Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXII) (Acts 14:28–15:41)», Vol. 23 (2010) 175-200
In Chapter 15 of Acts, a point of critical importance for the growth of the Church and its relationship with Judaism is reached. Luke narrates the difficulty posed for Jewish Jesus-believers by the increasing number of Gentiles believers and the decision taken by the Church leaders in Jerusalem not to subject them to the usual conditions for proselytes. In the Bezan text, some conflict of opinion between Peter, Paul and Barnabas on the one hand, and James on the other is apparent, a tension that is attenuated in the Alexandrian text. Further conflict is also highlighted in Codex Bezae between Paul and Barnabas who separate following the meeting in Jerusalem.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 189
15:22 (τότε) ἔδοξε B P74 ) Ds.m. rell || ἐδόξασεν D*.
D05* has the archaic form of the aorist.
τῷ (Παύλῳ) B P74 ) A E Ψ 81. 1175. 1270. 1739. 1891 (+ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ 33.
614. 945. 1611. 1837. 1891. 2147. 2344. 2412) || om. D H L P 049. 056 M.
With the article before Paul but not Barnabas, B03 views them as a
unit; the same is true of D05 where there is no article. The article has the
function of treating the information as expected (everyone knew them,
and that they would go back to Antioch), and thus causes the focus of the
sentence to be the new information, that is, that chosen men would go
with them. The absence of the article in D05 causes all the information
to be viewed as new – that the church had decided to send chosen men,
together with Paul and Barnabas, to take a letter to Antioch. At 15:25, the
article is omitted before the names of Barnabas and Paul, in that order.
(τὸν καλούμενον) Βαρσαββᾶν B P74 ) rell || Βαραββᾶν D, Barabbas d.
D05 reads the name of the criminal released in place of Jesus (‘the son
of the father’), as mentioned at Lk. 23:18; B03 has the same name as given
(not D05) to Joseph (‘the son of the Sabbath’), one of the candidates put
forward to replace Judas (cf. 1:23 AT).
15:23 (γράψαντες) διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν B P33vid.45vid.74 )* A 629 pc l vg bo
aethpt | διὰ χει. αὐ. τάδε )2 E P 049. 056. 0142. (χειρῶν 33). 1739 M
syp.h; CAp Chr | διὰ χει. αὐ. ταῦτα 1505. 2495 || ἐπιστολὴν διὰ χει. αὐ.
περιέχουσαν τάδε D, epistulam per manus suas continentem haec d |
διὰ χει. αὐ. ἐπιστ. περ. τάδε C ar c gig w vgms (– περ. sa) aethpt | διὰ χει.
αὐ. ἐπιστ. καὶ πέμψαντες περ. τάδε 614. 2147. 2412 pc syhmg | ἐπιστ. διὰ
χει. αὐ. ἔχουσαν τὸν τῦπον τοῦτον Ψ.
The reading of B03 is clear as it stands, yet many manuscripts have a
sentence that is more complete in one way or another. The D05 reading
confers greater importance on the formulation of the verdict in a letter,
which is appropriate enough in the context. It also introduces the
ambiguity that the letter was actually written by Judas and Silas (‘through
their hand’), rather than simply delivered by them. The possibility of
confusion in B03 is reduced by the omission of the word ‘letter’, and may
explain why it dropped out.
ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν (χαίρειν) B P74 ) rell || τ. ἐξ ἐθ. ἀδελφοῖς D, qui
sunt ex gentibus fratribus d.
The word order of B03 is neutral, whereas D05 emphasizes the Gentile
origin of the addressees of the letter, to distinguish them from the Jewish
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