Christian Religious Education
Paper 1
2 ½ Hours

Instructions to candidates:

• Write your name and index number in the space provided above.
• Sign and write the date of examination in the space provided above.
• This paper consists of six questions, each worth twenty marks.
• Answer any five questions in the space provided after question 6(c).
• This paper consists of two printed pages.
• Candidates should check the question paper to ascertain that all pages are printed as indicated and that no questions are missing.
• Candidates should answer the questions in English.

Questions:

1. (a) Explain the relationship between God and human beings from the Biblical stories of creation, concerning Genesis. (7 marks)
   (b) Describe the punishment pronounced by God because of sin, concerning the Genesis stories of the fall of man. (7 marks)
   (c) Discuss how the church deals with evil in society today. (6 marks)
2. (a) Outline the instructions given to Moses after he saw the burning bush at Mount Sinai, as described in Exodus 3. (7 marks)
   (b) Identify six problems Moses faced as he led the Israelites during the Exodus. (6 marks)
   (c) Describe the challenges facing church leaders in their work in Kenya today. (7 marks)
3. (a) Identify six promises that God made to King David in 2 Samuel 7:9-16. (6 marks)
   (b) Describe the failures of Solomon as the king of Israel. (7 marks)
   (c) Discuss the lessons that modern political leaders in Kenya can learn from the life of King David. (7 marks)
4. (a) Identify six ways in which prophets in the Old Testament communicated their messages to the people. (6 marks)
   (b) Outline the teachings of the prophet Amos on the day of the Lord. (8 marks)
   (c) Describe how Christians play a prophetic role in the church today. (6 marks)
5. (a) Outline prophet Jeremiah’s message of hope in his letter to the exiles, as described in Jeremiah 29. (7 marks)
   (b) Identify four reasons why the prophet Jeremiah lamented. (8 marks)
   (c) Describe how Christians resolve conflicts among themselves in Kenya today. (6 marks)
6. (a) Describe the traditional African view of the hierarchy of beings. (7 marks)
   (b) Explain how people in traditional African communities maintain their relationship with their ancestors. (6 marks)
   (c) Identify seven factors that have affected the kinship system in Kenya today. (7 marks)

Marking Scheme

1. The Relationship Between God and Human Beings from the Biblical Stories of Creation

(a) What is the relationship between God and human beings?

1. God created human beings.
2. He created them in His image/likeness and gave them the breath of life.
3. God put human beings in charge of His creation; they are co-workers with God.
4. Human beings are to fellowship with God.
5. They are co-creators with God and should multiply/procreate.
6. Human beings are to take care of God’s creation.
7. God provided for the needs of human beings; they depend on His providence.
8. God demands obedience/trust from human beings and gives them instructions.
9. Human beings are loved by God.
   (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

(b) What punishment did God pronounce because of sin according to the Genesis stories of the fall of man?

1. Death became part of human life.
2. The ground was cursed to produce thorns/thistles.
3. The snake was cursed to crawl on the ground and eat dust.
4. Pain and suffering entered human life.
5. God’s providence for human beings was withdrawn; man has to sweat/toil to earn a living.
6. The woman became subordinate to the man.
7. Human beings were chased away from the Garden of Eden.
8. Human beings lost authority over animals.
9. The enmity between man and animals developed.
10. Lifespan was reduced to 120 years.
11. Destruction of God’s creation with floods.
12. God confused the language of human beings.
13. Human beings were driven away from God and scattered across the earth.
    (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

(c) How does the church deal with evil in society?

1. The church condemns evil in society.
2. Reporting evildoers to the authorities.
3. Disciplining evildoers in society.
4. Rehabilitating criminals.
5. Casting/exorcising demons.
6. Praying for divine intervention and God’s protection.
7. Accepting evildoers into the church and converting them.
8. Mediating between warring parties.
9. Offering charitable services to the poor/victims of disaster.
10. Advocating for just and fair laws.
11. Offering guidance and counselling.
12. Sensitizing people on their rights.
13. Preaching peace, love, forgiveness, and tolerance.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

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2. Instructions God Gave to Moses During His Call in Exodus 3:1-22

(a) What instructions did God give to Moses?

