Bible Knowledge – Necta Past Papers – Form Four

Bible Knowledge – Necta Past Papers – Form Four

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The Bible: New Testament 

The New Testament tells the story of the life of Jesus and the early
days of Christianity,
most notably Paul’s efforts to spread Jesus’ teaching. It collects 27 books,
all originally written in Greek.

The sections of the New Testament concerning Jesus are called the
Gospels and were written about 40 years after the earliest written Christian
materials, the letters of Paul, known as the Epistles.

Paul’s letters were distributed by churches sometime around 50 A.D.,
possibly just before Paul’s death. Scribes copied the letters and kept them in
circulation. As circulation continued, the letters were collected into books.

Some in the church, inspired by Paul, began to write and circulate their
own letters, and so historians believe that some books of the New Testament
attributed to Paul were in fact written by disciples and imitators.

As Paul’s words were circulated, an oral tradition began in churches
telling stories about Jesus, including teachings and accounts of
post-resurrection appearances. Sections of the New Testament attributed to Paul
talk about Jesus with a firsthand feeling, but Paul never knew Jesus except in
visions he had, and the Gospels were not yet written at the time of Paul’s
letters.

King James Bible

The King James Bible is possibly the most widely-known
edition of the Bible, though in England it is known as the
“Authorized Version.”

First printed in 1611, this edition of the Bible was commissioned in
1604 by King James I after feeling political pressure from Puritans and
Calvinists demanding church reform and calling for a complete restructuring of
church hierarchy.

In response, James called for a conference at Hampton Court Palace,
during which it was suggested to him that there should be a new translation of
the Bible since versions commissioned by earlier monarchs were felt to be
corrupt.

King James eventually agreed and decreed the new translation should
speak in contemporary language, using common, recognizable terms. James’
purpose was to unite the warring religious factions through a uniform holy
text.

This version of the Bible was not altered for 250 years and is credited
as one of the biggest influences on the English language, alongside the works
of Shakespeare. The King James Bible introduced a multitude of words and
phrases now common in the English language, including “eye for an eye,”
“bottomless pit,” “two-edged sword,” “God forbid,” “scapegoat” and “turned the
world upside down,” among many others.