Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The variant readings of the western text of the acts of the apostles (XIII)», Vol. 15 (2002) 111-132
Josep Rius-Camps continues his series of notes on the readings of Codex Bezae in the text of Acts, in collaboration with Jenny Read-Heimerdinger. The present section deals with the events following Stephen’s death, namely the persecution of the Jesus-believers and the ministry of Philip.
Having undertaken a joint project to publish in English a commentary comparing the message of the Bezan text of Acts with that of the Alexandrian
tradition, adopting as a basis the commentary in Catalan of Josep Rius-Camps, we will continue the series of notes on the Acts of the Apostles
in both our names using the format of the English publication (of which the first volume on Acts 1–5 has recently appeared).
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XIII) 125
The versions cannot be appealed to in support of either text17.
8:18 τὸ πνεῦμα B ) sa mae; ConstAp ‖ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον D d P45.74 A
C E Ψ rell latt sy bo arm aeth geo; Bas Chr.
The references to the Holy Spirit in vv. 15, 17 and 19 are in the form
πνεῦμα ἅγιον which is the form normally used in Acts for the gift of
the Spirit to believers18. B03 simply takes up this earlier reference by
repeating the noun without qualification. D05, however, now views the
situation from the point of view of Simon Magus and adopts the form
used to refer to the Holy Spirit when the notion of holiness is being spelt
out19.
8:19 λέγων B P74 ) rell ‖ παÏακαλῶν καὶ λέγων D d gig p mae.
The request in D05 is more explicit and more insistent that in B03: cf.
2:40; 16:9, 15, 39 D05.
(á¼Ï€Î¹Î¸á¿¶) κἀγώ D d (p; CAp) ‖ om. B P74 ) rell.
κἀγώ in D05 corresponds to κἀμοί in the main clause, and is an indi-
rect reference to back to v. 17a. B03 presumably considers it superfluous
to insist so much on Simon Magus’ hope of emulating the apostles.
8:20 Τὸ á¼€ÏγύÏιόν σου B P74 ) DD rell ‖ ἈÏγύÏιον D*, lac. d.
The anaphoric article together with the possessive adjective in B03
causes Peter’s denunciation of money to refer to the money Simon has
just offered the apostles (χÏήματα, v. 18). D05, in contrast, treats money
in general as a problem.
8:21 ἡ Î³á½°Ï ÎºÎ±Ïδία B P74vid ) DC rell ‖ ἡ καÏ. D* 522 sams, lac. d.
The absence of connective in D05 serves to tie the second sentence
closely to the first as an expansion or a comment on it and strengthens
the connection20. Î³á½±Ï in B03 makes the connection explicit.
8:22 (ἀφεθήσεταί) σοι B ) rell ‖ σου D, lac. d.
The dative pronoun in B03 is associated with the preceding verb.
The possessive pronoun in D05, on the other hand, qualifies the noun ἡ
á¼Ï€á½·Î½Î¿Î¹Î± which, coming after the pronoun, is underlined.
17
Pace Boismard and Lamouille, II, p. 57.
18
Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 160-63.
19
The Bezan Text, pp. 163-64; 167-68.
20
Cf. Delebecque, Les deux Actes, p. 239.
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