1

As a historical document, not merely for the period 75-100 but directly for much within the age of which it treats, Acts is a most serviceable and invaluable writing. For many parts of the apostolic age the author apparently possessed no sources and had access to few traditions. The result is that some parts are omitted, while in elaborating others he seems again to present a record at variance with the traits preserved in Paul's epistles. Yet even with the gaps, deviations, and contradictions of this history, it serves often as a useful outline for historical research, providing materials for the reconstruction of events and ideas which otherwise would remain even more dim than they now are. As Resch, I think, has somewhere observed with considerable truth, apart from the "Acts of the Apostles," the epistolary literature of the NT would be like a book sealed with seven seals. One may well admit this, without denying at the same time that in the history of early Christianity there are several points where the narrative, when inferentially gathered from the Pauline letters, gains in clearness and consistency as Acts is either set aside or regarded as a secondary source. [Mommsen, ZNW, 1901, p. 87 f.]

The following analysis has been adapted from Mr. C. H. Turner's article (DB, i. pp. 412 f., "the picture is cut up, as it were, into six panels, each labelled with a general summary of progress").

1 Note the presence of such elements as these in the contemporary situation: (i.) a conciliatory tendency towards emphasis upon harmony and agreement as notes of the earlier development (cp. Ephesians, and the supremacy of the Twelve in the Apocalypse, where Paul is absolutely ignored, even in his famous sphere at Ephesus); (ii.) a disposition to smooth over primitive conflicts in the interests of a later generation which would not be edified by their recital; (iii.) the existence of errorists and incipient officialism (e.g., especially Ac 2028-31 = Pastorals and Apoc 2-3, 21-9) in the Asiatic communities; (iv.) the blurred reflection (in the Pauline speeches, as in 1 Pet.) of Paul's ideas upon, e.g., Christ's redemption, Israel's destiny, the spiritual life, the charismata, his independent apostolate, etc.; besides (v.) the less restrained handling of stories such as those told in Ac 116. etc. On the latter passage, see Prof. Rendel Harris (AJT, July, 1900, pp. 490-513), who attempts to show that behind it, and even behind the corresponding story in Mt 278, there lay in the primitive tradition a legendary account of the death of Judas, modelled upon the tale of a similar fate suffered by Nadan, the traitorous nephew of Ahikar. The taste for such heightened anecdotes naturally rose in proportion as their original nucleus receded in tradition. It is more noticeable in Acts than in the synoptic gospels (cp. above, pp. 17-18; also, for other instances of naïvely realistic expressions of religious truth in primitive Christianity, Gunkel's die Wirkungen des heiligen Geistes,2 pp. 47-49); though, even in the pictured pages of the former book, few sections would deserve a verdict as severe as that pronounced by Dr. Harris on the Judas-legends: "in any case, the value of the early Christian traditions with regard to the death of the traitor is reduced almost to zero.' (Story of Ahikar, pp. lxiii-lxv: "We need not be surprised if Ahikar should furnish the key to the genesis of the Judas legends," cp. Cheyne, EBi, ii. 2627, whose article is rather disfigured, however, by conjectural emendations of the text.) That the author of Acts stood in an honest and simple attitude to the facts which he wished to narrate, we need not question. His intentions are as excellent as is the general result of his effort. Thus he refrains from introducing into his narrative of the primitive church the later Trinitarian formula of baptism (Mt 2816-20), just as in the third gospel he permits no reference to the sin of polytheism (so common in the epistles), since that did not form a sin of Christ's circle in Judaea, or to the pre-existence-idea of Christ's person. Evidences of this historic sense might be indefinitely multiplied (cp. p. 268, n. 2). But all this only illustrates more vividly the inferior elements ("misconceptions and legendary deposits," Beyschlag, NTTh, i. 301, ii. 6) in the materials at his disposal, his own inadequacy at several points to the task of exhibiting the course of events, and the tendency which operated in his mind. The last-named is as marked in Acts as in the Eumenides. An undivided church drawn from divided humanity forms the pride and topic of Ephesians, Acts, and the Apocalypse.

"

[85-95 A.D.]

