Warned by the failure of the older theories, many recent critics take the line that Acts consists of various first- century scraps put together in the book as we have it by a second -century Redactor. The obvious signs of vivid accuracy in many of the details oblige these critics to assume that the Redactor incorporated the older scraps with no change except such as results from different sur- roundings and occasional wrong collocation. Some hold that the Redactor made considerable additions in order to make a proper setting for the older scraps. Others reduce the Redactor's action to a minimum ; Spitta is the most remarkable example of this class. In the latter form the Redaction-theory is the diametrical opposite of the old tendency theories ; the latter supposed that the second- century author coloured the whole narrative and put his own views into every paragraph, while, according to Spitta, the Redactor added nothing of consequence to his first- century materials except some blunders of arrangement. The older theories were founded on the proof of a uni- formity of later style and purpose throughout the book ; the later theories depend on the proof of differences of style between the different parts. The old critics were impressed by the literary skill of the author, while the later critics can see no literary power or activity in him. Any argument in favour of the one class of theories tells
12 The Acts of the Apostles. Chap. I.
against the other ; and, if we admit (as I think we must admit), that each view is founded on a correct but one- sided perception of certain qualities in this remarkable book, we may fairly say that each disproves the other.
Certain theorists, and especially Clemen in his extra- ordinarily ingenious and bold work Chronologie der Paulin- ischen Bricfe, see clearly that such a bald scissors-and-paste theory as Spitta's is quite inadequate to explain the many- sided character of this history. Dr. Clemen supposes that three older documents, a history of the Hellenistic Jews, a history of Peter, and a history of Paul, were worked into one work by a Judaist Redactor, who inserted many little touches and even passages of considerable length to give a tone favourable to the Judaising type of Christianity ; and that this completed book was again worked over by an anti-Judaist Redactor II, who inserted other parts to give a tone unfavourable to the Judaising type of Chris- tianity, but left the Judaistic insertions. Finally, a Redactor III of neutral tone incorporated a new document (VI 1-6), and gave the whole its present form by a number of small touches.
When a theory becomes so complicated as Clemen's, the humble scholar who has been trained only in philo- logical and historical method finds himself unable to keep pace, and toils in vain behind this daring flight. We shall not at present stop to argue from examples in ancient and modern literature, that a dissection of this elaborate kind cannot be carried out. Style is seen in the whole rather than in single sentences, still less in parts of sentences ; and a partition between six authors, clause by clause, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, of a work that seemed even to bold and revolutionary critics like Zeller
Sec. 2. Development of Modern Criticism on Acts. 1 3
and Baur in Germany and Renan in France to be a model of unity and individuality in style, is simply impossible. Moreover, the plan of this study is not to argue against other theories, but to set forth a plain and simple interpre- tation of the text, and appeal to the recognised principle of criticism that, where a simple theory of origin can be shown to hold together properly, complicated theories must give way to it.
One feature in Dr. Clemen's theory shows true insight. No simple theory of gluing together can exhaust the varied character of the Acts : a very complex system of junctures is needed to explain its many-sidedness. But Dr. Clemen has not gone far enough. There is only one kind of cause that is sufficiently complex to match the many-sided aspects of the book, and that cause is the many-sided character of a thoughtful and highly educated man.