The Acts of the Apostles

WRITTEN OR ORAL SOURCES 231
the letter of Claudius Lysias (xxiii. 26 ff.) compared
with the previous narrative, in Festus' report (xxv.
14 ^.), and finally in the last speech of St. Paul (in
Rome, xxviii. VI f-)- Such are, moreover, to be found
in B (ii. 9 compared with ii. 5) ; in A (iv. 36 y.
compared with iv. 32 ; and x. 42 compared with i. 8) ;
and lastly in the Antiochean source (xv. 40 compared
with XV. 33 ; concerning this instance of glaring dis-
crepancy vide infra).
Under these circumstances we are compelled to
conclude that an analysis into written sources based
upon phenomena sitch as have been mentioned^ or of
a similar Jcind, rests on insecure evidence, and is as a
rule ur^ustified. Taking into account the literary
temperament of St. Luke we are justified in proceed-
ing to such analysis only when the concurrence of
many such phenomena compels us to adopt this pro-
cedure. In such cases, however, the question always
arises whether we have to do with written sources
that have been unskilfully pieced together, or with
later interpolations inserted either by the author him-
self or by succeeding editors.
I. The we-sections have about them the character
of a diary, and it is therefore probable, if not certain,
that St. Luke employed in them notes which he
possessed. In these sections, however, there is no
certain indication of later interpolation. We may
naturally conjecture that xxi. 9 {tovtw Se ^