The problem of the genesis of Acts involves various questions so intimately connected that they can scarcely be considered separately. Definite judgments are necessary on the distance between Acts and its sources, on the methods of the author compared with those of a modern historian, on the dates respectively of the composition of the book and of the events themselves, and, especially, on the difference between the author's portrait of the Apostle Paul, its background and setting, and the real Paul as disclosed by his own letters.

Evidence for the existence of ancestor worship among the uncivilized peoples of Africa is varied and abundant. Outside the limited range of Mohammedan and Christian influence, there are few tribes whose religion has been reported with any care that do not appear to practice ancestor worship in some form. Without any attempt to provide a complete volume of testimony, and with the purpose only to indicate the wide range and diversity of these practices, we shall review geographically a portion of the facts available, passing across the map somewhat irregularly from northwest to southeast.

During the last three years there has been unusual activity in the study of the Apostles' Creed. The purpose of the present article is to draw attention to the significance of the main points which have been recently discussed.

The following extract is from a homily attributed to a certain Ananiah, who was bom about 380, and died about 450, or even later. He was ordained about the year 420 bishop of Sinni, a province of Great Armenia, and was associated with Mesrop and Sahak Catholicos in the great Christian revival which took place at the beginning of the fifth century. Father Basil (Dr. Sargisean) in 1899 edited this homily at Venice along with another, also attributed to him, upon Jonah.

In the last year or two the Gospel of John has received unusual attention from English and American scholars, particularly with respect to its place of origin and language of composition. Several scholars, notably Burney, Montgomery, and Torrey have independently reached the conclusion that the book was composed by an author who either spoke and thought Aramaic or actually composed his work in that tongue. Burney contends that the writer was born and raised in Palestine, where he knew Jesus in his youth, and that he later went to Antioch, where he composed the book in Aramaic, or at least in a Greek which constantly reflects his Aramaic thought. Montgomery supposes that the writer was a Jew who gained his life-experience in Palestine during the first half of the first century, and who thought in Aramaic, though he leaves open the question as to whether he actually wrote in that language. According to Torrey, the book was written in Aramaic by a Palestinian author.

The apologetic purpose of the Book of Acts has been frequently remarked, but I am not aware that this has been brought into connection with the historical situation in Acts 28, 30. Yet the object of presenting a defense of Paul before the Roman courts bears a curious relation to the analysis of the sources of the book. We are chiefly concerned here with the second half of the work, Acts 16–28, setting aside the “we-sections.” Notice the character of the narratives. First, there are the narratives which represent Paul as moving under the protection of Roman citizenship and of Roman officials, and his enemies as resorting to lawlessness: — Acts 16, 25–34; 19, 23–41; 21, 30–40; 23,10–35; 25, 1–5; 6–12; 28, 30–31. Secondly, there are presented the legal precedents for Paul's case, in narratives of his acquittal in lesser Roman courts: — Acts 16, 35–40; 17, 5–9; 18, 12–17; 22, 22–29; 24, 1–9; 22–23; 25, 13–27; 26, 30–32. Thirdly, the speeches recorded constitute a plea in Paul's defense: — Acts 17, 16–33, a defense of his message for the pagan mind; Acts 22, 1–21, a defense of his faithfulness to the Jewish God; Acts 24, 10–21, his fidelity to Jewish institutions; Acts 26, 1–23, his loyalty to the Jewish faith. Three of these speeches deal with the apostle's relations with Judaism, which also constitute the next topic. Fourthly, Paul is defended against the charge of participation in a religio illicita by the consistent representation of Christianity as a Jewish sect or party. Paul begins his work in the synagogues, meets frequent approbation among the Jews, and his enemies are represented as engaged in the partisan conflict in which the Roman government can take no interest: Acts 16, 1–3; 17, 11–13; 18, 2–8; 18–22; 18, 24–19, 8; 22, 80–23, 9; 28, 17–28.