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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Justin say about the treatment of the Jews by God, in terms of the fall of the temple and the diaspora?
(a) They deserved it because they were bad people.
(b) They deserved it because they were not Christian.
(c) They deserved it because they were corrupt.
(d) They deserved it because they were wrong.

2. What list became the Christian Bible?
(a) The list of Jerome's translations.
(b) The list of Eusebius.
(c) The letter of Trier.
(d) The Festal Letter of Athenasius.

3. Why were the revisions of the scriptures not convincing before 70 C.E.?
(a) They could not match the logic that the epic was for the Greek state.
(b) They could not match the logic that the epic was for the second-temple Jerusalem.
(c) They could not match the logic that the epic was for Jesus.
(d) They could not match the logic that the epic was for the Roman empire.

4. What was the first act in Valentinus' cosmic drama?
(a) Man was destroyed.
(b) The world was created.
(c) The world was destroyed.
(d) Man was created.

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

6. What is different about Peter in comparison to Jude?
(a) It is more socially demoralizing.
(b) It is completely different in content.
(c) It clarifies the opponents more clearly.
(d) It is more violent.

7. What does Mack argue the Letter to the Hebrews is, in reality?
(a) A statement of principle.
(b) A philosophical exhortation.
(c) Letters that should be attributed to Paul.
(d) False letters from the Jewish leaders.

8. What two sources does Mack claim Matthew used for his gospel?
(a) The book of Q and the gospel of Luke.
(b) The book of Q and the gospel of Mark.
(c) The book of Q and the gospel of the Christ cult.
(d) The gospel of Mark and the gospel of Luke.

9. What did Justin argue to the Romans about Christianity?
(a) That it was better than Judaism.
(b) That it hurt their government.
(c) That it actually helped them.
(d) That all Christians should be exiled.

10. What does Mack call the Christian myth, in terms of its completion?
(a) A complete fictitious myth.
(b) An unfinished epic.
(c) An incomplete historical reference.
(d) A completed canon.

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

12. How did Mark portray Jesus?
(a) As a backdrop to Jewish scripture.
(b) As a teacher.
(c) As a God.
(d) As a powerful authority figure.

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

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

15. What does Mack claim was added to John 19:35?
(a) A witness who saw blood and water come out of Jesus.
(b) A witness who saw blood come out of Jesus.
(c) A witness who saw Jesus rise.
(d) A witness who saw Jesus turn water to wine.

Short Answer Questions

1. What collection of early Christian texts does the Didache now belong to?

2. What does Mack claim is Mark's greatest achievement?

3. What do the sermons in the Acts attempt to do?

4. Where did the writer of the gospel of Luke write the gospel, according to Mack?

5. Why are the Epistles of Peter and Jude called the Catholic epistles?

(see the answer keys)

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