English Bible Exam
Since ministers of the church of Jesus Christ are to be ministers of the word, the church has a responsibility to discern whether licentiates and ordinands actually know their Bibles. The purpose of the Bible exam is to determine the candidate’s familiarity with the contents of the English Bible.
The Presbytery of Michigan and Ontario Bible exam is an oral exam. It is usually administered by a subcommittee of Candidates and Credentials (two or three ministers/elders). In preparation for this exam it is suggested that the candidate prepare his own brief summary (a four to five sentence paragraph) of each of the 66 books of the Bible. This document does not have to be turned in; it is for the candidate’s own use.
The candidate should be able to explain how the books of the Old Testament point toward Christ. Luke’s gospel records,
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.... And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (24:27, 44).
Obviously our Lord was convinced that the Bible was given to reveal himself; therefore we believe that a man preparing to be a minister of Christ should be able to give specific ways in which each of the Old Testament books point to the Savior.
Specific items: Give special attention to Genesis, Psalms, John and Romans. Be familiar with the common divisions of the Old Testament (law, history, poetry, prophecy) and the New (gospels, Acts, epistles, Revelation). Know about the original languages of Scripture and which parts of the Bible were written in them. Know something about the formation of the canon. Be able to recognize familiar quotations from the Bible and who said them.