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings says;

A. That Elijah did twice as many miracles as Elisha

B. That they did exactly the same amount of miracles

C. That Elisha did twice as many miracles as Elijah

D. That neither did any miracles at all

 

9. Why are there 2 books of Chronicles?

A. 1 and 2 Chronicles are about the same story but from two different perspectives

B. Chronicles was originally one book, but when they translated it, it was too long to fit on one scroll 

C. They were written by two different authors centuries apart

D. 1 Chronicles was so popular they commissioned a sequel

 

10. Solomon’s famous prayer “if my people who are called by my name…” is said at which event?

A. The visit of the Queen of Sheba

B. His coronation 

C. The inauguration of the temple

D. One of his many weddings

 

11. In the book of Ezra, why does Ezra pull out his hair and beard?

A. Israelites were taking too long to rebuild the temple

B. Israelites were marrying pagan foreign women

C. Israelites were working on the sabbath 

D. There were no scissors in those days

 

12. According to the Book of Nehemiah how long does it take to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem?

A. 106

B. 75 days

C. 52 days

D. A couple of weeks (not counting weekends and bank holidays)

 

13. In the book of Esther, what does the king do when he cannot sleep at night?

A. Have history books read to him

B. Have repetitive music played to him

C. Have strong wine brought for him

D. Have servants pass sheep before him to count

 

14. Who wrote Psalm 23 - the Lord’s my shepherd?

A. Asaph

B. David

C. The sons of Korah

D. It doesn’t say who wrote it. 

 

15. Most of the Proverbs are attributed to Solomon but some near the end are attributed to:

A. King Og’s wife

B. King Agur’s sister

C. King Lemuel’s mother

D. Kink Kong’s daughter 

 

16. Why in the Song of Songs does the woman ask the man not to stare at her?

A. Because she is ashamed of her plain dress

B. Because she is ashamed of her suntan

C. Because she is ashamed of having no shoes 

D. Because she just finds him a bit creepy

 

17. Which Old Testament book prophesies a humble Messiah riding on a donkey?

A. Isaiah

B. Hosea

C. Habakkuk

D. Zechariah 

 

18. How many of the minor prophets ministered after the return from exile?

A. 4 (Joel, Amos, Obadiah and Nahum)

B. 3 (Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi)

B. 2 (Hosea and Jonah)

D. 1 (Zephaniah) 

 

19. In the Book of Lamentations what is the author crying about?

A. A terrible famine

B. The destruction of Jerusalem 

C. A plague of locusts

D. Shocking pollution in the rivers of Babylon 

 

20. In the book of Daniel, what is the name of the Babylonian king whose face turned pale at the writing on the wall by a disembodied hand?

A. Darius of Persia

B. Belshazzar of Babylon

C. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

D. Xerxes of Persia

 

21. The book of Nahum rails against the endless cruelty of who?

A. Assyria

B. Babylon

C. Egypt 

D. Sodom and Gomorrah

 

22. In which Old Testament book do you find the following statement? “I found one upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among them all?”

A. Deuteronomy 

B. Job

C. Ezekiel

D. Ecclesiastes

 

23. In which New Testament book does Jesus say, “It is more blessed to give than receive?”

A. Matthew 

B. Acts

C. Galatians

D. Revelation 

 

24. In which town’s synagogue did Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and say “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”?

A. Capernaum

B. Chorazin

C. Nazareth

D. Jericho

 

25. Only one of the 4 Gospels records Jesus as saying, “I am thirsty” on the cross. Which one is it?

A. Matthew 

B. Mark 

C. Luke 

D. John 

 

26. What was the name of the high priest‘s servant who got his ear cut off in Gethsemane?

A. Malchus 

B. Marcus

C. Malen 

D. Millhouse 

 

27. Only one of the 4 Gospels contains the parable of the growing seed. Which Gospel is it?

A. Matthew 

B. Mark 

C. Luke 

D. John

 

28. What are the first recorded words of Jesus in John’s Gospel?

A. Follow me

B. What do you want?

C. Come and see

D. I saw you under the fig tree

 

29. In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip had four unmarried daughters who all had the same spiritual gift. Was it

