The Acts of the Apostles

8 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
XXViii. 11. After three months (imeTa rpeig juLrjvag)
St. Paul left the island of Malta.
xxviii. 30. St. Paul abode in Rome two full years
(SicTiav oXrjv) in his own hired lodging.
We have in addition the following dates hy days
i. 3. Our Lord manifested Himself for forty days
(Si rjjuLepcov rea-capaKovra) after His Resurrection.
[ix. 9. Saul was blind for three days (^fxepag
rpeh) after Christ had appeared to him.]
X. 30. Cornelius had the vision three days (aTro
rerapTrjq rmxepag) before St. Peter's visit to him.
XX. 6. Within five days (a-)(j:)i ^/mepcov irevre) we
came from Philippi to Troas.
XX. 6. Seven days {rjixepa^ eTrra) we abode in
Troas.
probably allowed themselves to be led away by the toXXo, irt] of
xxiv. 10. As if St. Luke in his discourses cared for historical
exactitude and not rather for anything that suited his purpose I
He constantly contradicts himself even when his speakers give
a rhetorical summary of events described in the narrative (? 7).
In xxiv. 10, however, there is no need to suppose that he thought
of xxiv. 27. It is not my business to investigate whether Felix
was really superseded so early as the end of 54 or the beginning
of A.D. 55."
So far as I know, Wellhausen has had no predecessor in his
interpretation which in my opinion will not stand investigation
for— (1) St. Paul, not Felix, is here the principal figure. It would
be singular, and it is not suggested by the context or by the
general procedure of St. Luke, that the author should have
thought it necessary to state the time during which a procurator
held office. (2) The preceding words, St6 Kal 6 ^rjXi^ vvKvbTepov
rbv IlaOXov /xeTaTrefnrdfJLeyos uifiiXei avT(^ form an excellent intro-
duction to the statement that this lasted for a somewhat long
time, while they are out of any connection with the supposed
statement concerning the length of Felix's term of office. (3)
:
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