WAEC Christian Religious Studies 2005 past questions and answers

The river divided into Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates (Genesis 2:10-14).

"God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds" (Genesis 1:25).

Rebekah's twins were Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:23-26).

Pharaoh's daughter paid Moses' own mother to nurse him (Exodus 2:7-9).

Phinehas' wife named her son Ichabod, saying "The glory has departed from Israel" (1 Samuel 4:21-22).

They crept into the sleeping camp and took Saul's spear and jar, then showed Saul he could have killed him (1 Samuel 26:7-16).

Samuel told Saul at Endor that because he did not obey the Lord, he and his sons would die (1 Samuel 28:18-19; 1 Chronicles 10:13).

"The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers" (1 Kings 21:3).

Samuel, Eli and David each failed to restrain their sons (1 Samuel 8:3; 3:13; 1 Kings 1:6); Asa is the only one not shown failing as a parent.

Solomon asked for an understanding mind to govern God's people (1 Kings 3:9).

Judah fell "for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done" (2 Kings 24:3-4; 23:26).

Whoever did not worship was to be cast into a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:6).

Hosea married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim (Hosea 1:3).

"Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon" (Daniel 3:30).

Jeremiah constantly announced Jerusalem's coming destruction and exile (Jeremiah 1:10, 14-16; 25:8-11).

Jesus said, "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40).

Amos attacked injustice and oppression of the poor (Amos 2:6-7; 5:24).

"She was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18).

"For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans" (John 4:9).

"…but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

Jesus demanded putting Him before family, carrying one's cross and counting the cost (Luke 14:26-33); He never said a disciple must be poor.

"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well" (Matthew 6:33).

"Rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20).

"The cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word" (Matthew 13:22).

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (John 15:10).

The hireling sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees (John 10:12).

"All this has taken place, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" (Matthew 26:56).

Pilate, the Roman governor, gave the final sentence (Matthew 27:24-26).

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

Meeting the risen Jesus near Damascus turned Saul from persecutor to apostle (Acts 9:3-20).

Herod killed James and, seeing it pleased the Jews, arrested Peter as well (Acts 12:1-3).

Barnabas sold a field and laid the money at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:36-37).

The church devoted itself to the apostles' teaching, fellowship and breaking bread (Acts 2:42-46).

Abraham is the father of all who believe (Romans 4:11-16).

The ruler is God's servant "to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:4).

"I am unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9).

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities… pay… respect to whom respect is due" (Romans 13:1, 7).

"There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:27-28).

They sent help for Paul's needs in prison (Philippians 4:14-18).

In Christ circumcision counts for nothing; what counts is a new creation (Galatians 6:15; Colossians 3:11).

"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord" (Colossians 3:18).

Those who did not believe the truth will be condemned (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; 2:12).

"Just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).

Some stopped working because they thought the day of the Lord had come (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2; 3:11).

"Yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you" (Philemon 9).

With the prayer of faith, "if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15).

Elders should be "examples to the flock", not domineering (1 Peter 5:3).

(a) Israel did evil; God sold them to Jabin king of Canaan, whose general Sisera had 900 iron chariots and oppressed them twenty years (Judges 4:1-3).
Deborah, a prophetess, was judging Israel between Ramah and Bethel (Judges 4:4-5).
She summoned Barak from Kedesh and told him God commanded him to take 10,000 men of Naphtali and Zebulun to Mount Tabor (Judges 4:6).
God would draw Sisera to the river Kishon and give him into Barak's hand (Judges 4:7).
Barak would go only if she went; she agreed but said the glory would go to a woman (Judges 4:8-10).
Sisera gathered his chariots at the Kishon (Judges 4:13).
Deborah said, "Up! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hand" (Judges 4:14).
The Lord routed Sisera's army; not a man was left (Judges 4:15-16).
Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber, who killed him with a tent peg as he slept (Judges 4:17-21).
Jabin was subdued; Deborah and Barak sang praise (Judges 4:23-24; 5).
(b) Any three: courage in leadership; trust and obedience to God; wisdom and fairness in judging; encouraging and inspiring others; humility in giving God the glory; women can lead effectively.

Narrate Judges 4, then three benefits.

