WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2018
Questions & Answers

Distractor check: Options A, B, or C might be chosen if a student forgets the specific categories of physical creation listed in the biblical text. Reasoning to the answer: In Genesis 1:28, God explicitly commanded man to have dominion over physical creations such as fish, birds, and creeping animals that move on the earth. Spirits of the earth are never mentioned as part of this dominion because rule was granted solely over the physical creation. Common mistake: Assuming spiritual entities were included in the dominion mandate given to man.

Distractor check: A student might mistakenly choose option B (a helper of man) or C (mother of mankind) by recalling general roles rather than the specific naming justification. Reasoning to the answer: Genesis 2:23 records that Adam named Eve 'Woman' specifically because she was taken directly out of Man, exclaiming that she was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, thereby emphasizing their close unity. Common mistake: Confusing the reason for her name with her general function as a companion.

Distractor check: Students could select option A, B, or C because Joseph's narrative famously includes being cast into a pit, sold into slavery, and imprisoned. Reasoning to the answer: While Joseph's journey in Genesis 37-50 involved being thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and imprisoned in Egypt, there is no biblical account of him being molested or raped; rather, Potiphar's wife attempted seduction and he fled. Common mistake: Confusing Potiphar's wife's attempted seduction with physical assault.

Distractor check: Students often pick option B (he was a dreamer) or C (Jacob had more love for Joseph) because those are prominent themes in the narrative. Reasoning to the answer: Although Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's prophetic dreams exacerbated tensions, Genesis 37:2 explicitly notes that the initial cause of his brothers' hatred was that he brought a bad report about them to their father. Common mistake: Overlooking the specific initial trigger of carrying an ill report in favor of the more famous dreams.

Distractor check: A student might pick option C (punish them) or D (seek revenge) by misinterpreting Joseph's emotional reunion as an act of retribution. Reasoning to the answer: When revealing his identity to his brothers, Joseph explained in Genesis 50:20 that although they intended harm, God orchestrated his enslavement for good to accomplish the saving of many lives during the severe famine. Common mistake: Forgetting the theological theme of divine providence overriding human malice.

Distractor check: Option A (Judah) is a frequent guess because Judah became the prominent royal and genealogical tribe later in Israel's history. Reasoning to the answer: According to Exodus 2:1, both the mother and father of Moses belonged to the tribe of Levi, making them Levites who were later set apart for sacred priestly duties. Common mistake: Attributing Moses' lineage to the royal tribe of Judah.

Distractor check: Students might mistakenly select option B, C, or A by forgetting which specific action was performed by a family member rather than the parents themselves. Reasoning to the answer: Exodus 2:1-4 details how Moses' parents hid him for three months, placed him in a waterproofed basket, and cast that basket into the Nile River to save him. His sister watching over him from a distance was her own protective initiative rather than a direct action of the parents. Common mistake: Failing to distinguish between actions taken by the parents and actions taken by Moses' sister.

Distractor check: A student might choose option A (unfaithfulness) or B (immorality) by viewing the golden calf incident as a general moral failure. Reasoning to the answer: When Aaron fashioned the golden calf and proclaimed it as the god that brought Israel out of Egypt, the people engaged in direct idol worship, which violated the second commandment against graven images shortly after the Exodus. Common mistake: Confusing general covenant unfaithfulness with the specific sin of idolatry.

Distractor check: Option A (commander of the army) is a common distractor because Joshua later led military campaigns in Canaan. Reasoning to the answer: Exodus 24:13 and 33:11 explicitly describe Joshua as Moses' personal minister or aide who waited at the tent of meeting, which served as his preparation for leadership. Common mistake: Assuming Joshua held a formal military command position before becoming Moses' successor.

Distractor check: Option A (Barak) is a popular guess because Barak fought alongside Deborah against Sisera in the military campaign. Reasoning to the answer: Judges 4:4 identifies Deborah as a prophetess and judge who led Israel alongside Barak, and explicitly states that she was the wife of Lappidoth. Common mistake: Confusing Deborah's military partner Barak with her husband Lappidoth.

Distractor check: Students might pick option C (Joel and Abijah) by confusing Eli's corrupt sons with the later wayward sons of the prophet Samuel. Reasoning to the answer: 1 Samuel 1:3 and 2:22 clearly name Eli's wicked sons who served as priests at Shiloh as Hophni and Phinehas. Common mistake: Mixing up the genealogy of Eli with the sons of Samuel.

