11. Date of St. Luke: "Luke's Gospel can be proved to have been in use and familiarly known about 120 A. D., and to have been written prior to the year 63 A. D., since it is at that date that the Acts, which continues the Gospel narrative by the same author, closes. It is not known where it was written, though the Acts was probably written at Rome." (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 62.)

12. Purpose and Literary Style: "Luke's Gospel is written, in the first instance, to confirm the faith of Theophilus, a native, it is thought, of Italy, and probably of Rome, and a man of some social position, in whose spiritual edification and Christian steadfastness, as in all likelihood a convert of his own, he took especial interest; and its aim is to represent the Gospel of Christ as destined to bless all mankind, and Jesus as the Savior at once of Jew and Gentile. The literary style is better than that of the other Gospels, as befits the writing of an educated, professional man. This Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles approach more nearly to the 'classic' Greek than the other New Testament narratives." (Bagster Bible Helps, p. 63.)

LESSON III.

SCRIPTURE READING EXERCISE.

BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Continued.)

ANALYSIS. REFERENCES.
I. The Gospel According to St. John.
1. The Author.
2. Time of Writing.
3. Style and Purpose. 		Notes 1, 2 and 3. All Bible Dictionaries, Helps, etc., previously cited have articles on St. John and the Acts, which should be consulted.
II. The Acts of the Apostles.
1. Authorship.
2. The Historical Period Covered by Its Narrative. 		Notes 6, 7. See especially Seventy's Acts of the Apostles.

SPECIAL TEXT: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made, that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. * * * * And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth."—JOHN.

NOTES.

1. Authorship of the Gospel of St. John: "It is the almost unanimous tradition of the church that the Apostle John wrote this Gospel. Our earliest authorities for the fact are Theophilus of Antioch (A. D. 175), Irenaeus (A. D. 130-200), the Muratorian Fragment (A. D. 170-180), and Clement of Alexandria (A. D. 160-220). The accounts of these writers differ slightly from each other; but all agree in distinctly attributing our present Gospel to John; while the fourth, who is clearly independent of the other three, draws a remarkable distinction between it and the earlier Gospels, the later being spoken of as containing 'the bodily things,' the former as 'a spiritual Gospel.'" (International Commentary, Intro., p. xiv.)

2. The Apostle St. John: This Apostle was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger, as there seems every reason to think, than his brother James. Of Zebedee we know little. He was a fisherman upon the Sea of Galilee, who pursued his occupation in common with his sons, and who continued it even after they had obeyed the summons of their Lord to follow him (Matt. iv: 21). Of Salome we fortunately know more. From John xix: 25, it would seem probable that she was a sister of the Virgin Mary. (International Commentary, p. 8.)