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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was Valentinus' claim about what Christ made possible, in terms of knowledge of God?
(a) That Christ made it possible to know about God.
(b) That Christ made it possible to know God through scripture.
(c) That Christ made it possible to know God by acquaintance.
(d) That Christ made it possible to know God through apostles.

2. What does the Didache contain?
(a) Sayings of Jesus.
(b) The Commandments.
(c) The Gospel of Thomas.
(d) Instructions for congregations.

3. In Revelations, who was found worthy enough to open the seven seals?
(a) The lamb.
(b) Jesus.
(c) Man.
(d) Moses.

4. What does Mark's gospel do to the disciples that the story of Q did not?
(a) Kills them.
(b) Ignores them.
(c) Names them.
(d) Worships them.

5. Why does Mack argue Jesus' death is qualitatively different from all other deaths of the prophets?
(a) Jesus was the enemy of the state.
(b) Jesus was a martyr.
(c) Jesus was the son of God.
(d) Jesus was immortal.

6. How did Luke portray Jesus?
(a) A powerful deity.
(b) A teacher of the Torah.
(c) A wandering prophet.
(d) The manifestation of obedience to the spirit.

7. How does John portray Jesus, according to Mack?
(a) As the spirit of God.
(b) As a cosmic Lord.
(c) As a teacher.
(d) As a powerful ruler.

8. What does Mack claim about Paul's letters to Colossians and Ephesians?
(a) They are attempts to sabotage his name.
(b) They are not authentic.
(c) They are filled with lies.
(d) They did not truly exist.

9. Whose conversion eventually led to the creation of the New Testament?
(a) Eusebius.
(b) Jerome.
(c) Caesar.
(d) Constantine.

10. What does Mack claim are the building blocks of the Gospel of John?
(a) The references to Q.
(b) The references to Mark.
(c) The miracle stories.
(d) The proclamation stories.

11. What term replaced "disciples"?
(a) Apostles.
(b) Cultists.
(c) Acolytes.
(d) Followers.

12. What was the core objective of the epic of Israel through the end of the second temple?
(a) The confirmation of the death of Christ.
(b) The establishment of the Church.
(c) The establishment of the temple-state.
(d) The confirmation of God as a Jewish myth.

13. Who began to give an account of the new religion to Greeks, Romans, and others?
(a) Jewish intellectuals.
(b) Christian intellectuals.
(c) Local Bishops.
(d) Roman rulers.

14. What is the term for "a small group of writings believes to have been written by bishops and others" who knew the apostles?
(a) Apostolic Fathers.
(b) Revelations.
(c) Successions.
(d) Martyrdoms.

15. What was the shift in mythmaking, according to Mack, that occurred at the turn of the second century?
(a) Christians began to attribute more writings to Jesus himself.
(b) Christians began to disassociate from John.
(c) Christians began to leave behind the gospels.
(d) Christians began to associate gospels with disciples.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mack argue the author of the letters to the Hebrews is saying?

2. Who was the leader of the empire who tried to have his images placed in the temple of Jerusalem?

3. What did Justin say about the treatment of the Jews by God, in terms of the fall of the temple and the diaspora?

4. What does Mack argue the Letter to the Hebrews is, in reality?

5. How did early Christians think of their world?

(see the answer keys)

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