44. Death of Herod. Famine in Judea.

45-47.

Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch on the first apostolical journey, chaps. xiii. xiv., and visit Cyprus and Asia Minor. 49. Council at Jerusalem. Chap. xv.

50-53. Paul's second journey with Silas; then with Timothy, and with Luke, in which he visits Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. Chaps. xvi. -xviii.

51. The Jews expelled from Rome by Claudius.

52. Paul is supposed to write his Epistles to the Thessalonians, and perhaps that to the Galatians, from Ephesus.

53. Agrippa, King. Felix, Procurator.

Paul goes to Ephesus; whence he wrote his First Epistle to the
Corinthians.

54. Nero, Emperor of Rome.

56. Paul wrote his First Epistle to Timothy, and that to Titus. He commences his third journey from Ephesus, and visits Macedonia and other places.

57. He wrote his Second Epistle to the Corinthians from Macedonia, 58. He wrote his Epistle to the Romans from Corinth, and journeyed

thence to Macedonia, Asia Minor, Syria, and Jerusalem. He

is imprisoned, and sent to Cesarea, where he is confined two years. Chaps. xx. - xxiv.

60. Festus, Procurator of Judea. Paul's Defence before Agrippa. He is sent to Rome, but is shipwrecked on the Island of Malta. Chap. xxvii.

61. Paul arrives at Rome, where he remains in confinement two years; during which time he wrote his Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, and Second to Timothy. Chap. xxviii.

63. Paul liberated. He visits Greece.

64. He returns to Rome, writes the Second Epistle to Timothy, and is beheaded by Nero.

64-67. First Persecution of the Christians at Rome.

70. Jerusalem taken by Titus, and destroyed, with many thousands of its inhabitants.

95. The Second Persecution against the Christians, under Domitian, the Roman Emperor.

John is supposed to have been banished to the Island of Patmos. 100. The apostle John is believed to have died about this periodthe last survivor of the Twelve.

PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY

OF

THE MORE DIFFICULT NAMES OF PERSONS AND PLACES OCCURRING IN THE ACTS.

(Chiefly taken from Ripley's Notes, with alterations.)

The accented, and long and short syllables, are denoted by the usual marks.

AN INTRODUCTION

TO THE

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

"THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES" is a general title, equivalent to the Life or History of the Apostles, and includes not only their actions, but also their sayings. There is no evidence that this heading, though early given to it, was assigned by the author. This book was variously styled by the ancient fathers "The Fifth Gospel," "The Gospel of the Holy Spirit," "The Gospel of the Risen Jesus Christ," as terms descriptive of its contents and object.

The location of this book, in the volume of the New Testament, is, in several old manuscripts and versions, after the Epistles of Paul; but the fact of its being a species of appendix to the Gospels, and an introduction to the Epistles, justifies its present position. Lardner says, that Luke's Gospel was undoubtedly placed in the Evangelicon, or with the other Gospels; and the Acts, probably, in the Apostolicon, or with the Epistles.

Its author was Luke, the Evangelist, as appears from the specific declaration of chap. i. 1, compared with Luke i. 3, who wrote this treatise as a second part, or supplement, to his Gospel, and was himself a witness to some of the events of his history. Acts xvi. 10–17, xx. xxi. xxvii. xxviii. The voice of the learned has identified him with the physician mentioned by Paul, Col. iv. 14. The style of this work resembles that of the Gospel according to Luke, and many cases of similitude have been adduced by the commentators. There are traces, not to be mistaken, of an acquaintance with the purer and classical models in the Greek language, such as would be likely to be familiar to an intelligent professional man. Besides the express statement of the introduction, and the uniformity of style, Luke's authorship is substantiated by the joint assertion of Christian antiquity. This work is in all the Catalogues of the books of the New Testament. The Acts are referred to by Clement of Rome, A. D. 96,— Ignatius, A. D. 107,- Polycarp, A. D. 108,-Justin Martyr, A. D. 140,-Polycrates, A. D. 196. This book is quoted, and ascribed to Luke, by Irenæus, A. D. 178, — Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 194. Tertullian, A. D. 200,

INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

11

calls it "Luke's Commentary," or history. Origen, A. D. 230, speaks of "Luke who wrote the Gospel and the Acts." Jerome, A. D. 392, says, "The Acts of the Apostles, another work of Luke the physician, whose praise is in the Gospel, (2 Cor. viii. 18,) contain the history of the infancy of the church." Augustine, A. D. 395, says that “Luke, after having written a Gospel, even one of the four which are in so high esteem, containing a history of Christ's words and works, and the time of his resurrection and ascension, wrote such an account of the acts of the Apostles as he judged to be sufficient for the edification of believers; and it is the only history of the Apostles which has been received by the church, all others having been rejected, as not to be relied upon." He adds, "Mark and Luke wrote at a time when their writings might be approved, not only by the church, but also by apostles still living." Chrysostom, A. D. 398, says, "Luke leaves us thirsting for more; but, if he had proceeded, it would have been only a repetition of like discourses and works, like dangers, difficulties, and sufferings." Eusebius, of the fourth century, says, “Luke, who was born at Antioch, and by profession a physician, being for the most part connected with Paul, and familiarly acquainted with the rest of the Apostles, has left us, in two inspired books, the institutes of that spiritual healing art which he obtained from them. One of these is his Gospel, in which he testifies that he has recorded 'as those who were from the beginning eye-witnesses and ministers of the word' delivered to him; whom, also, he says, he has in all things followed. The other is his Acts of the Apostles, which he composed, not from what he had heard from others, but from what he had seen himself." The early fathers multiply the same testimony. Araton, a sub-deacon in the church at Rome in the sixth century, versified the Acts of the Apostles.

The date of the work is fixed at about A. D. 64, since the history comes down to the period of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, yet does not relate his martyrdom, which is supposed to have occurred in A. D. 65 or 66, at that city, under the reign of Nero. The place of its composition was probably Greece or Rome, though nothing is certain respecting it. The expression in chap. i. 19, "their proper tongue," would imply that Luke was not in Judea. It has been conjectured that Theophilus was an honorable Gentile convert to Christianity.

Though entitled "The Acts of the Apostles," the object of the writer was clearly not to narrate the lives of all the Twelve, but simply and briefly to furnish a species of memoirs, or a journal of the most important travels and discourses, especially of the two great leaders — Peter, the Apostle to those of the circumcision; and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles; not excluding the sayings and doings of several, as Stephen, Philip, and Barnabas, who were not strictly Apostles. He relates by no means all the history of Peter and of Paul, the chief heroes of the book; but, induced, apparently, by a desire of brevity, gives only some of the most important