A. Tongues

B. Healing

C. Discernment of spirits

D. Prophecy

 

30. Among the churches Paul planted, which is situated in the province of Achaea?

A. Corinth

B. Ephesus

C. Philippi

D. Pisidian Antioch

 

31. Which letter of Paul is generally considered to be his earliest?

A. Romans 

B. Galatians 

C. Colossians 

D. 1 Timothy 

 

32. 1 Corinthians claims in 1.1 to be written by two authors. Paul and…

A. Silas

B. Timothy 

C. Gaius

D. Sosthenes

 

33. In Paul’s list of personal sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11, which indignity is not listed?

A. Shipwrecks

B. Sleepless nights

C. Hunger and thirst 

D. Betrayal 

 

34. Which of these titles of Jesus is not found in 1 Timothy?

A. King of kings

B. King of the ages 

C. Lord of glory

D. Lord of Lords

 

35. Paul’s letter to Titus addresses the situation in the church on which Mediterranean island?

A. Malta

B. Cyprus

C. Crete

D. Lampedusa 

 

36. In which New Testament letter are we urged to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people”?

A. Hebrews

B. 1 Peter

C. 2 John

D. Jude

 

37. According to the letter to the Hebrews, which priestly order does Jesus belong to?

A. Aaron

B. Levi

C. Catholic 

D. Melchizedek 

 

38. According to the book of James God’s perfect law gives:

A. Freedom

B. Perseverance 

C. Justice

D. Wisdom

 

39. Who is the 3rd letter of John addressed to?

A. Demetrius

B. The chosen lady

C. The twelve tribes 

D. Gaius

 

40. Revelation 16 describes seven bowls. But what do they contain?

A. The prayers of the saints

B. The wrath of God

C. The blood of the Lamb

D. The food of the beast

 

 

Answers

 

1. a) The Moabites and Ammonites  

2. b) Bethel and Dan

3. d) Exodus, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel, Ephesians

4. c) The day of Atonement

5. b) Because he struck the rock to give water instead of just speaking to it

6. b) The Gibeonites 

7. b) Judges

8. c) Elisha did twice as many miracles as Elijah

9. b) Chronicles was originally one book, but when they translated it, it was too long to fit on one scroll

10. c) The inauguration of the temple

11. b) Israelites were marrying pagan foreign women

12. c) 52 days 

13. a) Have history books read to him

14. b) David 

15. c) King Lemuel’s mother

16. b) Because she is ashamed of her suntan

17. d) Zechariah

18. b) Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi 

19. b) The destruction of Jerisalem

20. b) Belshazzar of Babylon

21. a) Assyria

22. d) Ecclesiastes 

23. b) Acts

24. c) Nazareth

25. d) John

26. a) Malchus 

27. b) Mark

28. b) What do you want?

29. d) Prophecy

30. a) Corinth

31. b) Galatians

32. d) Sosthenes

33. d) Betrayal 

34. c) Lord of glory 

35. c) Crete

36. d) Jude 

37. d) Melchizedek

38. a) Freedom

39. d) Gaius

40. b) The wrath of God

We Need to Talk About Judas (Matthew 27.1-10)

 

Introduction

 

One of the questions that has most perplexed theologians down the centuries, and which has divided Christians and churches alike, is this one; if you are a Christian, can you lose your salvation?

 

On the one hand, some Bible verses seem to say, no matter how badly we backslide after coming to faith, even permanently, God has already saved us by grace, and it’s all about his sovereign choice, not our faithfulness.

 

For example, Ephesians 2.8-9: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.  

 

Or Philippians 1.6: [I am] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

Or Romans 8.38-39: I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Or consider what Jesus said in John 5.24: Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

 

It sounds conclusive, doesn’t it? Those who point to verses like these, and there are many more like them, often summarise this position with a little slogan, which is not found in the Bible, but is easy to remember: once saved, always saved.

 

But other Christians disagree, and they point to other verses in the Bible which seem to suggest something a bit different. 