Distractor check: A student might select option A (stole offering) or C (seized offering) by misreading the exact phrasing used to describe their temple misconduct. Reasoning to the answer: 1 Samuel 2:17 explains that the sin of Eli's sons was extremely severe in the sight of the Lord because they treated the divine offerings with contempt through their unauthorized actions. Common mistake: Using colloquial terms like stealing rather than the biblical description of treating offerings with contempt.

Distractor check: Students might select option B (knows everything) because it sounds like a general theological attribute of God. Reasoning to the answer: Eli's statement in 1 Samuel 3:18 where he accepts the severe judgment pronounced against his household demonstrates his submission to God's ultimate sovereignty in making the final decision over human affairs. Common mistake: Misinterpreting submission to divine judgment as a statement of omniscience.

Distractor check: A student might choose option D (Israel's request for a king) by connecting overall leadership failures to the later establishment of the monarchy. Reasoning to the answer: 1 Samuel 4 details how the unworthiness of the corrupt priests Hophni and Phinehas led the Israelites to take the ark into battle as a talisman, resulting in its capture by the Philistines and the immediate deaths of the sons of Eli. Common mistake: Attributing the loss of the ark to general national sin rather than the direct consequence of the priests' behavior.

Distractor check: Option A (Jerusalem) or B (Gilgal) are common guesses since they served as major administrative or religious centers later in biblical history. Reasoning to the answer: 1 Samuel 8:4-5 records that the elders of Israel gathered together specifically at Ramah to present their formal request to Samuel for a king to govern them like surrounding nations. Common mistake: Assuming the request for a king took place at a major capital city like Jerusalem.

Distractor check: Option A (serving foreign gods) is a frequent misconception since foreign worship was a common reason for divine judgment in Israelite history. Reasoning to the answer: According to Deuteronomy 25:17-19 and 1 Samuel 15:2-3, God commanded the total destruction of Amalek as retribution because the Amalekites had maliciously ambushed the weary Israelites on their way out of Egypt during the Exodus. Common mistake: Believing the Amalekites were destroyed for idolatry rather than their historical hostility during the Exodus.

Distractor check: A student might choose option A (utterly destroyed the Amalekites) by misremembering whether Saul followed or disobeyed the divine command. Reasoning to the answer: 1 Samuel 15:11 and 35 state that the Lord deeply regretted making Saul king because Saul turned away from following Him and failed to carry out all instructions regarding the total destruction of Amalek. Common mistake: Assuming Saul successfully completed the destruction commanded by God.

1) Distractor check: Students might incorrectly select option A, thinking God wanted to introduce David to Saul immediately, or option D, believing God desired musical entertainment for Saul. These seem plausible because music eventually played a role, but the text explicitly identifies the primary theological cause. 2) Reasoning to the answer: An evil spirit tormented Saul because the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, which happened as a consequence of his disobedience to Samuel. This divine departure opened the door for torment, and David's music subsequently provided relief. 3) Common mistake: Confusing the secondary outcome (David playing the lyre) with the primary cause (the departure of the Lord's Spirit due to disobedience).

1) Distractor check: A student might choose option B (Abner) or option D (Joab) because they are prominent military commanders mentioned frequently alongside David or Saul, making them seem like likely candidates for a nighttime raid in the wilderness. 2) Reasoning to the answer: When David and his nephew went into the camp at Ziph while Saul and his guards were fast asleep, Abishai offered to pin Saul to the earth with a single spear thrust. David ultimately refused to allow this harm against God's anointed. 3) Common mistake: Confusing Abishai with Abner, who was actually the commander of Saul's army rather than David's nephew offering the strike.

1) Distractor check: Option C is tempting because Abner's poor guard duty was evident when David slipped into the camp, but Abner was Saul's commander, not the reason David stayed his hand. Option A is also a plausible-sounding distractor about military rules, but it lacks biblical backing. 2) Reasoning to the answer: David refrained from killing Saul at Ziph, just as he had previously at En-gedi, because he respected Saul as God's anointed leader. Despite facing personal peril, David refused to lift a hand against the man chosen by God. 3) Common mistake: Assuming David's restraint was based on tactical military codes rather than his strict reverence for God's anointed appointment.