(a) Samuel anointed Saul with oil and said the Lord had anointed him prince (1 Samuel 10:1).
Sign 1: two men by Rachel's tomb at Zelzah would tell him the asses were found and his father was anxious about him (1 Samuel 10:2).
Sign 2: at the oak of Tabor three men going to Bethel — one with three kids, one with three loaves, one with a skin of wine — would greet him (1 Samuel 10:3).
Sign 3: they would give him two loaves, which he should accept (1 Samuel 10:4).
Sign 4: at Gibeath-elohim he would meet a band of prophets coming down with harp, tambourine, flute and lyre, prophesying (1 Samuel 10:5).
Sign 5: the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would prophesy and be turned into another man (1 Samuel 10:6).
He was to go to Gilgal and wait seven days for Samuel (1 Samuel 10:8).
All the signs came to pass that day; God gave him another heart (1 Samuel 10:9-10).
(b) Any two: humility (he kept quiet about the kingdom, 10:16, and hid among the baggage, 10:22); obedience; trust in God's word; respect for God's servant; discretion.

List five signs from 1 Samuel 10:2-6, then two qualities.

(a)(i) Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, was a leper (2 Kings 5:1).
A captive Israelite girl told her mistress the prophet in Samaria would cure him (2 Kings 5:2-3).
The king of Syria sent him with a letter and gifts to the king of Israel, who tore his clothes (2 Kings 5:5-7).
Elisha sent for him and, through a messenger, told him to wash seven times in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:8-10).
Naaman was angry but his servants persuaded him; he obeyed and was healed (2 Kings 5:11-14).
(ii) He returned to Elisha and declared there is no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kings 5:15).
He urged Elisha to accept a present, but Elisha refused (2 Kings 5:15-16).
He asked for two mules' load of earth to worship only the Lord, and pardon when he bowed in the house of Rimmon with his master (2 Kings 5:17-19).
(iii) Gehazi ran after Naaman, lied that Elisha wanted a talent of silver and two festal garments, received two talents and hid them (2 Kings 5:20-24).
He lied to Elisha; Elisha said Naaman's leprosy would cling to him, and he went out a leper (2 Kings 5:25-27).
(b) Any two: humility; obedience; gratitude; faith; honesty; contentment (Elisha refusing reward).

Answer each part in order with references, then two virtues.

(a)(i) Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah and Lo-ammi (Hosea 1:4-9).
(ii) Jezreel ("God sows"): God would punish the house of Jehu for the blood shed at Jezreel and end the kingdom of Israel (Hosea 1:4-5).
Lo-ruhamah ("not pitied"): God would no more have pity on Israel or forgive them (Hosea 1:6).
Lo-ammi ("not my people"): "you are not my people and I am not your God" (Hosea 1:9).
God later promised to reverse them: "Ammi" (my people) and "Ruhamah" (pitied) (Hosea 2:1, 23).
(b) Any three: names give identity; they record circumstances of birth; they express parents' hopes or prayers; they show religious faith (e.g. names with God); they show family or ethnic background; they can carry a message or reminder, as Hosea's did.

Give the names and meanings from Hosea 1, then three points.

(a) Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew, casting a net, for they were fishermen (Matthew 4:18).
He said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19).
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:20).
Going on, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and John, in the boat with their father mending their nets (Matthew 4:21).
He called them (Matthew 4:21).
Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him (Matthew 4:22).
(b) Any three: to be with Him and learn from Him (Mark 3:14); to help Him in His work; to be witnesses of His life and resurrection (Acts 1:8, 22); to continue His work after His departure; to preach and heal (Matthew 10:1, 7-8); to found the church.

Narrate Matthew 4:18-22, then three reasons.

(a) A rich man dressed in purple and fine linen feasted sumptuously every day (Luke 16:19).
At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, desiring the crumbs from his table; dogs licked his sores (Luke 16:20-21).
Lazarus died and angels carried him to Abraham's bosom; the rich man died and was buried (Luke 16:22).
In Hades, in torment, he saw Abraham and Lazarus and begged that Lazarus cool his tongue (Luke 16:23-24).
Abraham said he received good things in life and Lazarus evil; now Lazarus is comforted and he is in anguish, and a great chasm is fixed between them (Luke 16:25-26).
He begged that Lazarus warn his five brothers (Luke 16:27-28).
Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets; if they do not hear them, they will not be convinced even if one rises from the dead (Luke 16:29-31).
(b) Any three: helping the poor, widows and orphans; scholarships for needy students; building hospitals, schools, boreholes; creating jobs and businesses; supporting disaster relief; supporting the church's charitable work.

Tell the parable, then three ways.

