The other refers to St. Paul's travels, which he says extended from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum. Now Illyricum is not once mentioned in the Acts; so there can be no intentional agreement here. And yet there is agreement. For we learn from various places that St. Paul had gone from Jerusalem all through what we now call Asia Minor, and just before the date of this Epistle had passed through Macedonia, which was his limit in this direction. And as this was the next province to Illyricum, it exactly agrees with the Epistle.[255]
[255] Rom. 15. 19; Acts 20. 2.
We may now sum up the evidence as to the accuracy of the Acts. The above instances are only specimens of many which might be given. The writer knew about Jerusalem and Athens just as well as about Ephesus. While his account of St. Paul's voyage from Cæsarea to Italy, including as it does, references to a number of places; to the climate, and prevailing winds of the Mediterranean; and to the phrases and customs of seamen, is so accurate, that critics of all schools have admitted that he is describing a voyage he had actually made. In short, the Book of the Acts is full of correct details throughout, and it is hard to believe that anyone but a contemporary could have written it.
(B.) Its Authorship.
Now if we admit the general accuracy of the book, there is little difficulty in deciding on its authorship. As is well known, certain portions of it (describing some of St. Paul's travels, including his voyage to Italy) are written in the first person plural, and are commonly called the "We" sections.[256] This shows that the writer was a companion of St. Paul at that time; and then the great similarity in language, between these sections and the rest of the book, shows that they had the same author. For they are both written in the same style, and they both contain over forty important words and expressions, which do not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, except in the Third Gospel. This is indeed so striking that it practically settles the point.[257]
[256] Acts 16. 9-40; 20. 5-21. 18; 27. 1-28. 16.
[257] Harnack, Luke the Physician, translated by Wilkinson, 1907, p. 53.
But there are also slight historical connections between the two portions. For example, in the earlier chapters some incidents are recorded, in which a certain Philip (one of the Seven) was concerned; and why should these have been selected? The writer was not present himself, and many far more important events must have occurred, of which he gives no account. But a casual verse in the We sections explains everything: the writer, we are told, stayed many days with Philip, and of course learnt these particulars then. And as it seems to have been his rule only to record what he knew for certain, he might well have left out other and more important events, of which he had not such accurate knowledge.[258] And the earlier reference, which ends with the apparently pointless remark that Philip came to Cæsarea, without saying why or wherefore, is also explained, since this was the place where the writer afterwards met him. It is then practically certain that the whole book was written by one man, and that he was a companion of St. Paul in many of his travels.
[258] Acts 6. 5; 8. 5, 26, 40; 21. 10.; Luke 1. 3.