1. THE STATE OF THE CHURCH IN A.D. 30. The chronological difficulty has probably weighed with many, as it has with Lightfoot {Ed. Gal. p. 124), in re- jecting the identification which we advocate of the visit in Acts XI with that in Gal. II 1-10. It is therefore necessary to glance briefly at the chronology of the early chapters of Acts, in order to show that there is no real difficulty for those who (like Lightfoot) date the Cruci- fixion in A.D. 30. Our identification, if proved, would make it certain that the Death of Christ cannot be dated so late as 33.
Luke's historical method required him in the opening of his Second Book to give a full account of the first condition of the Church in Jerusalem, and then to concentrate attention on the critical steps and persons by whom the Universal Church was moulded to the form it had in his time.
In I, after a short preamble, connecting the narrative with the preceding book, he describes how the number of the Apostles was filled up. The organisation of the Church was always a subject of keen interest to Luke ; he " evidently had the impression that the guidance of affairs rested with the Apostles in Jerusalem" (p. 53); and
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364 Chronology of Early Church History^ Chap. XVI.
the appointment of this important official was in his estimation a matter of great moment. Peter took the lead ; two were selected by common agreement and vote ; and out of these the lot showed which was preferred by the Divine will.
In II 1-42 the events of Pentecost (May 26, A.D. 30), and the effect produced on the character of the converts, are described ; and the general state and conduct of this primitive Church is summed up in II 43-47.
The second part of 1 1 47, " the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved," is one of those phrases in which Luke often hits off a long, steady, uni- form process. It is to be taken as a general description of subsequent progress in Jerusalem, during the course of which occurred the events next related.
The space devoted by Luke to Pentecost shows that he considered the events of that day to be of the highest im- portance. On that day the Divine grace was given to the Apostles, qualifying them (p. 45) for the work which they were now required to perform since their Master had left them.
Luke shows true historical insight in fixing the reader's attention on Pentecost. For the permanence of a move- ment of this kind, much depends on the successors of the first leader ; and the issue is determined in the period following the leader's removal. Has the leader shown that electrical creative power that remoulds men and communi- cates his own spirit to his disciples, or will the movement be found leaderless and spiritless, when the originator is taken away ? While the leader is with his disciples, they have little or no opportunity of showing independence and originality and capacity for command. When he is re-
Sec. i. The State of the Church in a.d. 30. 365
moved from them, the first effect must be discouragement and a sense of emptiness, proportionate to the influence exerted by the leader. Then comes the real test, which determines the vitality and permanence of the movement. Has the spirit of the founder descended on his followers ? With Luke, and with all the great leaders of the first century, that was the test of every new man and every new congregation : had the Spirit been granted to them ?
In the second month after their leader was taken away, on the day of Pentecost, the test was fulfilled in the primi- tive Church ; and the capacity of his disciples to carry on his work was shown. They became conscious of the power that had been given them, and their new power was re- cognised by the multitude in their words and in their looks. The same impression of a transformed and re- created nature was made on the elders and scribes, when they examined Peter and John (IV 13 f., see § 2).