Prolegomena by St. John Chrysostom on the Title of the Acts of the Apostles in the Ancient Armenian Isagogical Collection "The Book of Causes"

The article deals with the title of the “Acts of the Apostles”, which has been a subject of discussion since early Christianity. St. John Chrysostom paid attention to this question as well. Except his commentary on the Acts of Apostles consisted of 55 chapters (In Acta apostolorum) there are also 4 sermons entitled as In principium Actorum, which concern the question of the title of the Acts of Apostles and this writing was called “Acts” and not “Signs” or “Miracles”. We tried to show that the latter opus should be regarded not as an interpretation, but as an isagogical chapter or prolegomenon. Such introductory chapters, necessary for teaching and training, were written in the early ages of Christianity by many authors before they compiled their interpretations of any work. Those not bulky writings were serving as sort of paratexts and did not always reach us. In the unpublished yet medieval Armenian collection on the Biblical Isagogics composed in the late 12th - early 13th centuries by the abbot of the Sanahin monastery Grigor, son of Abas there is a prolegomenon ascribed to John Chrysostom, which deals with this title in question, i.e. the Acts of Apostles. In fact, this isagogical chapter is an abridged version of 4 homilies, having at the same time some passages that differ from the work in question. Data preserved in this Armenian textbook is quite useful for elucidating many questions. It is concluded that John Chrysostom also used the isagogical scheme, which has so far been attributed only to neo-Platonic commentators and two or three Christian authors, such as Origen and Proclus

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• Prolegomena

  J Dillon, Jaap Mansfeld•Vigiliae Christianae•1996

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