The Acts of the Apostles

THE SOURCES AND THEIR VALUE 177
the field, and were followed by St. Barnabas, and
only in the third place by St. Paul. In its references
to Jerusalem this source is interested in the attitude
of the Church as a whole ; otherwise only in St. Peter
and in St. James (chap, xv.), who is regarded as of
equal importance with St. Peter. Here (in contrast
with Gal. ii. 9) all remembrance of the attitude of
St. John has vanished ; on the other hand, the memory
of the two men who were at that time sent from
Jerusalem to Antioch has been preserved ; they were
the prophets Judas Barsabbas and Silas. The rela-
tions between Jerusalem and Antioch are, on the
whole, carefully depicted. First Barnabas came from
Jerusalem to Antioch as an ambassador (xi. 22), then
a whole deputation of prophets (xi. 27), then teachers
(xv. 1), then Judas and Silas. We are to note that
these were all prophets or teachers ; evidently it was
considered that such men were alone suitable to con-
duct negotiations, and to establish relations in the
correct way. By the mention of the thrice repeated
despatch of prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch,
and by the journeys of St. Paul and St. Barnabas
from Antioch to Jerusalem, this body of tradition is
again held together and characterised as homogeneous.
Through the whole of these sections there also runs
a connected theme : the foundation of the mission
to the Gentiles in the foundation of the Church of
Antioch, the extension of this mission from Antioch
and its firm establishment by St. Barnabas and St.
Paul up to its full recognition by the mother church
of Jerusalem, which had from the beginning benevo-
lently fostered good relations with Antioch, while
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