Clarification #1 – Sportsmanship in quizzing

Bible Quizzing is a ministry designed to put the Word of God into young people’s hearts. Not only is it one of the best things that a young person can do spiritually, but Bible Quizzing can also be exciting, fun, competitive and enjoyable.

Bible Quizzing requires great discipline and responsibility of an individual as well as an ability to cooperate within a team and at a tournament.

All participants in the Apostolic Bible Quizzing ministry shall maintain Christian decorum at all times and at all places including at the Quiz Board.

As such, Apostolic Bible Quizzing determines that any procedural error, or other unfair violation, on the part of quizzers or coaches will result in a foul. It is determined that any unfair violation includes any action by a coach or a quizzer that is interpreted as to intimidate a quizzer or team; this includes any outbursts that create an unfair advantage (ie: a quizzer yells Contest in an unnecessarily loud manner). The Quiz Master will determine when to apply the rule and assess a foul with the consultation of the Judges.

If a coach is charged with a foul instead of a quizzer, the resulting 5-point penalty will be assigned to the team. There is no limit to how many times a Coach can be assessed a foul. This rule will apply to all Divisions.

Clarification #2 – Re-read ruling

The ruling that a question that is re-read to a team would be replaced with a similar style of question should a contest or ruling deem it necessary will apply to all divisions.

Clarification #3

Introductions to what people say are ok to include in the answer if it is not a quotation question. Example: Q. What did Jesus say in Mark 4:35? A. Let us pass over unto the other side

a. IT IS OK FOR A QUIZZER TO SAY, “he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side” OR “Jesus said, let us pass over unto the other side” OR “And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side”. Introductory phrases in cases like these are merely a quizzer labeling the part of the question they are answering.

b. It is okay for a quizzer to answer out of order and then clarify their answer by labeling each portion of their answer with references back to the question such as Q. TWO PART: WHO did baptize WHERE, according to Mark 1:4? ANS. (1) John (1) In the wilderness. A quizzer could answer “the where is, in the wilderness and the who is, John”. When including the introductory phrase for what a person is saying, this is all the quizzer is doing. They are not saying (back to the original question above) that Jesus said, “he saith unto them…” but are merely labeling the portion of the question they are then answering. Adding additional correct information with the scope of the range of reference is fine and will not be labeled incorrect.

c. When this type of question is a quotation question however, the introduction may NOT be included. Q. QUOTATION Quote what Jesus said in Mark 4:35? A. Let us pass over unto the other side. In this case, a quizzer may ONLY say “Let us pass over unto the other side”.

d. There is a direct reference to this in the rulebook… Part 2, Section L, point 2 on page 37 which states: “Introductory phrases that identify those speaking and/or spoken to, if included by a quizzer as part of his/her answer, will obviously not be considered as part of what was asked or stated in the actual dialogue itself, except in the cases of quotation-type questions.

Clarification #4

Pronouns must be identified if it is within the scope of the question’s reference and may be identified either directly by saying, “[pronoun] referring to [antecedent]” OR by quoting the verse through, by which the context of the verse makes clear what the antecedent is.

a. Example: Q. TWO PART: Much people, according to verse 24 of Mark 5, did HOW MANY things, and WHAT are they? ANS. (1) Two (2) Followed him, and thronged him (HIM referring to Jesus) (Mark 5:24)

b. In this case, if a quizzer says, “2 things, followed him and thronged him” they would not be counted correct UNTIL they make clear who HIM is. They can do this by saying, “Him referring to Jesus” or by saying, “And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him” because quoting the verse in its entirety makes it clear who “him” is.

c. Quizzers do NOT need to identify pronouns that are located OUTSIDE of the bounds of the reference of the question.

Clarification #5

When counting actions in a verse count the number of verbs… most of the time .

If doing so makes it unclear or if in an official discussion it is not simple to figure out and has not been clarified previously, the best way to deal with it may be to throw out the question. If it takes several minutes to rule on it at the judges table, we feel that it is probably unfair to ask a quizzer to do so in the 30 seconds allotted to answer.

a. Example: Q. TWO PART: Mark 6:6 describes Jesus as doing HOW MANY things, and WHAT are they? ANS. (1) Two (2) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. (Mark 6:6)

b. By purely counting the verbs it would appear that there are three, “marvelled, went and teaching” but after short consideration it seems that “went round about the villages, teaching” is really one thing Jesus did. In this case, we can see it both ways so in this instance (or those similar) we would recommend throwing out the question and replacing it with one that is more clear UNLESS it has already been ruled on in a pre-tournament Q&A session. In this case, the tournament ruling will stand.

