I. THE TITLE is not THE ACTS in the Greek, but ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. It relates some acts of some of the apostles, but more especially those of Peter and Paul. It might also be called, in truth, THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, working through the apostles.

II. THE AUTHOR was Luke, the author of the Gospel according to Luke, the good physician who traveled as the companion of St. Paul on several of his journeys, and remained with him in Rome till the close of his first imprisonment. Zahn says that Dr. Hobart, in his Medical Language of St. Luke, "has proved for every one for whom anything can be proved, that the author of the Lukan work (Luke's Gospel, and the Acts) is a Greek physician acquainted with the technical terms of the medical art." He was born, according to Eusebius, at Antioch, educated in Greek literature and medicine; a physician, reporter, editor, and literary man.' Tradition adds that he was also a painter.

III. THE DATE OF WRITING. Not far from A. D. 63, for the narrative breaks off abruptly at the end of Paul's two years' residence at Rome (his first imprisonment). Why is this? Evidently, because there is no more to tell at the time. The writer continues his history up to the date of his writing, and stops there. If he had been writing after the death of Paul, he would certainly have told us of the circumstances of his death. There is no rational explanation of this abrupt ending, except that the book was written about the time when the story closes. This was certainly about A. D. 63. — Washington Gladden,

D. D.

IV. THE PLACE OF WRITING may have been Rome, according to the common view since Jerome, but it is uncertain.

V. THE LANGUAGE was Greek, "not the literary Greek familiar to classical scholars, but the speech of common life in and about the eastern Mediterranean." -J. Vernon Bartlett, M. A. in The Apostolic Age.

VI. PUBLICATION. "There was no printing-press, but books were quickly and inexpensively made. Every publisher kept a large number of slaves, who were trained penmen, and to these the work, which was to be published, was dictated. As one read, hundreds wrote, and when the reader had finished there were so many hundreds of copies ready to be put on the market. The book trade throughout the empire was large and important. There were many publishing houses, bookstores, and public libraries in the cities. Books were not so large as books now are, but many volumes were to be had at prices ranging from ten cents to one dollar, according to size and binding."— Prof. Oliver J. Thatcher.

VII. THE ACTS AS HISTORY. Professor Moulton, in his Modern Reader's Bible, says that while the Acts "has left different impressions on different readers in reference to its unity and arrangement, to me it appears a singularly clear work of history, viewed in the light of the commission given to the apostles by their Master in the opening section," as can be seen in the analysis given below. He makes a statement of his principles, which is equally correct when applied to the best teaching in the ordinary Sunday-school class, "I have made a point of excluding questions of historic controversy, in the belief that however important in their own sphere, historic discussions, unless in the simplest form, tend to detract from literary presentation."

Canon Farrar, in his Messages of the Books, says, "We are happily able to declare without any qualification that St. Luke, in every instance where we can absolutely test his assertions, triumphantly establishes his claim to be regarded as a conscientious and accurate historian." "He can be tested in numerous points of minute allusion," such as the undesigned coincidences between the Acts and the Epistles, such as are referred to in Paley's Hora Paulina, "which now could be greatly enlarged," and yet St. Luke not only agrees with the indications given by the apostle in an immense number of particulars, but can be proved to do so even when there might seem, at first sight, to be obvious contradiction.

"But_further_than_ this St. Luke touches on many points of secular history and geography and archæology and biography. We can test him again and again from the most unsuspected sources and in each instance his sketch, incidental as it is, has been confirmed by all that we can learn from non-Christian sources." "His correctness, though challenged, has been absolutely established.” — - Farrar.

"With such independent work as Ramsay and Blass have done, the one going, more or less of a skeptic, to study archæologically the lands of Paul's travels, and coming away

convinced that the critic and not the book was wrong; the other approaching the textual study of the book as a pure philologian, and coming through this study into a full acceptance of its integrity and its historical worth,— with such results as these, the problem of the book has largely disappeared."— Professor Jacobus' in Problems in New Testament Criticism, 1900.

VIII. THE SOURCES of the history are naturally Paul himself; Luke's own experience and observation, with such notes as he took from time to time, persons with whom he came in contact, as John Mark, and Barnabas; and any records that may have been made at the time of the events.

IX. THE EXTENT OF THE HISTORY reaches about thirty years, or one generation, as the Gospel history extends over thirty-three years, the previous generation.

