The Acts of the Apostles

70 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
describe the realisation of this aim, is placed this list
of the nations of the known World, and we are told
how this great promise was at once fulfilled for their
representatives ! Could anything be more impressive ?
How many are there who could measure their art
against this writer ? And yet more, the barriers
of language are seen to be overthrown ! All understand
the ecstatic speech inspired by the Spirit ! The
racial divisions of mankind are now abolished ; in
the new religion the consequences of the building ot
the Tower of Babel are seen to be annulled ! True,
this grand picture cannot stand investigation in cold
blood. The people of course all understood Aramaic ;
moreover, it is not even Aramaic alone which is in
question, but also a language of enthusiasm which
works by suggestion. But one does not think of this
at first. St. Luke takes up two facts of actual his-
tory—that Jews and proselytes out of all countries of
the world were resident in Jerusalem, and that on a
certain day, the day of Pentecost or shortly before-
hand, a great multitude were won over to the Gospel
owing to a sudden outbreak of rapturous enthusiasm,
accompanied by ecstatic speaking, among the disciples
of Jesus—these two facts the author works up with
consummate skill, so that they form as it were a
grand flourish of trumpets heralding the appearance
of the great theme of his work.
We have yet to compare this list of nations with
the statement of chapter vi. 9. Here we are told
of Libertines, men of Cyrene, of Alexandria, of
Cilicia and Asia, dwelling in Jerusalem. Unfortu-
nately we cannot gain a quite clear conception of