Josep Rius-Camps, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XIX) (Acts 13:13-43).», Vol. 20 (2007) 127-146
In Acts 13:13-43, Paul and Barnabas are seen continuing their missionary activity, notably in Antioch of Pisidia where Luke describes their visit to the synagogue. He recreates in some detail Paul’s first speech, which is noteworthy for the way in which he presents Jesus as the Messiah first and foremost for Israel, a perspective with which Luke is at odds in Codex Bezae. Paul’s overriding concern for his own people, the Jews, to accept his message is strongly in evidence. However, their negative reaction when he extends the message of Jesus to Gentiles causes him, together with Barnabas, to turn from the Jews to the Gentiles. In the Alexandrian text, their announcement of this fact refers to a change on a local scale within Antioch, but in the Bezan text they make a declaration that represents a radical decision and an event of momentous significance in the history of Israel: in view of the Jews’ hostility to the message of Jesus, they will no longer have privileged possession of the Word of God, the Torah that had originally been entrusted to Israel, since it is to be henceforth shared with the Gentiles. The idea of the sharing of the heritage of Israel with the Gentiles is one that will provoke opposition to Paul wherever he preaches to the Jews in future locations, and a theme that Luke will develop over the subsequent chapters.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 139
3:15; 10:40). It will be used in the latter sense at 13:30, without needing
the clarifi-cation of á¼Îº νεκÏῶν according to D05. B03 avoids any ambigu-
ity here with the neutral verb ἄγω.
σωτῆÏα Ἰησοῦν B ) A E P C Ψ 056. 81. 104. 440. 453. 614. 927. 945.
1175. 1270. 1611. 1739. 2147. 2344. 2412 al vg sy sa bo; Ath Thret ‖
σωτῆÏα τὸν Ἰη. D | σωτηÏίαν P74 H L 049. 33 M | εἰϛ σωτηÏίαν 6. 828.
1245 pc.
The article before the name of Jesus assumes he is a figure Paul’s audi-
ence had heard of and were familiar with, i.e. that Paul is not announcing
the person of Jesus to them for the first time.
13:24 παντὶ Ï„á¿· λαῷ ἸσÏαήλ B D, populo Istrahel d P74 )2 C E Ψ 33.
81. 104. 547. 614. 927. 945. 1175. 1241. 1260. 1611. 1739. 1837. 1891.
2412 rell ‖ παντὶ Ï„á¿· ἸσÏ.)corr.* A 1646c | Ï„á¿· ἸσÏ. H L P 049. 056. 1. 88.
226. 323c. 330. 440. 618. 1243. 1245. 1505. 1646*. 1828. 1854. 2147. 2492.
2495.
B03 is in agreement with D05 in reading λαῷ before Israel, a reading
that the first hand of )01 wrote but corrected to read simply παντὶ τῷ
ἸσÏαήλ. At the only other occurrence in Luke–Acts of πᾶϛ with ἸσÏαήλ,
λαόϛ is read without vl (Acts 4:10), as may be expected since λαόϛ justi-
fies the emphasis of πᾶϛ.
13:25 Τί á¼Î¼á½² (ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι;) B P74 ) A (με 33. 81). 915. 1175 pc sa mae
aeth; Aug QvDpt ‖ Τίνα με D, quem (suspicamini) me (esse?) d P45 C E
H L P Ψ 049. 056. 1739 M latt syp.h bo; Chr QvDpt.
The difference between the two interrogative pronouns is one of gender,
whether neuter (‘What?’) or masculine (‘Whom?’). The masculine tallies
better with John’s answer (cf. Jn 1:20), and Jesus’ own question to his dis-
ciples (Lk. 9.20). Either of them could be construed as relative pronouns:
‘What/whom you suppose me to be, I am not’ (see Winer, Grammar, p.
211), though this would cause the parallel with Jesus’ question to be lost.
13:26 (γένουϛ ἈβÏαὰμ) οἱ á¼Î½ ὑμῖν B P45 | καὶ οἱ á¼Î½ ὑμῖν P74 ) C E H L P
Ψ 049. 056. 614. 1739 M ‖ καὶ οἱ á¼Î½ ἡμῖν D, et qui in nobis d A 81.
B03 somewhat incongruously assimilates the God-fearers with the
‘sons of Abraham’. D05 and )01 make a distinction between them, with
D05 situating the God-fearers ‘among us’ – possibly through itacism,
though it does accord with the first person plural pronoun in the follow-
ing main clause (where, in fact, many witnesses other than )01, B03 or
D05 read ὑμῖν).
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