Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles: Designed for Bible-Classes and Sunday-Schools (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

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Excerpt from Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles: Designed for Bible-Classes and Sunday-Schools

There is no evidence that the title "The Acts of the Apostles" affixed to this book, was given by divine authority, or by the writer himself. It is a title, however, which, with a little variation, has been given to it by the Christian church at all times. The term "Acts" is not used as it is sometimes with us to denote decrees or laws, but it denotes the doings of the apostles. It is a record of what the apostles did in founding and establishing the Christian church. It is worthy of remark, however, that it contains chiefly a record of the doings of Peter and Paul. Peter was commissioned to open the doors of the Christian church to both Jews and Gentiles (see Note, Matt. xvi. 18, 19); and Paul was chosen to bear the gospel especially to the pagan world. As these two apostles were the most prominent and distinguished in founding and organizing the Christian church, it was deemed proper that a special and permanent record should be made of their labours. At the same time, occasional notices are given of the other apostles; but of their labours elsewhere than in Judea, and of their death, except that of James (Acts xii. 2), the sacred writers have given no information.

All antiquity is unanimous in ascribing this book to Luke, as its author. It is repeatedly mentioned and quoted by the early Christian writers, and without a dissenting voice is mentioned as the work of Luke. The same thing is clear from the book itself. It professes to have been written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke (ch. i. 1); was addressed to the same person (comp. ver. 1 with Luke i.3); and bears manifest marks of being from the same pen. It is designed evidently as a continuation of his Gospel, as in this book he has taken up the history at the very time where he left it in the Gospel (ver. 1. 2).

Where, or at what time, this book was written is not certainly known. As the history however, is continued to the second year of the residence of Paul at Rome (Acts xxviii. 31), it was evidently written about as late as the year 62; and as it makes no mention of the further dealings with Paul, or of any other event of history, it seems clear that it was not written much after that time. It has been common, therefore, to ii the date of the book at about A. D. 63. It is also probable that it was written at Rome. Inch. xxviii. 16, Luke mentions his arrival at Rome with Paul. As he does not mention his departure from this city, it is to be presumed that it was written there. Some have supposed that it was written at Alexandria in Egypt, but of that there is no sufficient evidence.

The canonical authority of this book rests on the same foundation as that of the Gospel by the same author. Its authenticity has not been called in question at any time in the church.

This book has commonly been regarded as a history of the Christian church, and of course the first ecclesiastical history that was written.

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