 

For example, 1 Corinthians 15.1-2: I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

 

Or Matthew 10.22: where Jesus says, “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Or Matthew 7.22-23 where Jesus says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘But Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

 

Or Hebrews 10.26-27: If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

 

Taken in isolation, these verses seem to say that our salvation is dependent not so much on how we start out as Christians, but how we finish.

 

And this is not just an intellectual curiosity for scholars in ivory towers. There are very grave and serious eternal consequences tied up in this question for everyone here today. 

 

Well, if ever there was a Bible character for whom this issue were relevant it would have to be one of the most notorious characters in all history; the ultimate villain, Judas Iscariot, who is the focus of the passage we arrive at today. Matthew 27.1-10.

 

Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”

“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”

Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,

“They took the thirty pieces of silver -
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
and purchased the potter’s field,
as the Lord directed.”

 

The Plot Thickens

 

So, this is the latest twist in the drama of Jesus’ last week. Judas, who met with the chief priests, and agreed a price to hand Jesus over to their custody, and signalled to them who he is with a kiss, is now filled with regret and admits that he has wronged an innocent man.

 

And when he sees that they’re determined to kill him anyway, Judas throws his blood money on the temple floor and goes off in despair to hang himself.

 

Matthew notices that this is yet another Old Testament prophecy that has been fulfilled by Judas in a short space of time.

 

The first was Zechariah 11.13, first spoken about 500 years BC, saying that the Messiah would be betrayed by a close friend for 30 pieces of silver. Not 31. Not 29.99. Thirty exactly. Which is what happened.

 

The second was Psalm 41.9, written about 1000 years BC, which says, “Even my close friend, one I trusted completely, one who shared my food, has turned against me” which is quoted in John’s Gospel when Judas leaves the last supper and slips off into the night. 

 

Then this third one in v9-10, which is an echo of something Jeremiah said about 600 years BC about buying a potter’s field with silver coins.

 

Matthew wants us to know that, even in this chaotic tailspin of events, when the everything seems to be falling apart, God has everything under control. 

 

This is not a disastrous tale of everything going horribly wrong. On the contrary, it’s confirmation that all is going exactly to plan. This is no tragic accident. The truth is that God, in his limitless wisdom and omnipotent power, has appointed it all since before the creation of the world.

 

Which leads us to another difficult question. If this is all predestined by God, and part of his perfect plan, how can Judas be personally responsible? 

 

There are, in fact, four possibilities here.

 

1. It was not predestined to happen, and it was not Judas’ fault. It just randomly happened and Judas didn’t really understand what he was doing.

2. It was not predestined to happen, so it was Judas’ fault. It just happened and Judas knowingly did wrong.

3. It was always predestined to happen, so it cannot have been Judas’ fault. God pre-planned that Judas had no choice, so he cannot be held responsible.

4. It was always predestined to happen, and it was Judas’ fault. God planned it to the last detail, and Judas did evil and could have chosen another path.

 

Which is it? The Bible says that it’s number 4. 

 

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign, and he knows the end from the beginning, and he steers history towards its Christ-honouring conclusion, according to his glorious purpose – and that we are at the same time 100% responsible for our actions, our choices are absolutely real and we can change the course of events by the decisions we make.

 

The one verse in the Bible that perfectly brings together these two strands of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is in Matthew 26.24 which says this: For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

 

Keeping Up Appearances

 

Back to Judas. What went wrong? Judas is a close colleague and co-worker of Jesus. Judas is on a full-time ministry internship for three years. He’s on Jesus’ staff team. He sits down and eats with the Son of God every day. 

 

It’s awesome, the access he has to Jesus. There is an open door from Jesus any time he wants to ask him about anything that is weighing on his mind. 

 

Judas listens to all Jesus’ amazing teaching. He is a witness to every extraordinary miracle. 

 

Not only that, Judas goes out as one of the twelve and the seventy-two on mission. In the name of Jesus, they proclaim the kingdom, heal the sick and drive out demons. 

 

Peter says in Acts 1.17, “He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

 

Furthermore, Judas is given a position of trust; he’s the treasurer. Every generous financial contribution to Jesus’ ministry goes through him. Judas does all the spreadsheets; he keeps the books. 

