WAEC Christian Religious Studies (CRS) 2023 Theory Past Questions

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Moses was born to two Levites in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Hebrew male children be cast into the Nile. He was rescued by Pharaoh's daughter and, through her arrangement, brought up by his own mother, who was paid a fee for nursing him. Though raised in the palace, Moses grew up knowing he was a Hebrew, and as an adult he witnessed his fellow Jews being maltreated by the Egyptians. One day, he killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew and hid the body in the sand. The next day, seeing two Hebrews fighting, he tried to reconcile them, but the offender asked whether Moses intended to kill him as he had killed the Egyptian - revealing that his act was no longer secret. Fearing that Pharaoh would deal with him, Moses fled from Egypt to Midian and sat down by a well. There, the seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water for their father's flock, and Moses helped them and watered their flock. In gratitude, the priest (Reuel/Jethro) invited Moses into his household and gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage.

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1. Violation of human rights - people flee when their fundamental rights are threatened or abused in their home country. 2. Persecution - individuals seek asylum to escape religious, political or ethnic persecution. (Other acceptable reasons: hunger/famine; natural disasters or climate-related crises; lack of job or business opportunities.)

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When Solomon ascended the throne, Hiram, king of Tyre, sent a diplomatic delegation to congratulate him, since Hiram had always been on friendly terms with David. Solomon reminded Hiram that his father David had been unable to build a temple for the Lord because of the wars surrounding him, but now that God had given Solomon rest on every side, he purposed to build a house for the Lord as God had promised David. Solomon therefore requested that Hiram's servants cut cedar trees from Lebanon for him, promising to pay whatever wages Hiram fixed for his workmen, since the Sidonians were skilled in timber-cutting. Hiram rejoiced greatly at Solomon's request and blessed God for giving David such a wise son. He agreed to supply all the cedar and cypress timber Solomon desired, floating the logs by sea to a place Solomon would designate, in exchange for provisions of wheat and oil to feed his household. This cooperative diplomatic and trade relationship between the two kings ensured a steady supply of quality timber, without which the building of the Temple could not have proceeded as planned.

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1. It promotes trade and economic exchange among nations. 2. It enables nations to better organise human capital and jointly tackle common challenges and crises. (Other acceptable: it promotes economic development; it enables faster proliferation of technological innovation.)

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After Josiah's death, his son Jehoahaz succeeded him, but after only three months he was dethroned by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt and replaced with his brother Eliakim, whose name was changed to Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim became king at twenty-five and reigned eleven years, during which he imposed heavy taxes on the people of Judah to pay tribute to Egypt. Pharaoh Neco, a cruel king, killed the prophet Uriah for prophesying against Judah. Later, Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at the battle of Carchemish (605 BC), becoming the dominant power, and Judah became a vassal of Babylon. Three years afterward, Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar sent troops against Judah, in fulfilment of a prophecy against the nation's unfaithfulness under Manasseh and Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim died before the Babylonian attack reached him, and his eighteen-year-old son Jehoiachin succeeded him, reigning for three months without departing from his father's evil ways. In 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem, and Jehoiachin surrendered. Babylon then took the king, the princes, the palace officials, and all the strong men and artisans into captivity in Babylon - marking the first deportation of the Jews.

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1. Bad governance and poor leadership. 2. Economic hardship and high cost of living. 3. Bribery and corruption. 4. Political or religious intolerance. (Other acceptable: unemployment; suppression of citizens' rights and freedoms; unfair elections; ethnic tension or perceived discrimination.)

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In 538 BC, King Cyrus of Persia decreed that the exiled Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. As construction progressed, the Samaritans - who were descendants of intermarriages between foreign settlers and Jews left in the land after the earlier conquest of Samaria - approached the Jewish leaders and offered to help build the Temple, claiming to worship the same God since the days of Esarhaddon. The Jewish leaders under Zerubbabel, however, rejected their offer, insisting that only they, the returned exiles, would build the house for the Lord. Offended, the Samaritans set out to discourage and frustrate the Jews, hiring counsellors against them to disrupt the project and instil fear throughout the reigns of Cyrus, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes. They also wrote letters to the Persian authorities accusing the Jews of rebuilding a rebellious and troublesome city that, once completed, would refuse to pay tribute, custom or toll to the king. As a result, the Persian governors of the province ordered the work to stop by force, and the rebuilding was halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius, when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stirred the Jews to resume the work despite the continued questioning of the regional governor Tattenai.

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1. Rejection of gifts, advice, or proposals from friends. 2. Use of vulgar words, insults or gossip. 3. Hatred, jealousy or greed. 4. Intolerance of others' views or beliefs. (Other acceptable: disrespect for people's religion, faith or customs.)