1) Distractor check: Option A is a very common point of confusion because Solomon is the far more famous name of this child. Students easily mistake Solomon's birth name for his prophetic title. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Following divine instruction conveyed through the prophet Nathan, the child was named Jedidiah, which translates to beloved of the Lord. Although he also retained the name Solomon, the specific designation given by the prophet highlights God's special favor. 3) Common mistake: Forgetting that Jedidiah was the specific name declared by Nathan, and incorrectly assuming Nathan only ever called him Solomon.

1) Distractor check: Option C, D, or A might be ruled out by careful readers, but option B stands out because students might assume a king would naturally be promised military victory over his adversaries during such a divine encounter. 2) Reasoning to the answer: At Gibeon, God granted Solomon a wise and discerning mind, along with riches and honor, and promised a long and fulfilling life provided he kept God's commands. However, no specific promise regarding the lives of his enemies was articulated during this particular divine exchange. 3) Common mistake: Assuming that requests for royal wisdom and power always automatically include a direct promise to eliminate all personal enemies.

1) Distractor check: Option A seems plausible because foreign alliances and intermarriages often destabilized kingdoms politically in biblical narratives. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Ahab's union with Jezebel directly introduced and promoted Baal worship within Israel. This dynamic established a firm stronghold for foreign gods and widespread idolatry throughout the nation. 3) Common mistake: Attributing the primary cultural crisis to standard geopolitical weakness rather than the direct spiritual corruption of introducing foreign idolatry.

1) Distractor check: Option C is frequently confused as the direct trigger because Jezebel's marriage preceded the event, or option D involving Naboth, which sparked later prophetic confrontations. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Elijah announced a severe drought as divine punishment because Ahab abandoned God's commands in favor of serving Baal. This pervasive idolatry served as the foundational root sin that provoked the judgment. 3) Common mistake: Confusing the background marriage alliance with the active worship of Baal that directly triggered the drought prophecy.

1) Distractor check: Option A (Mount Sinai) is a classic biblical mountain often associated with divine law-giving, making it a natural guess for students rushing through geography questions. 2) Reasoning to the answer: The dramatic confrontation between Elijah and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal occurred on Mount Carmel. Here, Elijah challenged them to determine whose deity was real by calling down fire from heaven. 3) Common mistake: Mixing up Mount Carmel with Mount Sinai due to their prominent roles in Old Testament narratives.

1) Distractor check: Option C is highly unlikely, but option B (putting on sackcloth) is a common biblical expression for mourning that students frequently conflate with weeping, fasting, and prayer. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Upon learning about the broken walls and ruined gates of Jerusalem, Nehemiah sat down, wept, mourned for days, fasted, and prayed to God. This deep spiritual response preceded any political or physical action he would take. 3) Common mistake: Selecting only the outward symbol of sackcloth while overlooking the comprehensive recorded actions of weeping, fasting, and prayer.

1) Distractor check: Option D is a superficial choice because miracles happened, but it does not capture the specific legal weight of the royal decree regarding deliverance. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Nebuchadnezzar witnessed an angel deliver the faithful servants from the blazing furnace, prompting him to issue a decree forbidding anyone from speaking against their God. He recognized that no other deity possessed the unique capability to rescue servants in such a manner. 3) Common mistake: Attributing the decree to general divine miracles rather than the specific, unmatched deliverance from the fiery furnace.

1) Distractor check: Option B (seer) or option A (judge) might seem plausible for someone who delivered prophetic messages to nations, leading students to guess an official religious office. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Before his prophetic call, Amos worked as a herdsman and a tender of sycamore figs from Tekoa. He was a farmer rather than someone trained through traditional prophetic institutions. 3) Common mistake: Assuming Old Testament prophets always came from formal prophetic guilds rather than ordinary agrarian backgrounds.

1) Distractor check: Option C or D are common traps because students often confuse whether the prophecy targeted the northern kingdom of Israel or the southern kingdom of Judah. 2) Reasoning to the answer: The daughter's name, Lo-Ruhamah, translates to 'not pitied' and served as a symbolic declaration. It signified that God would no longer show love or mercy specifically to the house of Israel because of their ongoing unfaithfulness. 3) Common mistake: Confusing the northern house of Israel with the southern house of Judah when assigning the target of God's withdrawn pity.

