The Acts of the Apostles

280 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
serve among Christians the atmosphere of joy. Even if
this implied some forcing of the note, and even if the
purpose was stronger than the result—though this
cannot be proved— still the purpose must be specially
noted.
To Joy belongs Peace. In St. Paul (also in St.
John) they stand close together {vide Gal. v. 22
Rom. XV. 13) ; God is the God of Peace (Rom. xv. 33
xvi. 20 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 33 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 11 ; Phil. iv. 9
1 Thess. v. 23; and the formularies of greeting)
there is not only a peace of Christ (Col. iii. 15), but
Christ is our peace (Ephes. ii. 14), &c. In St. Mark
and St. Matthew nothing of the kind is to be found
on the contrary, we read in St. Matthew (x. 34) : ovk
^Oov ISaXe'ip eipjjvrjp. It is otherwise with St. Luke.
The word occurs no less than twenty-one times in his
works. His gospel begins with the proclamation of
« peace " as well as of joy (i, 79 ; ii. 14, 29), and the
greeting of peace (xxiv. 36) stands near its close.
Though St. Luke has also taken up into his work
the harsh-sounding saying against peace (xii. 51),
because he could not conscientiously pass it by, still
Christ is for him the bringer of peace (vide xix.
38), and so we read in the Acts (x. 36) : top Xoyov
ciTrecrTeiXev roh ftoF? 'l(jpa}]\ evayyeXi'^^OjULevo^ elpujvrjv
Sia 'lr](rov ^picTTOv. In this respect also St. Luke has
imprinted upon his work an homogeneous character.
—
Finally, there is yet another word belonging to
this sphere of feeling and forming a bond between
St. Paul, St. John, and St. Luke—I mean irapptjcrla.
Though it is wanting in St. Luke's gospel, yet in the
Acts it occurs both at the beginning and at the close