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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mack claim the author of the Acts of the Apostles set out to show?

2. When do scholars place the writing of the Gospel of John?

3. What does Mack say about the letter of Jude?

4. What does Mack claim about Justin's treatise to the Jews?

5. When does Mack claim most of the works discussed in Chapter 8 were written?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Marcion of Sinope's logic, in terms of his views of two Gods, and what to do about the Jewish contamination in the gospels?

2. Explain Mack's discussion of when the Epistles of Peter and Jude were written. What references does he use to attempt to date the pieces?

3. What does Mack say about the "overwhelming concern" in the Didache about the practice of alms, gift giving, and supporting those who ask for hand outs?

4. Describe Matthew's depiction of Jesus.

5. What is Mack's argument about why John wrote Revelations?

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

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

8. What are the three themes that dominate the story of Jesus and his resurrection in the Gospel of Luke?

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

10. Describe Mack's observations about James as an author in the first three centuries.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose one of the five Jesus groups listed below and discuss their characteristics, and the primary teachings their movement brings forth. Be sure to include what they believed, and why, as well as their primary influence on the concept of Jesus and society in general.

-Community of Q

-Jesus School

-True Disciples of the Gospel of Thomas

-Congregation of Israel

-Jerusalem Pillars

Essay Topic 2

Explain, in detail, Paul's letters to the Romans. Why did it differ from other letters? How does Paul explain the human problem that the gospel answers? How does he describe the Christ myth? What does he say about the resurrection? How did Paul tie in the Greek concept of self control? How did he change the view of apocalypse to fit the Greek concept?

Essay Topic 3

List and discuss the four "proofs" from scripture that support the idea that the history of Israel can be read as the story of the Christian God. What are the four points? What do they mean? How do they tie together to create the idea of a scripture that supports the Christian God, rather than a Jewish God? Be sure to mention concepts such as the spirit of prophesy, the logos, and the idea that the history of Israel did not end with the Jews.

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