| |
A Theological
Test
Do
you know your doctrine? If you are interested, you can take a little theological
test. Following are 20 basic Christian Doctrine questions. All you need to do is
write down the answers to the questions, and when you are done, click on the
Answers Page at the end of this test and find out how you did. Of course, there
are a lot more questions that could be asked, but these will serve as a sample.
Also, some of the questions deal with essential
doctrines. In other words, if you deny them, then you are not a Christian. Do
you know which ones are essentials?
| 1. How many
Gods are there in the universe? |
|
A. |
One |
B. |
Two |
C. |
Three |
D. |
Many |
________________________________________________________________________
| 2. The
Trinity is . . . |
|
A. |
Three separate Gods |
B. |
One God who took 3
consecutive forms |
C. |
One God in three persons |
D. |
A completely false
doctrine |
________________________________________________________________________
| 3. Jesus is .
. . |
|
A. |
God in flesh |
B. |
An angel who became a man |
C. |
A good man |
D. |
A great prophet |
________________________________________________________________________
| 4. How many
natures does Jesus have? |
|
A. |
One |
B. |
Two |
C. |
Three |
D. |
More |
________________________________________________________________________
| 5. The Holy
Spirit is . . . |
|
A. |
An invisible force like
radar |
B. |
A divine spark in all of
us |
C. |
Third person in the
Trinity |
D. |
A god |
________________________________________________________________________
| 6. Sin is . .
. |
|
A. |
There is no sin |
B. |
A misinterpretation of
reality |
C. |
A state of mind |
D. |
Breaking God's Law |
________________________________________________________________________
| 7. Human
nature is basically. . . |
|
A. |
Good |
B. |
Sinful |
C. |
Neutral |
D. |
Divine |
________________________________________________________________________
| 8. In what
manner did Jesus rise from the dead? |
|
A. |
As a spirit |
B. |
In the same body he died
in |
C. |
He did not rise from the
dead |
D. |
The disciples made up the
resurrection story |
________________________________________________________________________
| 9. Hell is .
. . |
|
A. |
Right here on earth |
B. |
A state of mind |
C. |
A place of eternal fire
and torment |
D. |
There is no hell |
________________________________________________________________________
| 10. Heaven is
. . . |
|
A. |
Right here on earth |
B. |
A state of mind |
C. |
A place of eternal joy
and peace with God |
D. |
There is no heaven |
________________________________________________________________________
| 11. Salvation
is . . . |
|
A. |
A condition of mental
awareness |
B. |
Within our own essence |
C. |
Universal resurrection |
D. |
Deliverance from the
eternal consequence of sin: damnation |
________________________________________________________________________
| 12. Salvation
is attained by . . . |
|
A. |
Grace through faith after
all you can do |
B. |
Grace through faith |
C. |
A state of your mind |
D. |
Obeying all of God's laws |
________________________________________________________________________
| 13. The Devil
is . . . |
|
A. |
An equal and opposing
force to God |
B. |
Not real |
C. |
A figment of people's
minds |
D. |
An angel who rebelled
against God |
________________________________________________________________________
| 14. The Bible
is . . . |
|
A. |
The inspired word of God |
B. |
A nice history book |
C. |
Full of contradictions
and errors |
D. |
A story book of metaphors |
________________________________________________________________________
| 15. The
Rapture is . . . |
|
A. |
A serious head rush |
B. |
A New Age meditation
philosophy |
C. |
The catching up of God's
people into the sky at Jesus' return. |
D. |
An Old Testament Jewish
feast |
________________________________________________________________________
| 16. Adam and
Eve . . . |
|
A. |
Were the first man and
woman created by God |
B. |
Were evolutionary
representatives of homo sapiens |
C. |
Are mythological figures |
D. |
Never existed |
________________________________________________________________________
| 17. How many
ways are there to God? |
|
A. |
Just one. Through Jesus |
B. |
Many ways |
C. |
As many ways as there are
people |
D. |
It depends on the
religion |
________________________________________________________________________
| 18. When you
die . . . |
|
A. |
You go to purgatory |
B. |
You go to heaven or hell |
C. |
You don't exist anymore |
D. |
You are reincarnated |
________________________________________________________________________
| 19. Evolution
. . . |
|
A. |
Is how we got here |
B. |
Is not a viable option
for Christians |
C. |
God used evolution to
bring man into existence |
D. |
Proves there is no God |
________________________________________________________________________
| 20. Why did
God create us? . . . |
|
A. |
As an experiment |
B. |
He was bored |
C. |
To save us, love us, and
have us love Him |
D. |
For pawns in his cosmic
game |
ONCE YOU ARE DONE, GO TO THE
ANSWER PAGE
Top
| Some Answers |
Some Lesson | Some Thoughts |
Return to
Pillar of Fire
Answers . . .