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After His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterward became hungry. The devil then approached Him with three temptations. First, the devil challenged Jesus, if He was truly the Son of God, to command the stones to become bread; Jesus replied that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Next, the devil took Jesus to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, telling Him to throw Himself down since scripture promised that angels would protect Him; Jesus responded that one should not put the Lord God to the test. Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour, offering to give Him all of it if Jesus would fall down and worship him. It was in response to this last, most audacious temptation that Jesus rebuked the devil with the words, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve," after which the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.

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1. Christians should pray always and remain spiritually alert to resist temptation. 2. Christians should study and know the word of God so they can use scripture to counter the devil's schemes, just as Jesus did. 3. Christians must apply the word of God practically in times of temptation rather than simply knowing it. (Other acceptable: Christians should avoid materialism; Christians should recognise that the devil is persistent and must be resisted with vigilance.)

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Jesus responded to Peter that forgiveness should not be limited to seven times, but should be extended seventy times seven - meaning without any limit. He then illustrated this with the parable of the unforgiving servant: a king wished to settle accounts with his servants, and one servant was found to owe him ten thousand talents, an amount he could not repay. The king ordered that he, his wife, his children and all he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees and begged for patience, and the king, moved with pity, released him and forgave him the entire debt. However, that same servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him a mere hundred denarii; he seized him by the throat and demanded immediate payment. When his fellow servant begged for patience in the same way he himself had, the unforgiving servant refused and had him thrown into prison until the debt was paid. When the king heard of this, he was furious, summoned the wicked servant, and condemned him for failing to show the same mercy he had received, handing him over to be tortured until he should pay all that he owed. Jesus concluded that His heavenly Father would do the same to anyone who does not forgive his brother from the heart.

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1. It reconciles broken relationships and restores peace between people. 2. It brings harmony and reduces tension and enmity in the community. 3. It heals emotional wounds and brings inner peace to the one who forgives. (Other acceptable: it removes fear and guilt; it reflects and secures God's own forgiveness toward us.)

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Among the early believers, everything was held in common, and no one claimed private ownership of their possessions. Some members sold their lands or houses and brought the full proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy - Barnabas being cited as an example of one who did this. Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property, but with Sapphira's full knowledge and consent, they secretly kept back part of the proceeds while presenting the rest to the apostles as though it were the whole amount. Peter, discerning this by the Spirit, confronted Ananias, asking why Satan had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, pointing out that the property and its proceeds had been entirely his to dispose of as he wished, and that he had therefore lied not to men but to God. Upon hearing this, Ananias fell down and died immediately, and great fear gripped everyone who heard of it; some young men then carried his body out and buried him. About three hours later, Sapphira came in, unaware of what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her to confirm the price for which the land was sold, and she repeated the same lie. Peter told her that the men who had buried her husband were at the door and would carry her out also, and she immediately fell down and died at his feet.

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1. God sees and knows everything, even what people try to keep secret. 2. Nothing done for the church should be done merely to win earthly praise or admiration. 3. Greed combined with deceit/lying to appear generous is a serious sin before God. 4. Believers must not lie to God, to His Spirit, or to fellow believers. (Other acceptable: giving should be done honestly and as purposed in the heart, not out of pressure to impress others.)

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James taught that Christians should count it all joy when they meet various trials, since the testing of faith produces steadfastness and maturity. He instructed that when a believer asks God for anything, especially wisdom, he should ask in faith without doubting, since God gives generously to all without reproach; a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He further taught that anyone suffering should pray, and anyone cheerful should sing praise; anyone who is sick should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer offered in faith will heal the sick. Believers should also confess their sins to one another and pray for one another so that they may be healed, since the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Ultimately, prayer must be offered in faith, humility, and persistence, according to the will of God.

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1. Faithlessness or doubt. 2. Pride. 3. Vain glory - praying to be seen or praised by others. 4. Ill motives or wrong/selfish motives. (Other acceptable: unconfessed sin.)

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Peter exhorted the elders of the church to shepherd the flock of God among them, exercising oversight not under compulsion but willingly, not for shameful or dishonest gain but eagerly, and not domineering over those in their charge but being examples to the flock, so that when the Chief Shepherd appears they will receive an unfading crown of glory. He then urged the younger members to be subject to the elders, and called on all of them to clothe themselves with humility toward one another, since God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. He advised all believers to humble themselves under God's mighty hand, casting all their anxieties on Him because He cares for them, and to be sober-minded and watchful, since their adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and they must resist him, firm in their faith.

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1. It causes division and disunity among members. 2. It leads to some members breaking away from the church. 3. It stifles the spiritual growth of the church and the development of individual members' talents and gifts. (Other acceptable: it leads to mismanagement of church funds and resources.)