ACTS

It is certain that in the second part the person and fortunes of Paul are supremely prominent, but it is just as plain that upon the whole "Acts" is intended to describe something other than the life of Paul. The author regards Paul as the representative of the cause which he himself is advocating, namely, the Gentile Christian church of his own day, and he wishes to describe how this church came to spread itself over the whole Empire, irresistibly. In his representation of the history, he has no animus against Jewish Christianity, far less against Peter or James. What he is absorbed in is the breach with Judaism, for in Judaism he sees the real opponent of Christianity. I cannot understand "Acts" except as a defence of the Christian religion before the Gentiles against the denunciation of the Jews, which is meant to show how Christianity, with its mission to the world, has proved to be the annulling of Judaism. That the author of this apologetic treatise, written about the close of the first century, chooses to put his leading ideas in narrative rather than in argumentative form, is due to the nature of the case. He was in no sense dealing with a subject that was generally known, but with a religion just in the bud. Besides, he seems to have held the opinion that the best way to know things is to know their origin and develop. ment. The result is, that the general view of Christianity adopted by this author brings him and his composition really nearer to the apologists than to the writings of Paul.-J. Weiss.

ACTS

11-66 i. Origin of church at Jerusalem: | Speech of Peter preaching of Peter.

115-22

214-36

312-26

Council at Jerusalem.

Peter

157-11

Summary.

166-1919 v. Extension of church to Europe:

1920

preaching of Paul :

acts of Paul:

Macedonia and Achaia.

Summary.

2018-35

2410-21

2721-26

2817-20

6

ACTS

1 1 IN my first treatise, O Theophilus, I wrote of all that Jesus began both 2 to do and to teach until the day that he was taken up, after giving com3 mands through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he presented himself alive after his suffering by many sure proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking of what con4 cerned God's reign. Also, as he ate with them, he charged them not to withdraw from Jerusalem but to await what the Father had promised, 5 about which, said he, "I have taught you; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the holy Spirit not many days after this." So when they had gathered together, they asked him, saying, "Lord, is this the time when thou art to restore the royal power to Israel? 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the 8 Father has appointed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." 9 And on saying this he was taken up while they looked on, and a cloud 10 received him out of sight. And as he went, their eyes were fixed on heaven; meanwhile, behold, there stood beside them two men dressed in 11 white, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why stand looking to heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you to heaven, shall come just in the 12 same way as you saw him go to heaven." Then they turned back to Jerusalem from the hill called "the olive - orchard," which is near 13 Jerusalem, at the distance of a sabbath-day's journey. And on entering, they went up into the upper chamber where they were accustomed to stay both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus) and Simon (the 14 zealot), and Judas the son of James. All these men with one accord gave themselves to prayer, along with some women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.

15

And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a throng of persons together, about a hundred and twenty) and said: 16 "Men and brothers, that scripture had to be fulfilled which the holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, with regard to Judas 17 who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he became one of our 18 number and was allotted a share in this ministry. This man purchased a piece of ground, then, with the wages of his iniquity; and falling face foremost, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels poured out. 19 And the matter became known to all the residents in Jerusalem, so that in their language that piece of ground was called Akeldamach (that is, 20 Ground of Blood). For it is written in the book of psalms,

also,

Desolate be his abode,

And let none inhabit it:

His office of overseer let another take.

21 So of the men who have been our companions [during all the time 22 that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the

baptism of John down to the day that he was taken up from us], one 23 of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." And they brought forward two, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justus) and 24 Matthias; and they prayed, saying, "O Lord, who knowest all hearts, do thou appoint from these two men the one whom thou hast chosen 25 to take his place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas 26 turned away to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was assigned his position with the eleven apostles.

21

And in the course of the day of Pentecost they were all gathered 2 together. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound, as it were of a 3 rushing violent blast, and it filled the whole house where they sat. And there appeared to them tongues, as if of fire, distributing themselves; 4 and a tongue sat on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit, and began to talk with other tongues as the Spirit granted 5 them utterance. Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, 6 devout men from every nation under the sky. And when this sound was heard, the multitude gathered and was confounded, for each man heard 7 them talking in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Look! are they not all Galileans, those men who are talking? 8 Then how is it that each one of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the residents in Mesopotamia, in 10 Judaea and Kappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia,

in Egypt and the districts of Libya about Cyrenê, besides visitors from 11 Rome, Jews as well as proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear these 12 men talking in our tongues of the grandeurs of God." And they were all amazed and completely bewildered, saying one to another, "What can 13 this mean?" Others said with a sneer, They are filled full of sweet 14 wine." But Peter stood up with the eleven and raised his voice

in utterance to them:

"Men of Judaea and all ye residents in Jerusalem, be this known to 15 you, and attend to my words: these men are not, as you suppose, drunk. 16 It is only the third hour of the day! No, this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel :

17

18

19

20

21

And it shall be in the last days, saith God,

I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh,

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams:

Yea, on my slaves and on my handmaids in those days

I will pour out of my Spirit,

And they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in the sky above

And signs on the earth below,

Blood and fire and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be changed into darkness,
And the moon into blood,

Ere the Lord's great day come.1

And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the Lord's name shall be

saved.

1 Omitting nai ixıparñ.