the tale of her trials at Pisidian Antioch from the incon- gruous and vulgar additions by which it is disfigured. In the beautiful story as it was originally written, pro- bably in the latter part of the first century, Thekla appeared to the mass of the Antiochian populace to be a devotee of " the God," bound by a rule of service given her by direct Divine command ; and she commanded their sympathy, in so far as she represented their own cause ; whereas, if she had been seen to be severing herself absolutely from their life and their religion, their sympathy would be incredible. In this character lies the proof of its early date: the episode in its original form is contrary to the tone of the second century.
Incidentally we notice what an anachronism it is to suppose that the attitude attributed in Acts to Paul could have been conceived by a second-century author ! The tone of these speeches is of the first century, and not of the time when the Apologists were writing. In the first century Christianity and the current philosophy alike were disliked and repressed by the Flavian emperors, as favouring the spirit of unrest and dissatisfaction. But during the second, the Imperial Government and the popular philosophy were in league against the increasing power of the Church ; and the tone of the speeches is incredible in a composition of that time.
i. ORIGIN OF THE COUNCIL. (XIV 2*j) WHEN PAUL AND BARNABAS WERE COME TO ANTIOCH AND HAD GATHERED THE CHURCH TOGETHER, THEY RE- HEARSED ALL THINGS THAT GOD HAD DONE WITH THEM, AND HOW THAT HE HAD OPENED A DOOR OF BELIEF UNTO THE NATIONS. (28) AND THEY TARRIED NO LITTLE TIME WITH THE DISCIPLES. (XV i) AND CERTAIN PERSONS CAME DOWN FROM JUD.EA, AND TAUGHT THE BRETHREN, THAT " EXCEPT YE BE CIR- CUMCISED, AFTER THE CUSTOM OF MOSES, YE CANNOT BE SAVED". (2) AND WHEN PAUL AND BARNABAS HAD NO SMALL DISSENSION AND QUESTIONING WITH THEM, THEY (i.e., the Brethren) APPOINTED THAT PAUL AND BARNABAS AND CERTAIN OTHER OF THEM SHOULD GO UP TO JERUSALEM ABOUT THIS QUESTION. (3) THEY, THEREFORE, BEING BROUGHT ON THEIR WAY BY THE CHURCH, PASSED THROUGH BOTH PHGENICE AND SAMARIA, DECLARING THE CONVERSION OF THE NATIONS; AND THEY CAUSED GREAT JOY UNTO ALL THE BRETHREN.
A considerable lapse of time is implied in v. 28, during which Paul and Barnabas resumed their former duties at Antioch (XIII 1). Luke, as usual, states the lapse of
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Sec. i. Origin of the Council. 153
time very vaguely, and it is impossible to estimate from his words the interval between Paul's return and the arrival of the envoys from Jerusalem (XV 1). If v. 28 includes only that interval, the Apostolic Council can- not have occurred before A.D. 50 ; but if, as is more likely (p. 256), v. 28 refers to the whole residence of Paul at Antioch before and after the Council, then probably the Council took place in the end of 49.
A difficulty (which is described in § 2) occurred at Antioch as to the obligation of the Gentile members oi the Church to come under the full ceremonial regulations of the Jewish Law ; and it was resolved to send delegates to the governing body of the Church in Jerusalem about this question. We cannot doubt that this resolution was acquiesced in by Paul ; probably he even proposed it. Now, the resolution clearly involved the recognition that Jerusalem was the administrative centre of the Church ; and this is an important point in estimating Paul's views on administration. With the vision of a statesman and organiser, he saw that the Church as a unified and organised body must have an administrative centre, and that a Church of separate parts could not be unified without such a centre, which should be not a governor over subordinates, but the head among equals ; and his whole history shows that he recognised Jerusalem as necessarily marked out for the centre. Hence he kept before the attention of his new foundations their relation and duty to Jerusalem ; and he doubtless understood the solitary injunction given him by the older Apostles on hib second visit to Jerusalem (p. 57), as involving a charge to remember that duty.