196 The Coming of Luke. Chap. IX.
often strikes us in this history. We have already noticed, p. 115, that Luke loves the triple iteration of successive words or clauses to produce a certain effect in arresting attention.
The reading of the inferior MSS. suits the South- Galatian theory admirably ; but that fact never weighed with me for a moment in the choice. As long as the question between the two theories was alone concerned, the thought of following the inferior MSS. did not even present itself: I followed the great MSS. and interpreted them in the best way possible, neither looking aside nor feeling the slightest wish to adopt the rival text. But when the question of literary feeling came up, after the delicate adaptation of expres- sion to emotion throughout Acts gradually revealed itself, it became clear that here the choice lay between a cast of sentence unusual in this author, and one that was quite in his ordinary style, in a place where the feeling and the facts were strange and unique : hesitation was then impossible : the unusual emotion demanded the unusual expression. See note, p. 211 f.
In this passage the distinction observed by Luke be- tween Roman provincial designations and the older national names is specially clear. Wherever he mentions districts of mission work, he classifies according to the existing political (Roman) divisions (as here, the Phrygo- Galatic Region, Asia, Bithynia, Macedonia) ; but where he is simply giving geographical information, he either uses the pre-Roman names of lands {e.g., Mysia), or omits the land from his narrative.
The " neglecting " of Mysia is a remarkable expression, one of those by which Luke compels attention at a critical
Sec. i. Across Asia.
197
point. As a rule he simply omits a country where no preaching occurred (p. 90 f.) ; but here he accumulates devices to arrest the reader. His effects are always at- tained, not by rhetorical devices, but by order and mar- shalling of facts ; and here, in a missionary tour, the " neglecting " of a great country is a fact that no one can pass over. Not catching the intention, many under- stand " passing without entering " (TrapeXdovres) : Dr. Blass rightly sees that a traveller cannot reach Troas without crossing Mysia ; but he goes on to alter the text, following the Bezan reading (SieXOovre? ; see p. 235).
The journey across Mysia led naturally down the course of the river Rhyndacos, and past the south shore of the great lakes. A tradition that Paul had travelled by the sacred town of the goddess Artemis at the hot springs of the river Aisepos can be traced as early as the second century, accompanied with the legend that he had founded a chapel in the neighbourhood. If he went down the Rhyndacos, it is practically certain that he must have passed close to, or through, Artemaia on his way to the great harbour. Under the influence of this tradition, the Bezan Reviser changed the text of v. 8, reading "making a progress through Mysia". But evangelisation on the journey across Mysia was forbidden, v. 6. The tradition, however, is interesting ; and there is further trace of very early foundations in this quarter, which will be treated elsewhere.
The rapid sweep of narrative, hurrying on from country to country, is the marked feature of this para- graph ; yet it merely places before us the facts, as Paul's missionary aims found no opening, and he was driven on and on. But, on the current North-Galatian theory, this
198 The Coming of Luke. Chajp. Dt.
effect, which is obviously intended, is got, not by simply stating facts, but by slurring over one of Paul's greatest enterprises, the evangelisation of North Galatia and the founding of several Churches in a new mission district. But the first words of v. 6 describe a progress marked by no great events, a steady continuance of a process fully described in the context (p. 72).