ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, a canonical book of the New Testament, written by Luke, and containing a considerable part of the history of Peter and Paul. The narrative begins at the ascension of our Savior, and continues to Paul's arrival at Rome, after his appeal to Cesar ; with his residence of two years in that capital ; including about twenty-eight or thirty years. After Luke had given the history of Jesus Christ in his Gospel, he resolved to record the actions of the apostles, and the wonderful manner in which the Holy Spirit established that church which Christ had redeemed. Oecumenius (in Acta, page 20.) calls the Acts, "the Gospel of the Holy Ghost.  Chrysostom (in Acta Homil. 1.) calls it, "the Gospel of our Savior's resurrection, or " the Gospel of the risen Jesus Christ." It narrates most miraculous instances of the -power of the Holy Spirit, attending the propagation of the gospel ; and in the accounts and instances of the first believers, we have most excellent patterns of a truly Christian life. So that, though Luke seems to give us, but it plain narrative of facts, yet this divine physician, to use Jerome's expression, offers as many remedies to heal the soul's diseases, as he speaks words, Ep. 103.

It is believed that Luke's principal design in writing the Acts, was to preserve a true history of the apostles, and of the infancy of the Christian church, in opposition to false acts and false histories, which were beginning to obtain circulation ; and accordingly, his fidelity and intelligence have been so much valued, that all other Acts of the Apostles have perished, and his, only, been adopted by the church. Luke wrote this book, probably, about A. D. 64 ; i. e. soon after the point of time at which the narration terminates. The place where it was written is unknown.

The style of Luke is generally more pure and elegant than that of other parts of the New Testament. Epiphanius says (Haeres. xxx. cap. 3 & 6.) that this book was translated by the Ebionites out of Greek into Hebrew ; (that is, Syriac, the then common language of the Jews in Palestine ;) but that those heretics corrupted it with many falsities and impieties, injurious to the character and memory of the apostles.

The Book of the Acts has always been esteemed canonical : (Tertul. 1. v. cont. Marc. cap. 1, 2.) though the Marcionites, the Manichees, and some other heretics rejected it, because their errors were too clearly condemned by it. Augustine (Ep. 315.) says, the church received it with edification, and read it every year. Chrysostom complains, that in his time it was too little known, and the reading of it too much neglected. As for himself, he very much extols the advantages of an acquaintance with it, and maintains, with good reason, that it is as useful as the Gospels.

In order to read the Acts of the Apostles with intelligence and profit, it is necessary to have a sufficient acquaintance with geography, with the manners of the times and people referred to, and with the leading historical events. The power of the Romans, with the nature and names of the public officers they established, and the distinctions among them, must of necessity be understood ; as well as the disposition and political conduct and opinions of the unconverted Jewish nation, which obtained, too strongly, among the Christianized Hebrews, and maintained themselves as distinctions, and causes of separation in the church, during many ages. In fact, their consequences are hardly extinct in the East at this day.

There were several Spurious Acts of the Apostles. (1.) The Acts or the Apostles supposed to have been written by Abdias, who represents him self as a bishop, ordained at Babylon, by the apostles, when they were on their journey into Persia ; but which is neither ancient nor authentic ; it was not known to Eusebius, to Jerome, nor to any earlier father. The author says, he wrote in Greek, and that his book was translated into Latin by Julius Africanus ; who is himself a Greek writer. He cites Hegesippus, who lived in the second century. (2.) The Acts of St. Peter, otherwise called Travels of St. Peter, (Periodi Petri,) or "The Recognitions of St. Clement," is a book filled with visions and fables, which came originally from the school of the Ebionites.  (3.) The Acts of St. Paul, were composed after his death, as a supplement to St. Luke ; continuing his narrative from the second year of the apostle's first voyage to Rome, to the end of his life, Eusebius, who had seen this work, calls it spurious. (4.) The Acts of St. John the Evangelist, mentioned in Epiphanius and Augustine, contain incredible stories of that apostle. It was used by the Encratitcs, Manichees, and Priscillianists. They are thought to be the Acts of St. John, published among the forgeries of Abdias. (Epiphan. Uteres. 47. Aug. de Fide, cap. 4. and 405. Contra adversar. Legis et Prophet, lib. i. cap. 20.) (5.) The Acts of St. Andrew, received by the Manichees, Eucratitcs, and Apotactics. See Epiphanius, Haeres. 42, 61, and 62. (0.) The Acts of St. Thomas : Augustine cites some things out of them, and says, the Manichees particularly used them. (7.) The Acts of St. Philip, was a book used by the Gnostics. (8.) The Acts of St. Matthias.