The Acts of the Apostles

166 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Chap. XV. 1-35. Scene—Antioch and Jerusalem ;
XV. 36—xvi. 5, a fresh visit to the churches of
Syria, CiHcia, and south-eastern Asia Minor
(forming the transition to what follows).
This survey seems to teach us that, with the exception
of xiii. 1-xiv. 28, a section which begins and
ends in Antioch, we aix throughout concerned with
traditions connected with Jerusalem ; for even where the
action of the narrative is carried on in other scenes,
Jerusalem still remains the place whence it proceeds
and to which it in many instances returns. We might
accordingly formulate the very simple conclusion that
the Acts in its first half, with the exception of chaps,
xiii. and xiv., presents us with tradition purely con-
nected with Jerusalem.
But the matter is not so simple as this. The
"interpolated" passage, with its horizon so clearly
Antiochean, of itself incites us to inquire whether
Antiochean tradition may not be traced earlier in the
book ; and in chap, xv., also, we find that the narra-
tive starts from Antioch (xv. 1 /.), and returns thither
(xv. 30-35). Closer investigation shows that the
Antiochean character of chap. xv. is as clear as that of
chaps, xiii.—xiv. ; for the arrangement of both passages
is exactly parallel; the narrative begun in Antioch
passes over to other scenes, and returns back to Antioch
again. Accordingly xiii. 1-xv. 35 is Antiochean
tradition, because the principal scene of action is
Antioch. With this conclusion agree the exact state-
ments concerning prophets and teachers in Antioch
in xiii. 1, and the details given in xv. 1, 2, and xv.
30-35. It has been thought that a quite new divi-