INTRODUCTION 



by 

 The Author. 



In this age of Biblical reconstruction, there is probably no one 

 thing more important to be determined, as a prerequisite for arriv- 

 ing at the truth concerning the History of Christian Origins, than 

 the authorship and date of early documents. Criticism constantly 

 forces us to revise and rewrite our Histories. Unfortunately or 

 otherwise, criticism has robbed us of our " certainty," as concerns 

 the authorship of many of the Canonical books. On discovering 

 that dependence cannot be placed either upon the tradition con- 

 cerning the authorship or date of certain documents or upon the 

 claims these documents make for themselves, the modern historian 

 is compelled to travel a more difficult path than his predecessors. 

 Though this new path be difficult, and but vaguely defined at places, 

 it is of the greatest importance for an understanding of the early 

 period of Church History that the critical historian follow it to its 

 very end, however wearisome the journey. Unless the dates of the 

 early sources can be accurately determined the historian will ever 

 grope about in uncertainty. 



As great and important results were effected in the study of the 

 Old Testament when the Book of Deuteronomy was properly located, 

 so also the correct dating of certain New Testament books will 

 prove to have most significant results for the History of Christian 

 Origins. It is as reasonable to write a history of the Hebrews during 

 the latter half of the second Millenium before our Era on the basis 

 of Deuteronomy as it is to construct a history of the early Church 

 on the basis of the dates sometimes assigned to early documents. 

 Critical History, therefore, necessarily depends upon the most 

 careful judgment of the sources. That which has been done in 

 analysing the sources of the Hexateuch has, in a limited degree, 

 been done also in the New Testament. Valuable service has already 

 been done in bringing to light the sources both of the Gospels and 

 of the Acts, but there is much important work j-et to be done. 



Much valuable information concerning the Apostolic Age is suppUed 

 by the certain dating of the Pauline Epistles, but unfortunately 

 we are left in doubt concerning the Sub-Apostolic Age, because of 

 the dubious dates assigned to the documents of the period. For 



