JAMB Christian Religious Knowledge 2015 Past Questions & Answers

According to the Gospel of Matthew, when the wise men came from the East to Jerusalem asking about the newborn 'king of the Jews', King Herod was deeply troubled. As the current king, he saw this news as a direct threat to his power and throne. This fear and disturbance led him to deceive the wise men and later order the killing of all male infants in Bethlehem to eliminate this perceived rival.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'He sent gifts' because they confuse King Herod's reaction with the actions of the wise men, who were the ones that brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

This question refers to the judgment pronounced by the prophet Elijah upon King Ahab in 1 Kings 21. Although this specific prophecy was delivered after the incident with Naboth's vineyard, Ahab's entire reign was marked by severe disobedience to God. A major sin was his wife Jezebel's campaign to kill the Lord's prophets, which Ahab permitted, showing his contempt for God and His messengers.

Common mistake: Students often choose option D because the specific prophecy quoted was given immediately after Ahab took Naboth's vineyard, which was an act of greed, covetousness, and murder.

The correct answer is Jairus. According to the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Jairus was a leader of the synagogue who pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter who was at the point of death. Although the girl died before Jesus arrived, He went to Jairus's house and miraculously brought her back to life by saying, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.'

Common mistake: Students might confuse this event with the time Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain, as both are miracles involving raising the dead.

The prophet Amos strongly condemned the people of Israel for their religious hypocrisy. Although they performed many religious duties like sacrifices and celebrating feasts, God was not pleased because they were oppressing the poor and living unrighteous lives. Amos taught that what God truly desires is not empty rituals, but a society where justice and righteousness flow like a mighty river, which makes 'being just and righteous' the core of true religion.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose options A or D because sacrifices and holy feasts are religious acts, but they forget that Prophet Amos taught that God rejects these rituals when they are not backed by social justice and righteousness.

This question is based on Romans $3:21-22$, where the Apostle Paul explains how people can be made right with God. Paul teaches that God's righteousness is given as a free gift, not earned by works, but received through faith in Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that this offer of salvation is available to everyone who believes, making 'all those who believe' the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B, 'the cleansing of the sinners', because justification does lead to cleansing, but the question specifically asks *for whom* this righteousness is available, which Paul states is 'for all who believe'.

This event occurred during Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which marks the beginning of the final week before His crucifixion. As His disciples were joyfully praising God, some Pharisees in the crowd told Jesus to silence them. Jesus' reply, 'if these were silent, the very stones would cry out,' showed that His praise was unstoppable and divinely ordained, setting the stage for the events leading to His death.

Common mistake: Students may confuse this event with other times the Pharisees confronted Jesus, such as when they rebuked Him for eating with sinners, but the context of the disciples praising Him loudly points specifically to the Triumphal Entry.

This question refers to the events in Exodus chapter 19, which describe the preparations for the Sinai covenant. God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to consecrate themselves for two days, wash their clothes, and stay pure in preparation for His appearance on the third day. This act of washing and consecration was to make them holy and ready to enter into a covenant with God.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because they remember the dramatic scene with smoke on the mountain, but they forget the instruction was a strict warning *not* to touch the mountain, or they would die.

This question is based on Jesus' teaching in John chapter 10, where He uses the allegory of the Good Shepherd. Jesus explains that a 'hireling' is simply a paid worker who does not own the sheep and therefore has no deep commitment to them. As a result, when danger like a wolf comes, the hireling's first instinct is to save himself, so he flees and leaves the sheep unprotected.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B, getting confused about the ownership; the key point is that the hireling does *not* own the sheep, which is precisely why he does not care for them and flees from danger.

The correct answer is the contest on Mount Carmel because this was a direct challenge between the prophet Elijah, representing God, and the prophets of Baal. During this event in King Ahab's reign, God demonstrated His supreme power by sending fire from heaven to consume Elijah's sacrifice after the prophets of Baal had failed. This miracle proved to the Israelites that the LORD is the one true God, superior to all others.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose the incidence of Naboth’s vineyard because it is another famous story involving King Ahab, but that event primarily demonstrates the consequences of greed and injustice, not a direct contest of God's supremacy.

The question is based on James $5:14-15$, which discusses the proper conduct for Christians when they are sick. James instructs that the prayer of faith will not only heal the sick person but also lead to the forgiveness of their sins. This directly supports the correct option that the prayer of faith would 'heal and cleanse sins'.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, confusing the promise of physical healing and forgiveness of sins in this context with the broader concept of eternal salvation.

This question is based on 1 Thessalonians $4:13-15$, where Paul addresses the church's concern about believers who had died before Jesus' return. Paul uses the term 'asleep' as a gentle way to refer to Christians who have died. He assures them that at the second coming, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive will be caught up with them, meaning the living will not precede (go before) those who are asleep.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'faithful' because it is a positive Christian quality, but the specific term Paul used to contrast with the living was 'asleep', which refers to believers who had died.

In the book of Ezekiel, God gave the prophet a scroll to eat during his call. This was a symbolic act, not about physical food. By eating the scroll, Ezekiel was to completely internalize God's message, making it a part of his very being. Therefore, by eating the scroll, he was filled with God’s word, which he was then commanded to speak to the people of Israel.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option C because they interpret the act of 'eating' literally, thinking it was a promise for physical food rather than a symbol of spiritual preparation.

