The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XIII) 127 (πρὸς τὸν) κύριον B P74 ) rell ‖ θεόν D 33. 69. 431. 547. 614. 913. 927. 1108. 1245. 1505. 1611. 1828c. 2138. 2147. 2298. 2344. 2412. 2495 pc c dem p vgmss syp.h mae, lac. d. This is one among many variant readings concerning θεός and κύριος. In D05, the ‘Lord’ is never used by people of Gentile origin, and rarely with reference to them. Peter’s use of κύριος at 8:22 is therefore exceptional24. (μηδὲν ἐπέλθῃ) ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ὧν εἰρήκατε B P74 ) rell ‖ μοι τούτων τῶν κακῶν ὧν εἰρήκατέ μοι D (E vgms mae; Chr), lac. d. Simon’s plea to Peter and John is formulated in more concrete and personal terms in D05. ὃς πολλὰ κλαίων οὐ διελ<ί>μπανεν D* syhmg mae, lac. d ‖ om. B P74 ) Ds.m. rell. The only other occurrences of διαλιμπάνω in the New Testament are at Lk. 7:45 and Acts 17:13 D05, the latter with a construction very similar to the one read here (pres. part. + negative + imperf.). There would seem to be an intended allusion to Peter’s distress after his denial of Jesus (Lk. 22:62, ἔκλαυσεν πικρῶς) which B03 avoids. The parallel between the two Simons may well have been effaced because of the role Simon Magus soon acquired among the Church Fathers as the leader of Gnosticism. Although Metzger25 and Bruce26 both find the clause reads awkwardly, the use of ὅς in place of οὗτος to add further information concerning a character is common in the New Testament27. 8:25 πολλάς τε (κώμας) B P74 ) rell ‖ πολλὰς δέ D sa bo, lac. d. In both texts, this clause functions in association with the previous μὲν οὖν clause of the beginning of the verse to provide background informa- tion that brings the incident involving Peter and John to a conclusion and forms a transition to the next series of events involving Philip (8:26, where the δέ corresponding to μὲν οὖν is found)28. B05 views the evangelization of Samaria as closely connected to the apostles’ return to Jerusalem (the 24 Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 286. 25 A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelge- sellschaft, 2nd edn, 1994), p. 359. 26 The Acts of the Apostles. The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary (Lon- don: The Tyndale Press, 1951), p. 188. 27 Cf. Blass, F., and A. Debrunner, and F. Rehkopf, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Griechisch (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 15th edn, 1979), §293.3c. 28 See Levinsohn, Textual Connections, p. 146.