1. God called Moses and told him not to come near the burning bush.
2. Moses was instructed to remove his shoes, as the ground he was standing on was holy.
3. God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and deliver the Israelites from Egypt.
4. Moses was commanded to bring the Israelites to Mount Sinai to serve God.
5. He was to tell the Israelites that God (“I AM”) had sent him.
6. Moses was to reveal that the God of their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) sent him.
7. God told Moses that this was His name forever, to be remembered throughout all generations.
8. He instructed Moses to gather the elders of Israel together and tell them what God had revealed to him.
9. Moses and the elders were to go to Pharaoh and request a 3-day journey in the wilderness for the Israelites to sacrifice to their God.
10. Each woman was to borrow jewellery (silver/gold) and clothing from the Egyptians for their sons/daughters.
    (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

(b) What problems did Moses face while leading the Israelites during the Exodus?

1. Lack of water/bitter water for the Israelites.
2. Lack of food for the Israelites.
3. Complaints from the Israelites and refusal to heed Moses’ instructions.
4. Attacks from warring tribes in the desert.
5. Settling disputes among the people.
6. Traveling in hostile and harsh climate conditions.
7. Lack of faith from the people (worship of the golden calf).
8. Rebellion/opposition from his family.
9. Threat from the Egyptian army.
10. Snake bites in the desert.
11. Strong Egyptian influence on the people.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

(c) What challenges do church leaders in Kenya face today?

1. Open conflicts among church leaders/members.
2. Generation gap.
3. Misinterpretation of splinter groups in the church.
4. The emergence of cults, devil worship, and witchcraft.
5. Permissiveness and moral decadence.
6. Greed for money/materialism.
7. Negative influence from science and technology/electronic media.
8. Political interference.
9. Misappropriation of church resources.
10. Competing priorities and too much work.
11. Conflicting views on morals, rituals, and doctrines.
12. Hostility.
    (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

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3. The Promises that God Made to King David in 2 Samuel 7:9-16

(a) What promises did God make to King David?

1. God would make David’s name great/famous.
2. God would give him descendants.
3. God would protect David’s kingdom and cut off all his enemies.
4. He promised peace for the Israelites.
5. David was promised a son/offspring who would succeed him as king.
6. David’s descendants would rule forever and establish an everlasting kingdom.
7. David’s son would build a house for God.
8. God would continually support the house of David and would not take His steadfast love from him.
9. God would appoint a place for David’s descendants/land.
   (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

(b) What were the failures of King Solomon as the King of Israel?

1. King Solomon married foreign wives, which was against God’s command.
2. He made treaties with foreign nations, which was forbidden by God.
3. He worshipped other gods and built high places for idol worship.
4. He oppressed the people through forced labour.
5. He exploited people through over-taxation.
6. He murdered by killing his half-brother Adonijah.
7. He sold the Israelites’ land to the king of Tyre to settle his debts.
8. He was selfish, spending 13 years building his palace and 7 years for the temple of God.
9. King Solomon’s oppressive rule led to the split of the kingdom into two after his death.
10. He disobeyed his father’s advice to always rely on God.
    (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

(c) What lessons can modern political leaders in Kenya learn from the life of King David?

1. Political leaders should unite all the people in the nation.
2. They should accept their mistakes, seek forgiveness, and forgive their enemies.
3. They should promote worship of the true God and have faith in God.
4. They should lead exemplary lives and be role models.
5. They should not use their power to oppress their subjects; they should be just.
6. They should listen to church leaders and seek their guidance.
7. They should ensure safety and security in the nation.
8. They should have proper administrative structures for the smooth running of the country.
9. They should exercise self-control and be patient.
10. They should offer quality and sound leadership.
    (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

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4. Ways the Old Testament Prophets Communicated Their Message to the People

(a) How did the prophets communicate their message?

1. Sermons
2. Teaching the word
3. Letters
4. Preaching
5. Songs/poems
6. Lamentations
7. Symbolic acts
8. Lifestyle/personal experience
9. Miracles
10. Prose/narratives
11. Offering of sacrifices
12. Lyrics
13. Prayers
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

(b) What did Prophet Amos say about the Day of the Lord?

