The Beginnings of Christianity (Vols 1-2): Background to the Book of Acts

Volumes 1 & 2 of Biblesoft's exclusive electronic version of the classic The Beginnings of Christianity: The Acts of the Apostles—available here for the first time as a full electronic text! This five-volume work, published between 1920 and 1933, and originally planned as the first part of a larger project, represents a landmark of critical scholarship on the New Testament. At more than 2500 pages in print, this comprehensive commentary covers virtually every area of the book of Acts. If you have a question on any point of the text, you are likely to find it addressed somewhere in these volumes.

• Volumes 1 & 2: The first two volumes serve as an Introduction (Prolegomena) to the book of Acts. Volume 1 treats the historical and cultural background (Jewish, Roman, and early Christian) of the book, with articles by the Editors (F. J. Foakes Jackson and Kirsopp Lake), as well as several other scholars. Volume 2 is devoted to questions of authorship and composition of the book, along with sections on the history of criticism, with articles by leading scholars of the period.

We have given considerable time and attention to this valuable work, making sure that the Greek text and all the many references are accurate and linked together. Bible references by default link to the Greek New Testament (and LXX); in addition, references to the Pseudepigrapha, the Early Church Fathers, Josephus and Philo are linked, including (wherever possible) to the Greek text of the Apostolic Fathers, Philo and Josephus.
When a verse is discussed in more than one location within the volumes, Biblesoft's Commentary interface allows you to browse all occurrences—whether in the main Commentary, Textual Notes, Introduction or Supplementary articles—and select the one you want.
Despite having been written more than 80 years ago, these volumes have more than stood the test of time. Nearly all subsequent critical studies on Acts have built on the work of Lake, Cadbury, Ropes, et al, and it continues to be consulted and cited with great frequency by scholars today. All told, The Beginnings of Christianity remains unsurpassed, and is arguably the most thorough and comprehensive Commentary on Acts ever written.