X. CHARACTERISTICS. The Acts is the story of the origin and development of the Christian church. It is impossible to understand what power could have produced the effects known to have been accomplished then and continued to this day, which "turned the world upside down and laid the foundations of modern religion and civilization," unless the account in the Acts be true, and back of all, and the source of all were a risen, living, glorified Saviour, and the Holy Spirit of God. As the Gospels record what Jesus began to do and teach, so the Acts records what he continued to do and teach. This was done through the Holy Spirit, "who," says Dr. Pierson, "is to be to the disciple and to the church all that Christ would have been had he tarried among us, and been the personal companion and counselor of each and all. Whatever appears in the Gospel narratives in the form of precept or teaching reappears in the Acts in the form of practice or example.

SOME RECENT LITERATURE ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. No book of the New Testament has received more attention from critical students during the last few years than has the book of the Acts; and quite a large number of books have been published. The Acts has presented a larger opportunity than any other portion of the New Testament for the application of those methods of the higher criticism which have been applied especially to the earlier books of the Old Testament. Several books are named which are more for those who have time and knowledge for investigation than for the ordinary Sunday-school teacher; and in many of these further and fuller lists of books are given, including not a few in German which have not yet been translated.

Prof. R. J. Knowling's Acts of the Apostles, 1900, vol. II. of the Expositor's Greek Testament series. It is bound with Romans and First Corinthians ($7.50, Dodd & Mead). The text is Greek. The notes are full. There are many references to the modern literature of the subject. Professor Ramsay places it first of all.

Professor McGiffert's History of Christianity in the Apostolic Age is a notable addition to the critical literature of early church history. It denies the Lukan authorship of the Acts, and sees a great number of mistakes and errors in the history, made so chiefly by the learned professor's point of view, and needless logical inferences. At the same time some points are brought out with great vividness, which throw a distinctly clearer light on the history (2d edition, 1900; $2.50, Scribners).

Rev. Frederic Rendall, M. A., Assistant Master of Harrow School, has sent forth The Acts of the Apostles in Greek and English. It is divided into two parts: one with the Greek text, and comments; the other with a translation of his own, with comments. "It contains many noteworthy and interesting suggestions" (1897; $2.25, Macmillan).

In the Ten Epochs of Church History, the volume on The Apostolic Age is by James Vernon Bartlet, M. A., Lecturer in church history in Mansfield College, Oxford. It is a suggestive and helpful volume in “a series of popular monographs (1899; $2.00, Scribners).

The Footprints of the Apostles as traced by St. Luke in the Acts, by H. M. Luckock, D.D., Dean of Litchfield, had its origin in a series of addresses. It is from the Church of England standpoint, and seeks with due learning and usual accuracy to aid the spiritual and practical life of the people (1897; 2 vols., $3.50, Longmans).

Christianity in the Apostolic Age, by Prof. George T. Purves, Professor in Princeton Theological Seminary, compares well with the other volumes of The Historical Series for Bible Students (1900; $1.25, Scribners).

Weizsäcker's The Apostolic Age in the Christian Church is able, learned, touching many interesting questions. It is from the standpoint that regards the miraculous birth of Christ and his bodily resurrection as doctrinal developments and not facts, and the Acts. in many places unhistorical (1894; 2 vols.).

Dr. Joseph Knabenbaur's Commentarius in Actus Apostolorum, 1899, is from the Romish point of view.

Professor Wendt's Eighth Edition of Meyer's Kommentar, 1899, has not yet been translated into English.

Lightfoot's Dissertations on the Apostolic Age discusses certain questions in a most scholarly manner (1892; $3.50, Pott & Co.).

Prof. Oliver J. Thatcher's (Chicago) Sketch of the History of the Apostolic Church ($1.25, Houghton, Mifflin & Co.) gives a clear, well-written, general, connected view, with distinct outlines of the eras of development of the early church. Prof. J. M. Stifler's (Crozer) Introduction to the Acts ($1.25, Revell Co.) is another capital book, with the same general characteristics as the above. Both supply admirable analyses.

Professor Moulton's St. Luke and St. Paul, in the Modern Reader's Bible series, is capital from the literary standpoint (1898; 50 cts., Macmillan).

Dr. A. T. Pierson's Acts of the Holy Spirit (75 cts., Revell Co.) is a very suggestive examination of the work of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Acts.

H. C. Vedder's Dawn of Christianity ($1.00, Baptist Pub. Co.) is written from the Baptist standpoint as one of the Christian Culture courses, to interest and help young people in the study of the early Christian church. It is excellently well adapted to this purpose.

