The highest aim in Bible study is an understanding and appreciation of its message to the human heart, with the ultimate purpose of transforming that message into character and life. All study of facts and dates, of persons and places and events, is subordinate to this. It is of value to know what and when and where and by whom, only as this knowledge enables us to answer the larger question, Why? To what end?

But since an understanding of the historical background of a Bible passage is often indispensable to an appreciation of its religious teaching, it is necessary that due attention be given to this matter. Neglect of this has resulted in much fanciful interpretation of the Scriptures. The true goal of our study, however, must be kept constantly in view. The supreme question is:In what way will this contribute to my spiritual uplift?

Of all the books in this greatest Book in the world, the book of Acts is second only in importance to the Gospels, for it is the story of the Master's work which He performed after " he was received up," through the Holy Spirit operating in the lives of His Apostles. And that story is of the utmost interest to every Christian, for it is the story of the expansion of the church. It tells how, from the little company in the upper room at Jerusalem, the church came first to be numbered by the thousands, and then not to be numbered at all for multitude. It tells how, beginning at Jerusalem, the Gospel spread until it overran the Roman Empire.

To know this story well, to see its unfolding in its divinely guided sequence, to know the noble figures, the faith-filled men that move across its pages, to see the problems and obstacles they had to meet, and how they met them—to accomplish this is not only to acquaint oneself with a most interesting history, to master a most valuable portion of Bible knowledge, but it is also to feast continually upon the Bread of Life Eternal. No part of the Sacred Volume is richer in soul nourishment, for while the particular questions and issues at stake in the apostolic church are, in many respects, different from ours, yet the principles involved in the solution of all these problems, theirs and ours, are the same. And sinful human nature and its needs are the same in our day as in that of Peter, John, and Paul.

It is the province of this book by Prof. Young to furnish the student the stimulus and help he needs in the accomplishment of the work we have described. The author is too well known to need any introduction to the Biblestudying public. He has given practically a lifetime to the promotion of Bible study. He has taught in colleges and Bible Institutes, has previously published several valuable books on Bible study, and has conducted Bible correspondence courses, until his name and work are widely known in the United States and Canada. This book is the fruitage of his long and successful experience as a Bible teacher.

The plan of the book is simple, easily comprehended, and well adapted to its purpose. It embraces an analysis of the Acts material carried out with considerable minuteness of detail, with copious and helpful comment on the text, and questions at the end of each division designed to test the student's knowledge and stimulate his interest. I am sure this book will prove to be a valuable aid to the mastery of one of the most important books of the Bible and one of the most important periods of Bible history. Whoever follows faithfully the plan as outlined, will surely find that he has made a large and useful addition to his store of Bible knowledge, and at the same time has greatly enriched his spiritual experience. I am glad to commend the book to the truth-loving Bible student, and count it a pleasure to introduce him to its pages.