(a) In the morning the chief priests and elders bound Jesus and delivered Him to Pilate the governor (Matthew 27:1-2).
Pilate asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so" (Matthew 27:11).
To the accusations of the chief priests He made no answer, and Pilate wondered (Matthew 27:12-14).
Luke: they accused Him of perverting the nation, forbidding tribute to Caesar and calling Himself a king; Pilate found no crime and sent Him to Herod, who sent Him back (Luke 23:2-12).
At the feast Pilate offered to release Barabbas or Jesus (Matthew 27:15-17).
His wife warned him to have nothing to do with "that righteous man" because of a dream (Matthew 27:19).
The chief priests persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas; they cried "Let him be crucified!" (Matthew 27:20-23).
Pilate washed his hands, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood"; the people said, "His blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:24-25).
He released Barabbas, scourged Jesus and delivered Him to be crucified (Matthew 27:26).
(b) Any two: bribery of judges and police; delay of cases; detention without trial; jungle justice/mob action; the poor cannot afford lawyers; political interference; false witnesses.

Narrate the trial before Pilate, then two ways.

(a)(i) Saul approved Stephen's death and ravaged the church, dragging men and women to prison (Acts 8:1-3).
Still breathing threats, he asked the high priest for letters to the synagogues at Damascus to bring followers of the Way bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2).
As he neared Damascus a light from heaven flashed around him; he fell and heard the voice (Acts 9:3-4).
(ii) He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" — "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting"; he was told to go into the city (Acts 9:5-6).
His companions were speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one (Acts 9:7).
He rose blind, was led into Damascus, and for three days neither ate nor drank (Acts 9:8-9).
The Lord told Ananias in a vision to go to the street called Straight to Saul, who was praying (Acts 9:10-12).
Ananias feared, but the Lord said Saul was His chosen instrument to carry His name to Gentiles, kings and Israel (Acts 9:13-16).
Ananias laid hands on him; something like scales fell from his eyes; he regained his sight and was baptised (Acts 9:17-18).
(b) Any two: he became a follower of Christ and preached Him (Acts 9:20); he became apostle to the Gentiles; he suffered persecution himself (Acts 9:23-25); he made missionary journeys and wrote epistles; his zeal was redirected to building the church.

Answer each part from Acts 8–9, then two effects.

(a) Present your bodies as a living sacrifice; be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but with sober judgement according to the measure of faith God has given (Romans 12:3).
As one body has many members with different functions, so we are one body in Christ and members of one another (Romans 12:4-5).
Having gifts that differ according to grace, use them: prophecy in proportion to faith; service in serving; the teacher in teaching; the exhorter in exhortation (Romans 12:6-8).
He who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:8).
Let love be genuine (Romans 12:9).
(b) Any three: building up (edifying) the church (1 Corinthians 14:12); serving the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7); spreading the gospel; meeting needs such as healing; uniting the body of Christ; glorifying God (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Explain Romans 12:1-9, then three functions.

(a) The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, suddenly, when people say "peace and security" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
Believers are sons of light and of the day, so they must not sleep but keep awake and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8).
God has not destined them for wrath but to obtain salvation through Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
The Lord will descend; the dead in Christ will rise and the living will be caught up to meet Him, to be with Him always (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
He will judge and punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
He will be glorified in His saints (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
God wants them sanctified wholly and kept blameless at the coming of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
(b) Any two: believers will be with the Lord for ever; the dead in Christ will be raised; final judgement of the wicked and reward of the faithful; final defeat of evil (the lawless one, 2 Thessalonians 2:8); comfort and hope for believers.

Give Paul's reasons with references, then two points of significance.

(a) Put on compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and patience; forbear and forgive one another (Colossians 3:12-13).
Above all put on love, which binds everything together (Colossians 3:14).
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:15-16).
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord (Colossians 3:18).
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them (Colossians 3:19).
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (Colossians 3:20).
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged (Colossians 3:21).
(b) Any three: love and mutual respect; faithfulness in marriage; family prayer and worship; good communication; forgiveness; proper upbringing of children; meeting financial responsibilities; avoiding interference.

Explain Colossians 3:12-21, then three ways.

(a) Abstain from fleshly passions and maintain good conduct among the Gentiles (1 Peter 2:11-12).
Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, to the emperor as supreme (1 Peter 2:13).
And to governors sent to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do right (1 Peter 2:14).
By doing right, silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Peter 2:15).
Live as free men, but not using freedom as a pretext for evil; live as servants of God (1 Peter 2:16).
Honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the emperor (1 Peter 2:17).
Servants be submissive to masters, even the overbearing (1 Peter 2:18).
(b) Any three: obeying laws; paying taxes; voting; respecting leaders; praying for the nation; avoiding corruption and violence; caring for public property; helping security agencies.

Outline 1 Peter 2:11-18, then three ways.