According to 1 Kings 11, King Solomon's heart was turned away from God by his many foreign wives who led him to worship their gods. He built altars for idols like Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech, which was a great sin in God's sight. This act of idolatry, or neglecting God for other gods, was the specific reason God became angry and declared that He would tear the kingdom away from Solomon's son.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose options B or D because forced labour and heavy taxes were the political reasons why the people later rebelled against Solomon's son, Rehoboam, but God's divine judgment was pronounced specifically because of Solomon's idolatry.

According to the Bible in Exodus chapter 16, after the Israelites left Elim, they came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is located between Elim and Sinai. It was in this wilderness that the people complained about hunger. In response, God showed his divine care and providence by providing them with Manna, which was like bread from heaven.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Sinai because it sounds very similar to Sin and is a famous location where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments.

This statement was made by Peter in the book of Acts when he was addressing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. The 'builders' he referred to were these religious leaders who had rejected Jesus. By calling Jesus the 'stone which the builders rejected', Peter was directly accusing them of being hard-hearted and responsible for crucifying the Messiah, who God has now exalted as the cornerstone of salvation.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B, 'built the Temple of Jerusalem', because they interpret the word 'builders' literally instead of understanding its metaphorical use to mean the Jewish religious leaders.

King Asa demonstrated great parental and leadership responsibility through his obedience to God. According to 1 Kings 15, he removed his own grandmother, Maacah, from her position as queen mother because she made an idol. By choosing to obey God's law against idolatry over family loyalty, Asa showed true responsibility for the spiritual well-being of his kingdom.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Eli, remembering him in the context of his sons, but Eli is the classic example of failed parental responsibility because he did not discipline his corrupt children.

According to the Gospel of Luke, when Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent Him to Herod Antipas, who was the ruler of that region. Since Jesus was a Galilean, He was under Herod's legal authority or jurisdiction. Pilate used this as a way to pass on the difficult decision of what to do with Jesus.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option D because it is true that Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle, but this was Herod's motivation, not Pilate's reason for sending Jesus to him.

The correct answer is Artaxerxes. According to the book of Nehemiah, he was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. When the king noticed Nehemiah's sadness over the broken walls of Jerusalem, he asked what was wrong. After Nehemiah explained, God showed His divine providence by moving the king's heart to grant Nehemiah permission and resources to go and rebuild the city's walls.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Cyrus because he was the king who first allowed the Jews to return from exile and rebuild the Temple, but it was King Artaxerxes who later gave Nehemiah permission to rebuild the city walls.

This event is recorded in 1 Samuel 30. After the Amalekites raided Ziklag and captured the women and children, David was in great distress. Before taking any action, he asked God through the priest, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?", showing his total reliance on divine guidance. God answered him, and he went on to recover all that was stolen.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option A, confusing this event with Absalom's rebellion, but this specific inquiry to God was made after the Amalekite raid on Ziklag, not during the conflict with his son.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan was told by Jesus in response to a lawyer's question about what he must do to inherit eternal life. The story illustrates the demand to love one's neighbour as oneself, showing that this love must be active, compassionate, and extend to everyone, regardless of their background. This active love is a key demand for anyone who wants to be part of God's kingdom.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose the Parable of the Prodigal Son because it is a well-known story about behaviour, but it primarily teaches about God's forgiveness and repentance, not a specific demand on how to treat others.

The question is a direct reference to Romans 6:13, where Paul discusses the believer's new identity after baptism. He argues that since Christians have died to sin and been raised with Christ, they should consider themselves alive to God. Therefore, they must offer themselves to God as those 'who have been brought from death to life' and use their bodies as instruments for righteousness.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because meeting Christ is part of the Christian hope, but the question specifically asks about the present reality of living a new life on earth after conversion.

The question asks for a specific action that showed King Solomon's wisdom. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon famously judged a case between two prostitutes claiming the same baby. By threatening to divide the child, he revealed the true mother's compassion, a clear demonstration of the divine wisdom God had granted him at the beginning of his reign.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'alliance with other nations' because it seems like a smart political move, but these alliances ultimately led Solomon to worship foreign gods, which was his greatest failure.

This question comes from the teachings of Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul argues that believers should not boast in their own strength, wisdom, or achievements. Instead, any boasting should be directed towards what God has done. The greatest thing God has done for believers is giving them righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, boasting in this God-given righteousness is the correct way to boast, as it gives all the glory to God.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'show their weakness' because Paul does say in 2 Corinthians that he boasts in his weaknesses, but the ultimate reason for this is to show God's power and the righteousness that comes from Him, not from human ability.

The discovery of the book of the law is the most important aspect of King Josiah's reforms because it was the main trigger for all his actions. When the book was found and read to him, he realized how much the people of Judah had disobeyed God's commandments. This new understanding prompted him to clean the temple, destroy idols, and lead the people to renew their covenant with God, making the discovery the foundational event.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'renewal of the covenant' because it was a major event, but it was a consequence of the more foundational discovery of the book of the law.

The correct option is B. The Bible in Acts chapter 10 describes Cornelius as a devout Roman centurion stationed in Caesarea. His conversion is a very important story because he was one of the first Gentiles (non-Jews) to be welcomed into the early Christian church. God sent the Apostle Peter to preach to Cornelius and his household, showing that the good news of Jesus was for everyone, not just the Jews.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because they remember Cornelius was a Gentile and might confuse him with other figures like Saul of Tarsus who persecuted the church before their conversion.