Clarification #6

Hair, flesh, bone, teeth, blood and skin will NOT be identified as body parts.

If a question were to ask for a body part referring to any of these it would be contestable. BQ Powers DOES identify some of these are parts of the body but while BQ Powers charting can be helpful, it cannot be used as the basis for a contest.

Clarification #7

Accuracy required for question / statement questions:

If a quizzer is asked a question similar to “What question is asked?” or “What statement is made?” or even “What words of Peter are found?”, does the quizzer’s answer require the accuracy of a quote? Can they repeat words or say words out of order and still be covered by the essence rule?  Can they fix minor mistakes (reordering words or omissions) by repeating the question or statement correctly?

These types of questions do not require the accuracy of a quote. Omitting part of the question such as an address, then repeating correctly will be counted correct. Also, if the statement or question given by the quizzer is indisputably the same (such as the minor re-ordering of words) it will be counted correct.

An exception will be if the question is asked “what words” are found.  Asking for “words” tightens up requirements similar to “what words precede, what words follow” in a sandwich style question.

• Example #1: What 2 questions of Peter are found in Acts 3:12 – And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
  • Quizzer answers, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (after a look from the quizmaster, repeats entire correct answer) Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
• Ruling: CORRECT

• Example #2: Mark 6:3 –  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?
• Quizzer answers – Is THIS NOT the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?
• Ruling: CORRECT

Clarification #8

Order required in answering:

On a question that asks for out of order responses (What response follows what question?) and the quizzer quotes the verse(s) in order, should they be counted correct if the  introductory words clarify the order?

As long as the quizzer answers them in the order the questions are asked or if the context of the verse (assuming they quote the whole verse) clarifies which is a question and which is an answer the quizzer will be counted correct.  Identification by elimination is sufficient, so if the quizzer clarifies ONE of the two parts they would be counted correct.

In the case of a question or response, if the quizzer provides the entire verse as context and it includes the word “asked” or “answered” we will consider that sufficient identification.

Example #1: Acts 1:6-7 – ⁶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
⁷ And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Clearly states THEY ASKED which identifies the question and the answer is identified by elimination

Example #2: Acts 5:28-29 – ²⁸ Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
²⁹ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Clearly states Peter and the other apostles answered which identifies the response, question is identified by elimination

Clarification #9

When is a description required to answer a “who” question?

How specifically must a WHO be answered? Is the name always sufficient? Is a title or description ever required?

For the sake of pronoun identification outside of the verse the question is asked, a name is sufficient unless it can be confused with another person of the same name. If a name is not provided (as for a group of people), the quizzer should provide enough information that the identification is unambiguous from the other groups in the chapter.  For example, the “they” in Acts 1:6 could be “the apostles” and does not need to include “whom Jesus had chosen”.  Similarly, “the lame man” vs. “a man lame from his mother’s birth”.

When the question is limited to a single verse or a range of verses smaller than a chapter, the answer to who should include the name along with any titles given. If a name is not provided, then the full description should be given.

• Acts 4:6 – And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
• Who were gathered? Annas is sufficient or “the high priest” must be included as part of the response?
• Ruling: the title of high priest should be included as the single verse was referenced.

Clarification #10

Is the “Holy Ghost” a “who” or a “what” or both?

Is the Holy Ghost as a WHAT acceptable (compared to WHO)? Is this contestable if it is referred to as WHAT in a question?

The Holy Ghost as a WHAT is fully accepted.

Clarification #11

Clarifying “mentions”, “refers” and “speaks of”

Mentions is a very broad term and does not mean the same as contains the word/ phrase. Using this opens up possibilities to other references.

2 verses mention “heaven” (but another mentions heavenly places. If you were to ask the question, how many verse “mention” heaven it would force the quizzer to include “heavenly places” as well.

1 verse of Acts 2 mentions the patriarch David (“David” is contained and his pronouns found in many verses, but only one contains the phrase “patriarch David”). Saying, mentions, refers to or speaks of open up anywhere he is referred to.