Answers to the
Theological Test
| 1. How many
gods are there in the universe? |
A. One |
| The
Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God in existence, anywhere,
any time, any place. |
 | Isaiah 44:6 and 8 say, "Thus
saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of
hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no
God. . . 9Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told
thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not
any."
| See also, Isaiah 45:6; 14, 18, 21,
22.
|
|
|
| 2. The
Trinity is . . . |
C. One God in three
persons |
| God
is a trinity. God is three simultaneous persons: The Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. Though there is no single verse that establishes
the trinity, it is derived from many. |
| There is only one God. Yet, the
Father is called God (Phil. 1:2); Jesus is called God (John 1:1, 14;
8:58; Heb. 1:8); and the Holy Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3-4).
| See also trinity.
|
|
|
| 3. Jesus is.
. . |
A. God in flesh |
| Jesus
is the second person of the Trinity. He became a man in order to die on
the cross. |
| Col. 2:9, "For in him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
| John 1:1, 14, "In the
beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was
God. . . And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. . ."
| See also, Heb. 1:8; Phil. 2;5-8;
John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14; Zech. 12:10.
|
| |
|
| 4. How many
natures does Jesus have? |
B. Two |
| Jesus
has two natures. He is both God and man. |
| Col. 2:9 "For in him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
| See also Phil. 2:5-8; John 8:58 with
Exodus 3:14; Heb. 1:8 and Jesus'
Two Natures
|
|
|
| 5. The
Holy Spirit is . . . |
C. The third person in
the Trinity |
| The
Holy Spirit is a person like the Father and the Son. He is not a force
like radar. He is not merely an energy presence. He is, like the Father
and the Son, God. |
| Acts 5:3-4"But Peter said,
Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost,
and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While
it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not
in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine
heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."
| See also the Holy
Spirit
|
|
|
| 6. Sin is .
. . |
D. Breaking God's law |
|
God has revealed His character and will in the Law.
To sin is to offend God; it is to break His law. |
| 1 John 3:4, Everyone who sins
breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
| See also Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 7:7-13;
James 2:9; 1 John 5:17;
|
|
|
| 7. Human
nature is basically . . . |
B. Sinful |
| The
Bible reveals that we are sinners. Because Adam fell, we fell with him.
We inherited his sinful nature. All of what we are, body, soul, spirit,
mind, emotions, etc. is touched by sin. |
| According to God's word, the sinner
(the unsaved), cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14); is
full of evil (Mark 7:21-23); does not seek for God (Rom. 3:11); is
lawless, rebellious, unholy, and profane (1 Tim. 1:9), etc.
|
|
| 8. In what
manner did Jesus rise from the dead? |
B. In the
same body he died in. |
|
Jesus rose from the dead in the same body that he died in. It was a
different, resurrected, but it was the same body. |
| John 2:19-21, "Jesus
answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in
three days.' 20 The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six
years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three
days?' 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his
body."
| Luke 24:39,
"Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and
see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I
have."
|
|
|
| 9. Hell is .
. . |
C. A place of eternal
fire and torment |
|
Many think hell is a state of mind, right here on earth, or that it
simply doesn't exist. It does. The Bible tells us about it. |
|
|
| 10.
Heaven is . . . |
C. A place of eternal
joy and peace with God. |
|
Heaven is the dwelling place of God and of those who are saved through
Jesus. |
| Psalm 20:6,
"Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him
from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand."
| John 14:2, "In
my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have
told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. "
| See also Psalm 102:19; 123:1;
Matt. 5:34; 2 Cor. 12:3,4
|
| |
|
| 11.
Salvation is . . . |
D. Deliverance from the
eternal consequence of sin: Damnation |
|
Salvation is the act of where God, through the atonement of Jesus,
forgivess a person of his sins. He is justified before God and saved
from damnation. |
| Rom. 5:1, "Therefore, since
we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ."
| Rom. 8:1, "Therefore, there
is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
| See also, Matt. 1:21; Heb. 2:14, 15;
Rom. 5:9; John 3:17.
|
| |
|
| 12.
