4 GIANCARLO BIGUZZI A comparison with the texts referring to the Twelve shows that, unlike Matthias, Paul is not an aytopthv, neither of Jesus’ public ߥ ministry, nor of his Passion and Death, nor of his apparitions during the forty days before the ascension, and neither is he a re- cipient of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. As a result, he cannot fall within the number of witnesses of whom Peter speaks at Matthias’ election (1,22), in the house of Cornelius (10,39-41), and to whom Paul himself refers in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch (13,31). Paul is a witness only of the Resurrected Christ whom he saw and heard on the way to Damascus (Acts 22,15; 26,16) in an epi- phany that Luke excludes from the paschal apparitions. Never- t h e l e s s Paul has some of the marks of a witness: he is commissioned by the Risen One (Acts 26,16; cf. 20,24 and 23,11) ; the Risen One indicates the geographical-religious scope of Paul’s testimony (Acts 23,11 etc.), and Paul’s testimony is un- doubtedly the most impressive evangelistic undertaking of which the Acts speaks. 3. The transfer of witnessing from the Twelve to Paul The limitations concerning the authority of Paul’s witness in comparison with that of the Twelve (Paul is not an aytopthv nor ߥ has he received the Spirit of Pentecost), seem to be met in the Lukan account by what could be called a “testimonial chain” which begins in Acts 6 with the election of the Seven of Jerusalem at the request of the apostles. This is why Stephen can be called “a man full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6,5) and a “witness” (22,20), even though he is not one of the Twelve. The transfer from the Twelve to Paul occurs under various stimuli: the numerical increase of believers; the difficulties arising from the presence of “ Hebrews ” and “Hellenists” in the same community; the hostility of the Greek-speaking synagogues who expel the Hellenist be- lievers from Jerusalem; the missionary expeditions inspired by the Spirit ; and finally, the foundation of new communities. 10,39 ; 10,41; 10,42; 13,31), and the eleven referring to Paul in Acts 18-28 (cf. Acts 18,5; 20,21; 20,24; 22,15; 22,18; 23,11bis; 26,16; 26,22; 28,23).