THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: THE TEXT DIVIDED INTO PARAGRAPHS, WITH NOTES. BY J. DAVIES, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, Author of "Notes on Genesis," "Notes on Exodus," "Notes on Mark,' 0:0 LONDON: GEORGE PHILIP & SON, 32, FLEET STREET; 1871. 101. g 401** NOTES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. AUTHOR-St. Luke, the Evangelist. Proofs of this:— 1. In the preface of Acts allusion is made to a "former treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up❞— thus showing that the author of Acts had written a narrative of our Lord's life. On referring to the Gospels, we find that of St. Luke dedicated, like Acts, to Theophilus. Hence we infer that this Gospel is the "former treatise" mentioned, and that, consequently, Luke wrote the Acts. 2. The style of Luke's Gospel is the same as that of the Acts. 3. The Early Church unanimously attributed the Acts to Luke. We infer, from his using the pronoun "we" in parts of the narrative of St. Paul's journeyings, that Luke was a companion of that Apostle. This appears also from 1. Paul speaking in his Epistles of a Luke being with him. 2. The Testimony of the Fathers, (especially Eusebius). From the mentions of himself in connection with Paul, we gain from Acts the following particulars about him:He joined Paul at Troas, on the latter's Second Apostolic Journey- -was left by Paul at Philippi-was taken thence by him on his Third Journey-accompanied him to Jerusalem-was with him during his imprisonment at Cæsarea-and accompanied him to Rome. The mentions of him by Paul are: 1. "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you."-Coloss. (In this passage Paul sends salutations from several other persons "of the circumcision." Luke is not of this number;-hence we infer that he was a Gentile). 2. "Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow labourers."-Phile. (The Epistles in which these allusions are found were written during Paul's first Imprisonment). 3. "Only Luke is with me."-2 Tim. (This was written during Paul's second Imprisonment). Putting together the materials we derive from Scripture and Tradition, we may construct the following connected narrative of ST. LUKE'S LIFE: He was of Gentile parentage,-born at Antioch, educated as a physician,-converted to Judaism, and then to Christianity, (perhaps by Paul). He joined Paul at Troas, on the latter's Second Apostolic Journey, was left by him at Philippi,— was taken thence by him on his Third Journey,accompanied him to Jerusalem,-was with him during his imprisonment at Cæsarea,-accompanied him to Rome, and was with him during his first and second imprisonments in that city. He laboured in Gaul, after Paul's death, and suffered martyrdom in Greece or Bithynia, by being hanged on an olive tree, æt. 84. (N.B.-The points not derived from Scripture are in Italics). PLACE AND TIME OF WRITING:- probably at Rome, during Paul's two years' imprisonment there, (a.d. 61–63). SOURCES OF LUKE'S INFORMATION :— 1. For the period of his accompanying Pal,- his own eye-witness. 2. For the period preceding his joining Paul, and for occasions when he was not with the Apostle,-his association with Timothy, Titus, Silas, Barnabas, and others, and with Paul himself, (who, doubtless, supplied the narrative of Stephen's death). EVIDENCES OF THE TRUTHFULNESS OF THE NARRATIVE:1. His agreement with ancient authors in his mentions of the religion, manners, and politics of the peoples he names. 2. The correctness of his descriptions of places he professes to have visited. 3. The marvellous agreement between the Acts and Paul's Epistles. 4. The discourses he records of Stephen, Peter, Paul, &c., are all, (unlike those attributed by Livy and other ancient historians to different persons, but really manufactured by themselves), various in style,-characteristic of what we know of the speakers, and eminently apropos to the circumstances under which they were severally delivered. PURPOSE OF THE ACTS:-to complete the narrative, begun in Luke's Gospel, of the Establishment of Christianity. His Gospel carries the history down from the birth of John the Baptist to the Resurrection; in Acts it is resumed with the Resurrection, and continued to the introduction of the Gospel by Paul to Rome. While intended for all ages, both Luke's Gospel and the Acts were written with a special view to instructing Theophilus and other catechumens,—and to show the Gentile nations that the Gospel was for them also, and not for the Jews alone. PLAN OF THE BOOK:—is clearly indicated by Luke in his Preface: "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Guided by this indication, we can thus divide the contents of Acts: Part I. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the witness borne "in Jerusalem," (cs. I-VII). Part II. The witness borne "in Judæa and Samaria," (cs. VIII-XII). Part III. The witness borne "unto the uttermost part of the earth," (c. XIII-end). |