Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XX) (Acts 14:1-27)», Vol. 22 (2009) 107-132
Acts 14:1-27 continues the story of the mission of Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles, illustrating what happened when they had decided to turn from the Jews (cf. 13.46-47) to devote their attention to the Gentiles. Following an account of Paul's initial struggle with this decision, brought out more clearly in Codex Bezae, Luke describes the mitigated success of his first deliberate attempts to talk with the Gentiles about the gospel. The establishment of the first churches as a result of the missionary work of Paul and Barnabas is described as the passage concludes by bringing the missionaries back to Antioch of Syria, where Luke is careful to maintain the focus on the Gentiles.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 113
With the repetition of the article and the absence of τε, D05 views the
Jews as a separate group of people.
14.6 καὶ (κατέφυγον) D*, et fugerunt d || om. B P74 ) Ds.m. rell.
Adverbial καί in D05 underlines the main verb (Read-Heimerdinger,
The Bezan Text, pp. 208–11); the notion of completeness expressed by the
prefix κατα- is thus reinforced, and the success of the escape is expressed
in the translation by ‘managed to’.
εἰϛ (Λύστραν) D*, in (Listra) d C* || om. B P74 ) Ds.m. rell.— (τὴν
περίχωρον) ὅλην D, totam d E lat (mae) || om. B P74 ) Ds.m. rell.
The scope of the area where Paul and Barnabas escaped to is carefully
delineated in D05, with the repetition of the preposition and the adjective
ὅλην.
14.7 (εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἦσαν.) καὶ ἐκινήθη ὅλον τὸ πλῆθοϛ ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ
D, et commota est omnis multitudo in doctrinis d b (h) w vgΘ (mae) |
(εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἦσαν) τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ. καὶ ἐξεπλήσσετο πᾶσα ἡ
πολυπληθία ἐπὶ τ. δ. αὐτῶν E || om. B P74 ) rell.
The response of the crowd is not specified in B03. The term πλῆθοϛ is
typically Lukan (cf. Critical Apparatus, 13.45) and is used especially to
denote a large group of people who share a common interest (as distinct
from ὄχλοϛ, a disparate group). The verb κινέω is used again, also in the
passive, at 21.30.
[B’] 14.7c-20 Lycaonia: Lystra
Overview
This is the penultimate sequence of the first phase of the mission to the
Gentiles, which takes place in the new setting of Lystra. It develops one
aspect of the evangelizing and teaching activity of Paul and Barnabas in
Lycaonia summarized at 14.6-7b.
There are two episodes, the first presenting the main action, while the
second is a development arising out of it:
[B’-A] 14.7c-18 The healing of the lame man
[a] 14.7c Paul and Barnabas stay in Lystra