10 GIANCARLO BIGUZZI that it should also be included in the series together with the three preceding lists. According to many commentators, the Seven of Corinth are the delegates of the Churches charged with taking the collection to Jerusalem together with Paul. S. Légasse calls them “the escorts of the collected money”, and speaks of “considerable sums” 13. According to other authors, however, it does not make sense that Luke supplies the names of those taking the collection to Jeru- salem, when he ignores all reference to the collection itself 14. The Seven of Acts 20,4 are therefore for the most part interpreted sim- ply as Paul’s companions: “This is simply a representative escort ” 15, “The reader must consider these men as the retinue which befits so successful a missionary as Paul” 16. Some other commentators attribute an ecclesial significance to the list: “It is more likely that Luke saw them as first-hand witnesses to the successes of Paul’s mission who would back up his report to the Church at Jerusalem, where many Christians were still suspicious of what he was doing” 17. In fact, it is not possible to avoid taking S. LÉGASSE, Paul apôtre. Essai de biographie critique (Paris 1991) 222 13 (“ Luc a conservé les noms de ces ‘convoyeurs de fonds’, nécessaires quant au nombre à l’acheminement de sommes considérables, toutes évidemment en numéraire ”). Cf. F.F. BRUCE, The Acts of the Apostles. The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI 31990) 42: “Most of these traveling companions were probably delegates from various Gentile churches, bearing their respective churches’ contribution for the Jerusalem relief fund”; and ROSSÉ, Atti degli Apostoli, 706: “In realtà erano gli incaricati della colletta per Gerusalemme”. A wide discussion is available in W.-H. OLLROG, Paulus und seine Mitarbeiter. Untersuchungen zu Theorie und Praxis der paulinischen Mission (Neukirchen-Vluyn 1979) 52-58. In 1 Cor 16,3 Paul himself speaks of “ any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem”. I.H. MARSHALL, The Acts of the Apostles. An Introduction and Com- 14 mentary (Leicester – Grand Rapids, MI 1980) 323: “... no particular motive is apparent for the inclusion of their names (= of the delegates for the collection) ”. CONZELMANN, Acts of the Apostles, 167. 15 T h u s E. H A E N C H E N , T h e Acts of the Apostles. A Commentary 16 (Oxford 1971) 583, but cf. the heavy irony concerning Haenchen’s “cynicism” in MARSHALL, The Acts of the Apostles, 323: “Haenchen’s cynical comment that the reader would regard them as the appropriate entourage for such a successful missionary as Paul, gives us a glimpse into his own mind rather than Luke’s ”. MARSHALL, The Acts of the Apostles, 323. 17