 

But secretly, he begins helping himself from the common purse. Maybe first of all, just a few shekels to settle a personal bill. But he gets away with it, nobody notices, and so he does it again. And again. And it becomes a pattern. And slowly, his heart hardens. 

 

A few weeks ago, we read about the woman who poured out an expensive jar of perfume on Jesus’ head, remember that? Matthew says that the disciples were cross, and said it was a waste, and that the money should have been reallocated to the poor. But John’s Gospel specifies that Judas was leading the complaint.

 

He’s coming across as really caring about the poor and marginalised. He’s got such a generous heart. What a compassionate guy! But it's all an act. He’s licking his lips at the idea of lining his pockets. He’s a thief. For three whole years, he is stealing from Jesus, under everybody’s nose. 

 

Tellingly, unlike some of the other disciples, Judas never addresses Jesus as “Lord.” He only ever calls him “Rabbi”. Jesus can be his teacher, but Judas is a pupil who’s not listening, and he never really comes under Jesus’ authority. 

 

At the last supper, we saw it a few weeks ago, Judas closes his eyes and bows his head as Jesus prays for him. He lets Jesus wash his feet moments before he slips out to betray him. 

 

Days earlier, Judas has seen his chance to hand Jesus over. The chief priests show him thirty pieces of silver and his eyes light up. That’s all it takes. Judas Iscariot loves money.

 

The Bible is always talking about money; unembarrassed, unashamed, often presenting our use of money as the mark for how we are doing spiritually and morally. It is a top indicator of the seriousness of our discipleship. And it’s a test that Judas catastrophically failed.

 

Losing Your Salvation? 

 

So, back to my question I started with; if you’re a Christian can you lose your salvation? Where I’ve landed after years of thinking, studying God’s word, and reading books from various perspectives is this: 

 

You cannot lose your salvation. You cannot lose it like you can misplace your keys or be unable to find your phone. You cannot inadvertently find yourself outside of Christ and shut out of heaven forever because of some oversight or lapse in concentration.

 

You cannot be robbed of your salvation either. Those of us who have been victims of a burglary know how devastating it feels. Something precious to you is missing. You’ll probably never see it again. You feel violated. That cannot happen to you spiritually; no one can snatch you from God’s hand.

 

You cannot lose your salvation and you cannot have it taken away from you. 

 

But you can throw it all away. The Bible calls it making shipwreck of your faith. You can intentionally steer your relationship with God onto the rocks or an iceberg and bring the whole thing down to the sea bed, never to recover. It is a fearful thing.

 

And you can fake it. You can pretend for years, pull the wool over people’s eyes, and know the whole time it’s all an act. You can be a spiritual fraud, knowing full well that what you portray in public is not who you really are in private. 

 

That is what Judas did; he threw everything away and he faked it.

 

How do I know I’m saved today? I know it because Jesus really is Lord of my life, all of it. And I know it because I’m walking with God today, and with every step I take, I enjoy the ongoing assurance of his promise that he will hold on to me until my final breath. 

 

What Do We Learn?

 

So much for doctrine. Predestination v Free Will and Once Saved Always Saved v Losing Salvation are two of the fiercest theological debates in church history. 

 

Thousands of books have been written about these two questions over 20 centuries. And we’ve skated over them in 20 minutes.

 

I want to spend the last 10 minutes or so asking what lessons we can take away from Judas for us.

 

1. Giving, not Taking

 

The first is this; Judas was basically a taker, not a giver. He looked after number one; he only cared about himself, his needs, his dreams, his desires, his ambition to make himself richer.

 

Do you have a giving heart or a taking one? Do you want to become more generous? Do you want others come to know Jesus? 

 

The Bible says that we reap what we sow. We get out according to what we put in.

 

It's so much better to be a giver than a taker.

 

Is being part of King’s just an opportunity to get my needs met? Am I a spectator hoping to be entertained, or do I see my church as a community that I invest resources, time and prayer into, trusting that many will be blessed by what I put in? 

 

2. Repentance, not Remorse

 

Secondly, how does Judas feel about what he’s done? Verse 2 tells us that he is filled with remorse. Remorse means guilt and shame. Judas feels really bad about what he’s done. He hates himself for it, he’s distraught. “What have I done?” 