Salvation is attained by. . . |
B. Grace through faith |
|
Forgiveness of sins is not conditioned by anything that we do, but it is
all a gift of God's grace through faith |
| Eph. 2:8, "For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God."
| Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord."
| See also, John 3:14-18.
|
| |
|
| 13. The
Devil is . . . |
D. An angel who rebelled
against God |
|
The devil, aslo called Satan, was an angel who lifted himself in pride
and rebelled against God. He is evil, wicked, a deceiver, and powerful. |
| 2 Cor. 11:14, ".
. . Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light . . ."
| John 8:44, "You belong to
your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's
desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the
truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his
native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
| See also, Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel
28:14-19
|
| |
|
| 14. The
Bible is . . . |
A. The inspired word of
God. |
|
The Bible is authored by God, through men. They were inspired. The
original documents were without error or contradiction. |
| 2 Tim. 3:16, "All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness. . . "
| See also, Rev. 22:19; Acts 17:11;
and The Bible Page
|
|
|
| 15.
The Rapture is . . . |
C. The catching up of
God's people into the sky. |
|
It may sound odd. But the rapture is when Jesus returns to gather His
people. Those who are alive when this happens will not see death, but
will be changed. |
| 1 Thess. 4:16-17, "For the
Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with
the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the
dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever."
| See also, 1 Cor. 15:51-53.
|
|
|
| 16. Adam and
Eve . . . |
A. Were the first man
and woman created by God |
|
They were created by God, lived in the Garden of Eden, are our ancient
parents. |
| Gen. 2:20 - 21, "So the LORD
God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was
sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with
flesh. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he
had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."
| See also, Gen. 1:26,27; Gen. 2:7;
Rom. 5:12-14
|
|
|
| 17. How many
ways are there to God? |
A. Just one. Through
Jesus |
|
Unlike other men who have existed, Jesus was God in flesh. He said He
was the only way to God. there are no other ways other than Jesus. |
| John 14:6, "Jesus
answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.'"
| John 10:1, ""I tell you
the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate,
but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber."
| See also, Acts 4:12; Titus 3:5.
|
| |
|
| 18. When you
die . . . |
B. You go to heaven or
hell |
|
Death brings us face to face with eternity. For those in Christ, heaven
is the destiny. For those who reject Him, eternal damnation is the
result. |
| Phil. 1:21-23, "For to me,
to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on
living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what
shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the
two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by
far."
| 2 Cor. 5:8, "We
are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and
at home with the Lord."
| See also, Isaiah 59:2; 2 Thess.
1:9; Gen. 3:19; 1 Cor. 13:12
|
| |
|
| 19.
Evolution . . . |
B. Is not a viable
option for Christians |
|
Evolution is not the fact it is told to be. It is not consistent with
the Bible. God created man; man did not evolve. |
| Gen. 1:26, "Then God said,
'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule
over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the
livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move
along the ground.'"
| Heb. 11:3, "By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that
what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
| See also, Col. 1:16,17; Psalm
104:30; Gen. 1-2; and The
Evolution Page.
|
| |
|
| 20. Why did
God create us? |
C. To save us, love us,
and have us love Him. |
|
God's creation and our salvation were not just so we could live with
Him. God desires fellowship and intimacy in a loving relationship with
His people. |
| 1 John 1:3, "We proclaim to
you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have
fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with
his Son, Jesus Christ."
| Rev. 21:3, "And I heard a
loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with
men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God.'"
| See also, John 10:27-28; John 3:16;
Phil. 2:1,2. |
| |
|
How did you do? Do you need to study more? Maybe
you learned something here, or maybe even you disagree with something. If so, e-mail
me and let me know.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this test,
there are some essential doctrines that if you deny them, you are not a
Christian. It is one thing to make a mistake, learn, and accept them. That is
alright. It is quite another to refuse to believe them.
What are the essentials? Easy. The Bible tells us what
they are. They are test questions number 3, 8, and 12.
| 3) Jesus is God in flesh;
| 8 Jesus rose from
the dead in the same body he died in; and
| 12) Salvation, or the forgiveness of
sins, is by grace through faith. You cannot add anything to Jesus' finished
work. |
| |
There are many
extremely important doctrines in the Bible: the Trinity, resurrection,
forgiveness, the virgin birth, etc. But the Bible itself declares that these
three are essential. If you deny any one of the three then you are not a
Christian.
If you would like to know more about these
essentials, then please see The Three Essential
Doctrines of Christianity
Remember the
words of Paul to Timothy: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth."
(2 Tim. 2:15).
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