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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Mack argue John was worried about, which resulted in his authorship of Revelations?
(a) Persecution and execution.
(b) False teachings and affliction.
(c) False teaching and sickness.
(d) Sickness and affliction.

2. Who was the first of this group to attack centrist Christianity?
(a) Justin.
(b) Valentinus.
(c) Marcion of Sinope.
(d) Caesar.

3. What does Mack say about the letter of Jude?
(a) It is an intellectual masterpiece.
(b) It is a sloppy literary production.
(c) It is a historical marvel.
(d) It is literary genius.

4. During the time of the writing of Revelations, what does Mack argue the Christians were being accused of by the Romans?
(a) Disloyalty.
(b) Extortion.
(c) Theft.
(d) Murder.

5. What does Mack believe the authors intended to convey by having Peter and James defend Paul's ideas about Jewish law?
(a) That the Christian message was meant for gentiles.
(b) That the Christian message was not meant for Jews.
(c) That the Christian message was meant for Jews.
(d) That the Christian message was not meant for gentiles.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the first act in Valentinus' cosmic drama?

2. Who defended the centrist Christian position from those who challenged it?

3. What is the term for "a small group of writings believes to have been written by bishops and others" who knew the apostles?

4. Whose conversion eventually led to the creation of the New Testament?

5. What does Mack claim is the point of the Letter of James?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the standard writing conventions used in the Acts of the Apostles?

2. What were the four ways of reading the scripture that supported the Christian inclusion of Jewish scripture in their religion?

3. What were the common values contained in both the temple system of sacrifice and the family system of rituals that allowed the translation of one into the other?

4. What was Valentinus' story of the tragedy of the birth of the world?

5. What two values are integrated in the Letters of Ignatius, and what is the result?

6. Describe the situation in the empire since the reign of Caligula, in terms of the political mood of the Jews.

7. What are the three concerns underlying the treatise to the Hebrews?

8. What two strong desires drove Christianity?

9. Describe Matthew's depiction of Jesus.

10. What are the major points of the sermons contained in the Acts, according to Mack?

(see the answer keys)

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