Commentarii in sacram Actuum Apostolicorum historiam, facili et perspicua methodo conscripti a Benedicto Aretio bernensi theologo. Cum indice rerum et verborum memorabilium quae in hisce continentur.

to when it was necessary, they would confirm their own doctrine concerning Christ through the scriptures, constancy under the cross, and also through miracles.

It was fitting to preface these things at the beginning of this work, so that the whole matter might be more transparent. Henceforth, we shall follow the history itself in the order in which it has been arranged by us. May the Lord Jesus Christ be with us by his grace, so that this may be done with some fruit and a certain amendment of our life, so that we may one day be rendered participants in the merits of Christ. Amen.

CHAPTER I.

He briefly repeats the last two parts of the Evangelical history, namely, what Christ taught his disciples during those 40 days after the resurrection, and by which witnesses his Ascension into heaven was performed. Then he adds what pertains to the beginning of this work concerning the Apostolic assembly, how they remained together in agreement in prayers and awaited the promise of the Father, and what notable thing also occurred among them before they received the Holy Spirit.

Περίστασις Circumstance/Context. Before the Ascension, Christ admonished the Apostles concerning matters that were absolutely necessary. They, however, no less promptly after it, prepared themselves for the work to come. He admonishes them concerning the office of teaching and concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them. For those things, they prepare themselves through harmony, common prayers, the election of Matthias, etc.

Therefore, four things are explained here. First, the conversation of 40 days with Christ, and what he mainly taught them. Second, a brief history of the Ascension. Third, the occupations of the Apostolic assembly after the Lord's Ascension. Fourth, the election of Matthias, where the most serious prayer of Peter is described. We shall treat these in order, intending to explain each in its own place. And now, let us hear the author's prologue.

Prologue.

A decorative initial P depicts an ornamental design, common in the printing style of the late sixteenth century.The former history indeed I have finished, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day in which, having given commands to the Apostles through the Holy Spirit (whom he had chosen), he was received into heaven.

Individual writers have something singular, from which they can be recognized, just as a lion is known from its claw. Thus, our Luke possesses this trait among the sacred writers, distinguishing him from the rest: he uses prologues in the manner of a historian, and he sought a patron for his histories. This is to be seen not only in the present place, but also in the prologue of his own Evangelical history.

This prologue is taken from a μετάβασις transition, κατ' ἀνάληψιν recapitulation. This kind of prologue was indeed very appropriate to his undertaking. First, because through it, two different histories are connected. The former is about Christ himself; the latter is about his Apostles. Then, he wanted us to be certain about the author. Since useful books are often proposed by malicious critics original: "Zoilis," a reference to Zoilus, the ancient critic of Homer, used here to mean disparaging critics. with the authors' names changed or the title and name altered, he wished to guard against this happening here by the very prologue. For he connects it to the history in such a way that it cannot by any reason be torn from it. Furthermore, he inserted certain marks into it, so that you would recognize it as the writing of none other than St. Luke.

He indicates these four things in order. First, a certain order of the history written by him in different volumes. Second, he expresses the patron. Third, he conceives a brief argument of the previous book. Fourth, he indicates the common boundary of both histories, that is, how far the history was carried in the previous book, and where the beginning of the following book is to be established. The point of continuation is the Ascension itself. In this, the former history ends, and from the same, the beginning of the following one hangs. Everything looks toward teachability.

I. "The first account I made." He signifies another book written by him, to the reading of which he recalls us, so that the present history may subsequently be understood by us more correctly. The former book contains the πράξεις acts of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The latter, however, will explain the πράξεις acts of the Apostles of Christ. See, therefore, how necessary the knowledge of the former is for the understanding of the latter.

Moreover, that λόγον word/account here signifies a βιβλίον book, or a σύγγραμμα treatise, or a διήγημα ἰσοεικὸν a uniform narrative, has already been observed by many; and λόγον πρῶτον first account is the same as λόγον πρότερον former account, so that between two books, this one is designated as the first.

Furthermore, when λόγος denotes a book or a rather long discourse, sometimes the quality or genre of the writing is added; sometimes it is omitted. Examples are readily available in Isocrates and Demosthenes.

In sacred texts, the same can be seen, as below in chapter 13, in the synagogue of Antioch, the leaders send to Paul and his companions, asking if there is among them a λόγος παρακλήσεως word of exhortation for the people. There, λόγος παρακλήσεως is the same as λόγος παρακλητικός an exhortative speech, with the genre of the speech expressed. Thus, conversely, below in chapter 20, in Troas, Paul prolonged the sermon, λόγον, until midnight, where the genre of the speech is omitted.

Thus, when it signifies a book, it is sometimes placed nakedly, though the genre of the writing is understood; thus in this place, let us understand a "first λόγον account of the history" or "historical [book]." But why does he call it a λόγον rather than...