1) Distractor check: Option B is a cynical option that students might mistakenly select if they misinterpret Jesus' compliance with religious authorities of the era. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Jesus insisted on being baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness, explaining to John that it was proper for them to carry out this act. This demonstrated total obedience to God's unfolding plan despite Jesus being entirely sinless. 3) Common mistake: Believing Jesus needed baptism for personal repentance rather than as an act of obedience to fulfill righteousness.

1) Distractor check: Option D is a witty colloquialism that students sometimes mistake for an actual biblical quote or a historical reply made during the testing narrative. 2) Reasoning to the answer: When Satan quoted scripture to tempt Jesus to jump from the temple summit, Jesus countered by citing Deuteronomy 6:16. His explicit reply was that one shall not put the Lord their God to the test. 3) Common mistake: Confusing Jesus' actual scriptural counter-quote with general statements about the misuse of scripture.

1) Distractor check: Option D is a very common religious practice that students often equate with spiritual purity, making it a strong distractor for the definition of true religion. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Pure and faultless religion is defined by looking after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unstained from the world. James emphasized this practical, hands-on compassion over mere ritualistic observances. 3) Common mistake: Equating spiritual devotion with private acts of fasting and prayer rather than the practical care of vulnerable people.

1) Distractor check: Option A (Rahab) or option C (Job) are prominent biblical figures mentioned by James in other contexts, making them easy to confuse with his illustration on prayer. 2) Reasoning to the answer: James pointed to Elijah to illustrate effective prayer, noting that despite being a human just like everyone else, his fervent prayers successfully shut and opened the heavens. This demonstrated the immense power of a righteous person's prayer. 3) Common mistake: Confusing the example used for faith (such as Rahab or Abraham) with the specific biblical figure used to teach about prayer.

1) Distractor check: Option C is a popular modern theological term that students frequently project back onto ancient biblical passages when reading about being born again. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Peter described believers as a chosen race, royal priesthood, and holy nation because they were called out of darkness for a specific purpose. That purpose is to declare the wonderful deeds and praises of the One who called them. 3) Common mistake: Substituting theological status like being born again for the specific missional purpose of declaring God's wonderful deeds.

1) Distractor check: Option A is tempting because respecting authority is a major theme in Peter's letters, but the text specifically warns against a different misuse of liberty. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Peter urged Christians to live as truly free individuals while cautioning them not to allow that liberty to become a cover-up or pretext for evil. Believers must maintain honorable conduct among outsiders instead of indulging wrongdoing under the guise of freedom. 3) Common mistake: Restricting the warning strictly to disrespecting political leaders instead of recognizing the broader prohibition against using freedom as a pretext for evil.

1) Distractor check: Option A or C might catch students off guard who try to link cornerstone metaphors with apostles or early church figures like Paul or John. 2) Reasoning to the answer: The rejected stone that ultimately became the chief cornerstone refers directly to Jesus Christ. Quoted from Psalm 118, this imagery establishes Him as the foundational, indispensable element in God's architecture of salvation. 3) Common mistake: Confusing the cornerstone with Simon Peter or other church leaders due to wordplay regarding foundations.

1) Distractor check: Option B is plausible because Jesus' crucifixion was certainly unjust, but it misses the primary theological reason given for why believers should follow His example. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Christians are called to emulate Christ because He suffered on the cross for human sins, intentionally leaving behind an example to follow. His patient endurance through suffering provides the blueprint for believers facing trials. 3) Common mistake: Focusing merely on the injustice of the trial rather than the substitutionary suffering and example set by Christ.

1) Distractor check: Option D is a minor technicality since they did speak to the apostles, but the core theological gravity of their sin went far beyond misleading human leaders. 2) Reasoning to the answer: Peter confronted the couple because they attempted to deceive the Holy Spirit regarding the financial proceeds of their land sale. Their immediate judgment served as a severe warning to the early church against hypocrisy and falsehood. 3) Common mistake: Assuming they were punished merely for lying to human church authorities rather than the Holy Spirit.

1) Distractor check: Option A is a core activity of the early church that students naturally associate with any apostolic appointment, making it a very strong distractor. 2) Reasoning to the answer: The seven men were appointed specifically to handle the daily distribution of food to widows, allowing them to serve tables. This administrative duty freed the apostles to dedicate themselves fully to prayer and the ministry of the word. 3) Common mistake: Assuming leadership roles in the early church were created exclusively for widespread evangelism rather than practical operational needs like serving tables.