Beyond this we cannot penetrate through the veil in which Luke has enveloped himself. Was he already a Christian, or did he come under the influence of Christianity through meeting Paul here ? for the prohi- bition against preaching in Asia would not preclude Paul from using the opportunity to convert an individual who was brought in contact with him. No evidence remains ; " something sealed the lips of that evangelist," so far as he himself is concerned. But we have gathered from the drift of the passage that they met as strangers ; and in that case there can be no doubt where the probability lies. The inference that they met accidentally as strangers is confirmed by the fact that Luke was a stranger to the Levant (p. 317). In one of the many ways in which men come across one another in travelling, they were brought into contact at
204 The Coming of Luke. Chap. IX.
Troas : Luke was attracted to Paul ; and the vision was taken by Luke, as well as by Paul, for a sign. He left all, and followed his master.
All this he suggests to us only by the same kind of delicate and subtle literary devices, consisting merely in collocation of facts, order of words, and slight changes of form, by which he suggested the development of Paul's method and the change in his relation to Bar- nabas (p. 82 f.). Luke always expects a great deal from his readers, but some critics give too little attention to literary effect. These will ask me for proofs ; but proofs there are none. I can only point to the facts : they that have eyes to see them know ; they that have not eyes to see them will treat this section (and others) as moonstruck fancy. All that can be said is that, if you read the book carefully, observing these devices, you recognise a great work ; if you don't, and follow your denial to its logical consequences, you will find only an assortment of scraps. Probably there will always be those who prefer the scraps.
It is quite in Luke's style to omit to mention that Paul related the vision to his companions. So also he omitted in XIII 7, 8, to mention that Paul expounded the doctrine to the proconsul. Luke always expects a great deal from his readers. But here the Bezan Reviser inserts the missing detail, as he so often does {e.g., XIII 9).
While there is no authority for the circumstances of the meeting, conjecture is tempting and perhaps permissible. It will appear that Luke, though evidently acquainted with Philippi and looking to it as his city, had no home there. His meeting with Paul, then, did not take place
Sec. 3. The Coming of Luke. 205
merely on an excursion from Philippi ; and he was probably one of the many Greeks in all ages who have sought their fortune away from home. His acquaintance with medicine is certain from the words of Paul himself, "Luke, the beloved physician" {Col. IV 14), and from the cast of his language in many places ; * and it is quite natural and probable that the meeting might have been sought by Paul on that account, if Luke was resident in Troas and wellknown there.
4. THE ENTRANCE INTO MACEDONIA. (XVI II) WE SET SAIL THEN FROM TROAS, AND MADE A STRAIGHT RUN TO SAMOTHRACE ; AND THE DAY FOL- LOWING we came TO the harbour NEAPOLIS, (12) AND THENCE TO PHILIPPI, WHICH IS THE LEADING CITY OF ITS DIVISION OF MACEDONIA, AND having the rank of A ROMAN COLONY : AND WE WERE IN THIS CITY TARRYING CERTAIN DAYS.
It is remarkable with what interest Luke records the incidents from harbour to harbour. He has the true Greek feeling for the sea, a feeling that must develop in every race possessing any capacity for development, and any sensitiveness to the influences of nature, when settled round the ^Egean coasts ; for the vEgean sea is so tempting, with its regular winds and regular sunset calm, when the water lies dead, with a surface which looks like oil, dense and glistening and dark, that it seem> to invite one to walk upon it.