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.
126 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
Translation
Codex Bezae D05 Codex Vaticanus B03
[a] 14.21 While they were evange- 14.21 When they had evange-
lizing the people in the city, and lized that city, and having made
having made many disciples, a considerable number of disci-
they made a start to return to ples, they returned to Lystra,
Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, and to Iconium and to Antioch,
22 where they werent about 22 where they were nt about
strengthening the souls of the strengthening the souls of the
disciples, above all encouraging disciples, and encouraging them
them to remain in the faith and to remain in the faith, saying ‘It
saying ‘It is through many diffi- is through many difficulties that
culties that we have to go to the we have to enter into the king-
kingdom of God’. dom of God’.
[b] 23 When they had appointed 23 When they had appointed
for them elders in each of the for them elders in each of the
churches, they prayed, indeed churches, they prayed with fast-
with fasting, and committed ing and committed them to the
them to the Lord in whom they Lord in whom they had believed.
believed.
[c] 24 Having gone through Pisidia, 24 And having gone through
they came to PamphiliaPam- Pisidia, they came to Pamphilia-
phylia; Pamphylia;
[d] 25 and after speaking the word 25 and after speaking the word
in Perga, they went down to At- in Perga, they went down to At-
talia where they were evangeliz- talia,
ing them,
[e] 26 and from there they sailed 26 and from there they sailed
away to Antioch from where away to Antioch from where
they had been commended to the they had been commended to
grace of God for the work which the grace of God for the work
they had accomplished. which they had accomplished.
[f] 27 When they arrived and had 27 When they arrived and had
gathered the church together, gathered the church together,
they announced what God had they announced what God had
done for them with their souls, done with them, namely, that he
namely, that he that he had had opened a door of faith for
opened a door of faith for the the Gentiles.
Gentiles.