 

But crucially, he doesn’t change. If only he had hated his sin and brought it to God and repented of it and asked for mercy. 

 

C. H. Spurgeon once said, “Among all the lost souls of hell, there is not one who can say, I went to Jesus and he refused me.” 

 

Had Judas done that, I believe he would have been forgiven. He could have had all his guilt removed, his conscience cleansed, his despair lifted, and his hope restored. 

 

Peter also failed Jesus, as we saw last week. He denied all knowledge of him. But he broke down, repented and returned. He brought his failures and faithlessness to Jesus, he told Jesus from the heart that he loved him. And he was forgiven and restored.

 

Perhaps this is where you find yourself today; you’ve messed up and you feel terrible about it. But Judas shows us that it’s not enough to just feel bad.

 

Bring it all to God in repentance and faith today. Tell him you don’t just want to feel bad about it, you want everything to change. Ask for grace.  

 

Judas or Peter? Both of them followed Jesus. Both of them failed him badly. But one had a hard heart and one had a soft heart. 

 

C.H. Spurgeon, again, said it so well: “The same sun which melts wax also hardens clay. And the same gospel which melts some to repentance hardens others in their sins.”

 

Don’t be like Judas who also broke down in self-loathing, but tragically never repented and never returned. He took his failures and faithlessness not to Jesus but down to the grave - and ultimately down to hell.

 

3. Faking, not Fooling

 

Thirdly, you might be able to fake your salvation, but you cannot fool the Saviour.

 

People can fake it to please their parents, or make their spouse happy, or fit in with friends. And it can fool them brilliantly.

 

But it doesn’t fool God. If you’ve been pretending, break that cycle, and get real today.

 

4. Doing, not Hearing Only

 

And fourthly, it’s not enough to enjoy good Bible teaching week by week. Judas sat under the best Bible teaching ever. It was world-class. He had the best teacher. He was a student at Jesus Christ University. It doesn’t get better than that. 

 

Imaging asking Judas what it was like. “Who was your lecturer?” “Well, for Old Testament, we had Jesus. For Systematic Theology, we had Jesus. For Apologetics, it was Jesus as well. For Evangelism, that was Jesus too.”

 

But listening to great Bible teaching does not guarantee your spiritual growth. James 1.22 says, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. Do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

 

Terry Virgo tells of a time he was guest speaker in a church in Washington DC. He says it was a good meeting and the congregation was very appreciative. After he preached, the service leader C.J. Mahaney asked the congregation a question. How many of you have been blessed this morning?” Hundreds raised their hands straight away. He then amazed everyone by telling them they were wrong. Everyone was taken aback – including Terry Virgo! But C.J. went on to explain that Jesus said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” 

 

Judas heard every word Jesus said, but he didn’t really believe it. He heard Jesus every day, but his heart never softened. He never really responded. He allowed himself to stay passive, cool, unmoved, unreceptive, unresponsive.

 

Ending

 

Well, it’s been a serious and sobering morning in God’s word today. There’s no denying it. How could it be otherwise when the passage speaks of treachery, despair and suicide?

 

This is what happens when you teach the Bible through, verse by verse. You can’t just stick to the bits that make everybody feel great and go home with a warm glow. Or, put another way, preachers cannot just preach what people want to hear, they are called to preach what people need to hear.

 

What do you think God has been saying to you this morning? Maybe none of us are at rock bottom where Judas was in that last week. You probably wouldn’t be here today if you were.

 

But maybe we find ourselves messing around the top of the slippery slope he was on years earlier?

 

Am I letting my heart slowly grow cool? 

Am I slowly beginning to withdraw and take a back seat?

Am I bringing my failures to Jesus?

Am I starting to love money and make it an idol?

Does it tug on my conscience that I’m faking it at times?

Am I getting into a habit of listening to God's word but doing nothing about it?

Am I casually steering the ship a bit too near the rocks?

 

If so, it’s time to turn the ship around now. If it’s you, please, I beg you, change course before you leave this building today. 

 

Let’s stand to pray…

Sermon preached at King's Church Darlington, 3 March 2024