The Acts of the Apostles

30 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
compared with the historical works of that period.
That in point of chronology it leaves much to be
desired is a fact so obvious as to require no express
statement; but if, for example, the narrative of the
so-called first missionary journey of St. Paul when
compared with that of the second and third journeys
leaves much to be desired in respect of chronological
data (though here also the chief stations are care-
fully given), this circumstance is only a proof that
the author, though he generally shows such interest
in the times of duration of journeys and visits, did
not wish to say more than he could vouch for, and
has therefore kept silence on these points in this part
of his work. Our recognition of the trustworthiness of
the book is thus enhanced by a close investigation
of the procedure of the author in chronological ques-
tions. In the case of a few incidents the narrative
is of a conventional type ; but as a whole it is, both
in accordance with the purpose of the writer and in
reality, a genuinely historical work.