1. It would be a day of terror/disaster.
2. God would punish the Israelites for their disobedience.
3. The earth shall tremble; there shall be earthquakes.
4. It shall be a day of disappointment for the Israelites.
5. People will faint while searching for the word of God.
6. People will thirst/hunger for the word of God.
7. The feasts and festivals will not be joyful.
8. The wicked will not escape God’s punishment.
9. They will be defeated by their enemies.
   (8 x 1 = 8 marks)

(c) What are the effects of poor interpretations of scripture in society today?

1. Emergence of splinter groups and division in the church.
2. Denominational differences.
3. Generation gap.
4. Emergence of false preachers/self-proclaimed evangelists.
5. Atheism and defection to other religions.
6. Increasing immorality and moral decadence.
7. Emergence of cults and devil worship.
8. Low growth and development of the church.
9. Rejection of church leaders.
10. Competition.
11. Materialism.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

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5. Prophet Jeremiah’s Message of Hope in His Letter to the Exiles (Jeremiah 29)

(a) What was Jeremiah’s message of hope?

1. Jeremiah told them to build houses and settle down.
2. He told them to plant gardens and eat their produce.
3. They were advised to marry and have children.
4. They were to get wives for their sons and have their daughters get married.
5. They were to pray for the welfare of their masters (Babylonians).
6. They were not to allow false prophets/diviners to deceive them.
7. He encouraged them that God had good plans for them.
8. They were to seek peace with their masters and obey them.
9. He assured them that God would hear and answer their prayers.
10. He told them that God would restore them to their land after 70 years.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

(b) Why did Jeremiah lament?

1. Plot against his life.
2. Rejection of his message by his people.
3. Isolation and loneliness from his people.
4. Mockery.
5. False accusations of being a traitor.
6. Torture/beating by Pashur.
7. Arrest/imprisonment.
8. Thrown into a cistern/dry well.
9. Burning of his scroll by King Jehoiakim.
10. Difficult prophetic tasks.
    (4 x 2 = 8 marks)

(c) How do Christians resolve conflicts among themselves?

1. Pray over the issue/problem.
2. Offer guidance and counselling to the affected.
3. Visit and talk to the offender.
4. Forgiving the offender and accepting the mistakes made.
5. Withdrawing some privileges temporarily for reform.
6. Through shaking of hands/accepting greetings.
7. Sharing meals and fellowship.
8. Dialogue.
9. Mediation by church authorities.
10. Consulting relevant authorities.
11. Biblical teachings/scriptures/ preaching the gospel of tolerance.
12. Going for a retreat.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

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6. Traditional African View of the Hierarchy of Beings

(a) What is the traditional African view of the hierarchy of beings?

1. God is at the top as the creator and giver of life.
2. Below God are divinities representing His activities on earth.
3. Spirits link God to human beings.
4. Ancestors, the founders of the community, are below the spirits.
5. Living dead act as intermediaries between God and the people.
6. Human beings include those physically alive and those yet to be born.
7. Living things and animals are below human beings, and used for natural and religious life.
8. Non-living things from the last category, including physical features like hills, mountains, lakes, rivers, and rocks.
   (7 x 1 = 7 marks)

(b) How do traditional African communities maintain their relationship with ancestors?

1. Pouring of libations to them.
2. Sacrificing to them.
3. Giving offerings to them.
4. Naming their children after them.
5. Offering veneration and praying through them.
6. Remembering them by inviting them to social functions.
7. Teaching their children about them.
8. Building shrines for them.
9. Taking care of their graveyards.
10. Preserving their traditions.
11. Protecting ancestral land.
    (6 x 1 = 6 marks)

(c) What factors are affecting kinship systems today?

1. Modern education.
2. Urbanization.
3. Modern science and technology.
4. Mass media.
5. Inter-tribal marriages.
6. New religions (e.g., Christianity, Islam).
7. Migration.
8. Western culture.
9. Constitution.
10. Generation gap.