A prophet speaks for God to the people. Predicting an event can be part of that work. It is not the whole work.
The idea
A prophet is a spokesperson. The message calls people back to the covenant: worship God, and treat other people justly. Amos speaks against those who are at ease while the poor are crushed, and he asks for justice. Isaiah, in the temple, meets a holy God and is sent to a people who will resist the message. Jeremiah warns Judah that breaking the covenant will bring disaster, and he is not thanked for it. You do not need every chapter. You need the job the prophet was given, and one concrete demand.
Do not reduce the prophet to a fortune teller. A prediction in these books is usually tied to how the people are living. If they return, the future changes. If they refuse, the warning stands. A prophet can also confront a king. Nathan confronts David after David takes Uriah's wife. The mark is for the moral demand, not for a vague "he told the future". When you name a prophet, say what was wrong and what God required. Two prophets who said the same thing in your script will be marked as one point.
The Christian Religious Studies tips guide sets out the papers, how to answer a theme, and the mistakes that cost marks. WASSCE Christian Religious Studies tips
What earns the marks
The name and the message are a pair. "Amos was a prophet" does not say what he said. Justice, care for the poor, and faithful worship are the usual demands. Do not invent a quotation. A short true summary is safer than a verse you are not sure of. If the question says "explain", the sentence must say why the message mattered, not only repeat the name.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
4 marks
Explain the difference between a prophet and a person who only predicts the future. (4 marks)
Model answer
A prophet speaks for God to the people. The message calls them back to the covenant, to worship and to justice. A prediction can be part of that message. A person who only predicts the future has no moral demand and does not speak for the covenant.
Mark scheme
A prophet speaks for God1 mark
The message calls people back to the covenant, worship or justice1 mark
Prediction can be part of the message, not the whole of it1 mark
A fortune teller has no covenant demand1 mark
2Question 2
2 marks
(a) State one evil Amos spoke against. (1 mark)
(b) State what he said God required instead. (1 mark)
Model answer
(a) The crushing of the poor, or worship that ignored injustice.
(b) Justice, or right treatment of other people.
Mark scheme
Injustice, oppression of the poor, or empty worship1 mark
Justice, or a life that matches the covenant1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
State two things a full answer about a named prophet should include. (2 marks)
Model answer
The name of the prophet, and the demand God made through that prophet. The situation, such as a king or a nation, can be the second point if the demand is already clear.
Mark scheme
The prophet is named1 mark
The message or the demand, not only the name1 mark
Practise Christian Religious Studies with Anna
More questions on this topic are inside glearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
No. A prophet speaks for God. The usual demand is to return to the covenant: worship God and act justly. A prediction, when it appears, is tied to how the people are living.