New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-05
EXPOSITION OF THE ACTS.
DIR. RAMSAY LISTENED TO BY LARGE
AUDIENCE.
LUKE OFTEN oMITs FACTS FROM MoDEsTY-rsE
OF GREEK AND HEBREW WORDs-NEW

LIKE OFTEN oMITs FACTS FROM MODEsTY-UsE
OF GREEK AND HEBREW wORDs-NEw
READING or AN OBSCURE VERSE
,uhur, Y v. oct. (specaD.-Desplte the in
clernency OF the weather, the chapel OF Auburn
Seminary was well filed yesterday afternoon by
persons anxious to hear the fourth OF Dr. Ram
says lectures As the lectures Increase IN interest,"
the alumni of the seminary are coming BACK III IN
creased numbers and several present to-day
pr Ramsay said
In chapter XVII / wish you to notice one point
in particular Some explanation is needed OF the
way in which Luke and Aristarchus were Oh t"e
ship In what capacity were they? No explanation
Is given by author; but the modern critic - Ho'
satisfied We must remember that Pau was not
one Of the condemned prisoners. He was prisoner
OF importance All appeals to the Emperor mad 10
pass through the hands Of the Governor OF tne
Province. and only In cases Of importance was 'he
appeal allowed. II the universal custom lor
person Of such Importance to have attendants an
it is supposed that Luke and Arlstarchus went IN
this capac!ty 80 mention Of this Is made, put II
is characteristic Of the author not 10 meh''o"
himself.
We notice another very remarkable omission in
verse o. There is given no object FOR the journey
from Philippi TO Jeruaa en-. We remember '"''.
Paul was making collections for the Church ana
they were Of great Importance 10 him. lhls WAS
the first recognition Of the unity of the churches
I'm Galatians x 10 we have the first instructions
given u the apostle by the older ones III reRaru
q the care Of the poor. Luke mentions the Hl"''
of the delegates who brought the conflou''o''7'
Now. as luke has not the modern conception OF the
historian. we cannot expect him 70 mention every
thing: but this IL evidently intended omission.
The reason Is probably that Luke took an I'M
portant part In the contribution, Tor IN II 'o'''''
ians viii is. Paul speaks Of one VINO was ci.os'"
Of the churches u trave! with us, ana theFe H' d"
Old tradition that the person referred 10 is Luke
H., fa'f raj n |
s!f praise The modesy Of he author Is
what causes this omission Nov AK M ~ I,s7
ton does this not also explain the o'hei oi"NS'''
DEFECTS OF CHRONOLOGY
Chapter XVII is difficult to understand We have
no specification as to the time Of the voyage. Luxe
* accurate in regard to place but he has no sense
Of time and date 1t impossible to get any enron
ologv Of the book from Acts Itself But THIS defec'
81 chronology - a defect Of all ancient historians.
Even In tbs very fault the author shows the ilr5t
century tone. In the second century a change TOOK
place. Reckoning by tn" era tooh re tne ~ h9
ginning Of scientific Chronology. In the who.e OF
The twentysev nth chapter there - but one S,
statement Of time. and that Is m the WeS,'i 80.
on'y ana therefore +; Is doubtful II II was write"
wv ind he same difficulty wnen We try t. under
stand the voyage from PhiIipp to Jern+a dnrs i ~
Tsn,.5n,J: but the APPS Of time spent in MietHs
i NOT given and hence the critics are y. douoii
T yb fF r tpln e GgI days in caesaea
would strange for him to do TINS Il ne mao no
enough time To get Jerusalem for the least 'ue
" iN5 tbings is certain Either he arrived 4,
,ri an tl,no or h. was sure ihat he had enough
time ana could afford - spend this iime III DeesS-
r9A. ,nr ,, IN, ,bjne once he considers that
sufliciert and having told Pauls intention ne le'S
Ms assume that it is carried out .,,,,.
rhre is one point in this j2nrn.y on ~9 W a1nI
spend some lime It is the T'h9l OF &c E'pl
says Paul INTENDED to sail past Ephetls Al h ,5l
We nigh; infer that Paul was ne master oil me
direction OF tho ship think that me dr ue eH y,
p;anailon Of the situation Is that Paul cam" 10
roas an tarre spent seven IN @sra ons g5Ine 10
Ephc.us and the other going farther Therefore ore
Paul took the one passing E9hesus' because ne 'l'
not have time To stop there
WESTERN VARIATIONS.
IN this VOYAGE there are number Of cases ~
variation between the Eastern and Western manu-
scripts In chapter ny. verse 8. there j. over
gence which shows the Western text to be OF la'''
origin The expression as IA a. I'VE day" IS
In " verse Is the Western text adds tn APP
proved text the words "remlirinS IN ROY m "a
last clause tn, Western tcx says. ana from tnenIe
Gear hu' the Western docs npt spettH III ""." ~ -,
those places they found the snip ms j. one ot ine
Moor, in regard TO the Western teX' There is
another variation m CHAPTER * - TT id'd snS
INK 70 h. Western ,e% h USE The ,reck form
for Jerusalem. and in the Eastern text ne heore"
names deserves more attention than Is usually
given to IT. In he r seem ,:n Gnaq and Of the rec
fnrm "nlv once In the latter chapters the Hebrew
form occurs less frequently than tho Crock
The voyage then brought them {" a'S4rtd alp
from thor. they had land journey. here aiso
th,ra are variations. In verse 10. ~ the taSi'rn
text there j. no specification as 20 Wnerr MhaSon
lived think the statement IA thr western t'N' u
correct This text mentions N1iRr - WILL ,,s r,'S
came on the journey as the pace 81 Mna|,h
,hoIa This eNp.a!ns the question. bur the synlN
is 50 rough that &. could not have been written 10y
Luke THIS is clearly an interpolation maze 10y
T.h,,s yNa have in which the Western text
is marked as ot later origin
NEW READING or AN OBSCrRE VERSE.
The opening part Of chapter xiii is the beginning
of A new section. The meaning OF verses ! and
, - far from clear. shall give You trAnsa-
ton Differing from the old and the revised texts
think the sense T.. NOW Al Antioch there was
holy OF prophets and teachers connected WIN me
church Tn, lding SITS tnai taere were t"0
prophets and three teachers. Barnaoas an Slu
arr. separatef Barauabts prophet ana Sau. 4
not show him 10 be- a teacher; bat PAU, on the
Other hand had rare gifts OF speech. II verse
is fresh start YOU fee, that Il is Puii' sUltaD'e
hui If IL Is not 70 needs connection with Wnat
Thu word for fasting occurs twice. In verse
II is in The present but IN verse Il - IN the
aor.t. ana refers distinct cer"n)niil Tor set
ting apart Baruabas and PauI. IN verse, thrt.
arises the question What 10 the subj Get Of the Nerpf
II cannot mean that the five mentioned IL the nrst
verse iad hands on the two Of their own number
The Western text j. specific. II inserts the worn
.'aU a" ana this refers TO- the whole Church.
In chnptrr " verse p you similar cAanSe:
such 4 chang. would be- natural only IN q perod
after the nrst century for the first century reader
NE change made here in the Western text is clearly
a mark Of the second century edition