Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XVIII).», Vol. 19 (2006) 99-112
13:1-12 is the section covered by these notes, a passage that marks
an important development in the narrative as Paul becomes the main
protagonist for the rest of the book of Acts. It is in these verses that the
Holy Spirit calls him, by his name of Saul, to be the collaborator of Barnabas
for the work of spreading the message of Jesus to the Gentiles. The mission
begins in Cyprus, where Paul’s strategy of visiting the Jews first, in order to
prepare them for the entry of the Gentiles into Israel, will be shown up by
Luke, in the text of Codex Bezae, to be out of step with the plan of Jesus.
104 Josep Rius-Camp and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
The form of the phrase used for the Holy Spirit changes according
to the context, the variables being the presence of the article and/or the
presence and place of the adjective4. The form τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα used
by B03 is characteristically found in situations where the Spirit acts in
direct relation to Christians in a local church setting, as is the case here.
The reading of D05, τὸ πνεῦμα ἅγιον, is unusual in that the adjective in
post-noun position does not have an article; although the same pattern
is found once more in the Bezan text of 10:45 (τοῦ á¼Î³á½·Î¿Ï… πνεύματοϛ
a01, τοῦ πνεύματοϛ τοῦ á¼Î³á½·Î¿Ï… B03), it occurs nowhere else in Luke’s
writings, neither with the expression for the Holy Spirit nor any other
noun-adjective for that matter5. The usual arthrous form with the adjective
in post-position is τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. In contrast, the anarthrous form
πνεῦμα ἅγιον is common throughout Acts as a fixed expression in
repeated situations such as baptism in the Holy Spirit or God speaking
through the Holy Spirit in a public rather than an intimate situation,
where the position of the adjective after the noun causes the Spirit to be
prominent and the focus to be on the presence of the Spirit rather than
on the quality of holiness6. It may be that the idea of God acting through
the Spirit for a public purpose at the outset of the mission to the Gentiles
causes the stereotyped expression to be chosen here in D05, and that it is
prefaced with the article because it is an anaphoric reference within the
immediate context of the Antioch church (cf. 13:2; at 10:45, the reference
to τὸ πνεῦμα ἅγιον is also anaphoric).
κατῆλθον B P74 a rell, descenderunt d ‖ καταβάντεϛ δέ D (gig; Lcf).—
á¼ÎºÎµá¿–θέν τε B P74 a A C E Ψ 36. 81. 226c. 323. 547. 927. 945. 1175. 1270.
1646. 1739. 1837. 1891 al lat syh | á¼ÎºÎµá¿–θεν δέ H L P 049. 056. 614 M,
inde vero d syhmg | κἀκεῖθεν 431. 453. 1108. 1518. 2138. 2412. 2495; Chr ‖
á¼ÎºÎµá¿–θεν D 614.
The first difference concerns the choice of the verb. κατέÏχομαι of B03
has a neutral sense and simply describes the movement of going down to
the sea. In contrast, καταβαίνω of D05 is a synonym chosen by Luke when
the movement has a metaphorical connotation, often implying a distancing
from a place of sanctuary or safety: Jerusalem (Lk. 2:51; 10:30.31; Acts
8:15.26; 18:22; 24:1.22; 25:6.7); the temple (Lk. 18:14); Israel (Acts 7:15);
heaven (Lk. 3:22; 8:23; 9:54; Acts 7:34; 10:11; 11:5; 14:11); mountain of
prayer (Lk. 6:17); rooftop/upper room (Lk. 17:31; Acts 10:20.21; 20:10);
treetop (Lk. 19:5.6). These references may be compared with others that
J. Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text of Acts. A Contribution to Discourse Analysis
4
to Textual Criticism (Sheffield 2002) 145–172.
The Bezan Text, 171.
5
The Bezan Text, 160–161.
6
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