Its literature references are especially helpful.

R. E. Speer's Studies in the Book of Acts (25 cts., paper; 40 cts., cloth; Int. Committee of Y. M. C. A.) is a condensed aid to the study of the Acts, especially on the author, sources, authenticity, etc.

Geikie's New Testament Hours, the 2 vols. on The Apostles, their Lives and Letters (1895; $3.00, Pott & Co).

Wm. Arnot's Church in the House ($2.00, Nisbet) is popular, suggestive, and spiritual. Homiletic treatment also in Dr. C. J. Vaughan's The Church of the First Days (3 vols., $3.00, Macmillan).

HARMONIES. Goodwin's Harmony of the Life of Paul ($1.50, Am. Tract Soc.) and Burton's Records and Letters of the Apostolic Age ($1.50, Scribners) do for the Acts what the Gospel Harmonies do for the Gospels.

CHRONOLOGY. Lewin's Fasti Sacri, or a " Key to the Chronology of the New Testament," gives a view of the chronology of the Acts, together with the best general view of the chief events and rulers, both religious and secular, of each year, and the exact dates of the Passover, Pentecost, and other events so far as possible ($6.00, Longmans). The chronology of the Acts is given with varying views in most of the above books. But the fullest discussion is in Hastings' Bible Dictionary, Article “ Chronology," by Cuthbert H. Turner of Magdalen College, Oxford.

COMMENTARIES. Marvin R. Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. I., includes the Acts, and is capital for those who understand the Greek, and useful even to those who do not. Besides the commentaries of Knowling, Rendall, Luckock, Meyer, and Knabenbauer referred to above, among the best are Abbott's, Ellicott's, Cook's, Lightfoot's, McGarvey's, Cambridge Bible, Expositor's Bible, and many others.

THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL.

Paul, the Man, the Missionary, and the Teacher, by Orello Cone, D.D., connects the man with his environment and the great forces of Christianity (1898; $2.00, Macmillan). The Life and Letters of Paul, by Lyman Abbott, D.D., traces the evolution of Paul's mind and the development of his religious system (1898; $1.50, Houghton & Mifflin).

THE CHURCH IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1892). St Paul, the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, by Prof. W. M. Ramsay, D.C.L., LL.D., of Aberdeen (1896; $3.00, Putnam's), throws much new light on St. Paul's travels, and on the Acts in general, and the circumstances of the early church. Conybeare and Howson's Life and Epistles of St. Paul (many editions and prices) still stands first in its completeness for ordinary readers. Professor Jacobus' A Problem in New Testament Criticism is a fine exposition of "the teachings of Jesus and Paul.”

Paul of Tarsus, by Robert Bird, presents the story of his life in modern picturesque language to make the history attractive to children (1900; $2.00, Scribners).

Stalker's Life of St. Paul (60 cts., Am. Tract Soc.) is "a model of condensation," giving a general survey of his whole course, with all the admirable qualities of his wellknown Life of Christ.

Lewin's Life and Epistles of St. Paul ($8.00, Bell & Sons, London) is a scholarly and exhaustive work, close upon Conybeare and Howson's.

Farrar's Life and Work of St. Paul (E. P. Dutton, all prices), and Wm. M. Taylor's Paul the Missionary ($1.50, Harpers, New York) are popular, interesting, and instructive. POEMS. The Epic of Saul, by Prof. W. C. Wilkinson ($1.50, Funk & Wagnalls), is a story of the conversion of Paul, embodying the account given in the Acts, but showing the possible steps to this end, and the probable workings and conflicts of his mind. He makes the picture very vivid.

The Epic of Paul, by Prof. W. C. Wilkinson (1897; $2.00, Funk & Wagnalls), is a similar poem on the later portion of Paul's life. It presents a living portrait of the man Paul amid these dramatic scenes.

SECULAR HISTORIANS OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE. Tacitus' Annals XV: 4, 4 (born A. D. 54. Annals published about 115). Josephus' Antiq. XVIII: 3, 3; 5, 2; XX: 9, 1 (born 37 or 38. Antiquities completed about 93 or 94). Suetonius' Lives of the Casars, "Nero ""

(written about 120).

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY. Every school should have a reference library, in an accessible place, always open. It is easy to obtain a few books each year on the lessons for that year. Individuals will often give a book apiece, so that in this way the best books will be accessible to every teacher.