Josep Rius-Camps, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XX) (Acts 13:44-52)», Vol. 21 (2008) 139-146
In Acts 13:44-52, Luke narrates the events in Antioch of Pisidia that follow his speech in the synagogue. A series of critical variant readings arise in the text of Codex Bezae that alter significantly the perspective of the narrative. While the Alexandrian text presents the incidents, and the response of Paul and Barnabas to them, as being of local relevance and importance, Codex Bezae indicates that they also relate to a wider dimension involving the whole history of Israel, and their relationship as a people with God and with the Gentiles. Indeed, in the face of the hostile reaction of the Jews to their message about Jesus, Paul and Barnabas declare that the time has come for the gifts that had hitherto been their privilege to be shared on a universal scale with non-Jews. Thus, this passage is a key text for understanding the on-going relationship between Paul and the Jews throughout the rest of his mission.
140 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
the whole sequence [D] is brought to a close with a positive summary
statement [c].
[DA’-A] 13.44-49 In the city
[a] 13.44 The whole city gather to hear Paul
[b] 13.45 The zeal of the Jews
[c] 13.46-47 The speech of Paul and Barnabas
[c’] 13.48a The Gentiles receive the word of God
[b’] 13.48b The Gentiles believe
[a’] 13.49 The spread of the word of the Lord
[DA’-B] 13.50-52 Jewish response
[a] 13.50a The Jews incited the influential citizens
[b] 13.50b Persecution of Paul and Barnabas
[b’] 13.51 Departure from Antioch to Iconium
[c] 13.52 The situation of the disciples
Translation
Codex Bezae D05 Codex Vaticanus B03
[Aa] 13.44 On the following Sabbath, 13.44 On the following Sabbath,
almost the entire city was almost all the city was assembled
assembled to hear Paul (he made to hear the word of God;
much talk about the Lord);
[b] 45 and when the Jews saw the 45 and when the Jews saw the
assembled crowd, they were masses, they were filled with
filled with zeal and contradicted zeal and contradicted the things
the words said by Paul, con- spoken by Paul, blaspheming.
tradicting and blaspheming.
[c] 46 Finally, Paul, speaking boldly, 46 Finally, speaking boldly,
and Barnabas said to them, ‘You Paul and Barnabas said, ‘To you
were the first for whom it was it was necessary for the word of
possible for the word of God to God to be spoken first. Since you
be spoken. Since you reject it reject it and judge yourselves
and judge yourselves not worthy not worthy of eternal life,
of eternal life, behold, we turn behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord 47 For the Lord commanded us
commanded thus: thus:
“Behold! As a light I have placed “I have placed you as the light
you
for the Gentiles, of the Gentiles,
So that you might be salvation So that you might be salvation
to the end of the earthâ€.’ to the end of the earthâ€.’