The Acts of the Apostles

194 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
away. Only we must not suppose that the Samaritan
mission met at once with the approbation of St. Peter
and the Apostles (viii. 14 ff.) ; some considerable time
may well have elapsed in the meantime. This, more-
over, seems to be implied by the text itself; the
Apostles only approve after ^ ^ajuapla SeSeKrai rov
\6yov Tov Oeov. But even if this interpretation of
the passage is not accepted, we must recollect that
little dependence can be placed upon the chronology
of the first half of the Acts. It is certain that St.
Peter at a relatively early date preached the Gospel
in the districts on the coast, and in after times we
know that this was reckoned to him for righteousness
by those of more liberal opinions ; why not also by
St. Philip ?
As for B—the unfavourable opinion which has
been above passed upon this recension may be har-
dened into the critical verdict that, apart from
some few details, as compared with A it is worthless
where it is trustworthy in its record the order of
events is confused, it combines things that have no
real connection with one another, it omits what is
important, it is devoid of all sense of historical de-
velopment. It gives a much later and more impres-
sive representation of events, and for this very reason
it met with acceptance. It is, however, correct in
recording that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was
manifested in the " speaking with tongues." Whether
the exaggeration of this speaking with tongues into
a speaking in foreign tongues or into a miracle of
hearing—though the transformation is of course not
complete—is due to the source itself, or first to
: