Prepping For The Final Exam

This new study Bible published by Menno Media
will be available in December, 2024.

In my years of teaching high school courses a question I was often asked by students was, "Will this be on the test?"

Most people of faith like myself believe we will all face a day of examination, not so much about facts we know about faith but how we have lived out the beliefs we profess. So with tongue only partly in cheek, I offer the following passages as being among those worthy of being underlined in the primary Textbook we use in preparation for our finals.

Fill in the blank:

1. from the prophet Micah: "God has told you what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do ____________, to love _____________, and to __________________________________."

2. from the lawgiver Moses: "So what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to love and serve God with all your ________ and with all all your _______, and with all your ______.  And you shall love your ____________ as yourself." Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, Leviticus 19:18

3. from the apostle John: "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just/righteous (Greek: dikaois), and will ________ our sins and __________ us from all injustice/unrighteousness (Greek: adikais)."  I John 1:9

Multiple choice (circle your answer):

4. from Jesus's inaugural address (which begins with nine characteristics of God-blessed persons): "Whoever hears these words of mine and a) commits them to memory,  b) has them posted the walls of classrooms and public buildings, c) does them, will be like a wise builder who builds his house on a solid rock foundation."  Matthew 7:24

5. from Jesus's description of the final judgment: "Come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for I was hungry, and you a) prayed for me, b) fed me,  c) referred me to a charity organization for help."  Matthew 25:35

6. To a wealthy entrepreneur who asked how to inherit eternal life Jesus answered with: a) "Sell what you have and share it with the poor,"  b) "Give a tenth of your income to charity," c) "Pray the sinners prayer and become baptized."  Mark 10:17-21

7. To a religious person who asked the same question, Jesus responded with: a) the story of the Prodigal son (you should repent as he did) b) the parable of the Ten Virgins (you should be watchful as five of them were) c) the story of the Good Samaritan (you should do as this unlikely foreigner did).  Luke 10:25-37

Brief Essay: 

8. from the prophet Isaiah: Describe how you have experienced this kind of fasting in your life:

Isn’t this the fast I choose:
    releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke,
    setting free the mistreated,
    and breaking every yoke?
Isn’t it sharing your bread with the hungry
    and bringing the homeless poor into your house,
    covering the naked when you see them,
    and not hiding from your own family?  Isaiah 58:6-7

Answers: 

1. justice, mercy (or kindness), walk humbly with God  

2. heart, soul, strength, mind, or might, and neighbor 

3. forgive, cleanse 

4. c  

5. b 

6. a 

7. c.

8. A merciful God will grade this.