The Acts of the Apostles

xxxii INTRODUCTION
the foundation of the Primitive Community was firmly
laid, the second half of the first part (chaps, vi.—xv.),
with its thronging abundance of facts of the most
varied character yet all pointing towards and pre-
paring for the triumphant appearance of the mission
to the Gentiles, holds him in a dramatic suspense.
This suspense would be well-nigh intolerable if the
author had not understood how to temper it by his
skill in narrative and by a style which has about it
something of the epic—full of life, and yet not
unrestful. Though Stephen is martyred, though St.
Paul after his first appearance again vanishes from
the scene of action, though St. Peter draws no further
practical conclusion from the Divine vision, though
unbidden guests from Jerusalem seek to trouble the
Gentile Church in Antioch — yet they find one
another at last, Jerusalem and Antioch, the Gospel
and the Gentile world.
The second part of the book lacks a special theme
of such vivacious character as that of the first.
There now remained only to describe the extension
of the gospel to Rome.^ What means has St. Luke
here employed to ensure the continued interest of his
readers ? In the first place, the " we "'-narrative
now makes its appearance, and gives to several long
passages vivacity and a distinct charm. In the
second place, throughout the first half of this part
the interest of the reader is kept alive by the rapid
progress of the narrative, by the variety of important
1 The line of division quite plainly comes after xvi. 5 ; but
XV. 36-xvi. 5 forms the transition from the first to the second
part. The first part closes with xv. 35.