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 191
the Ierousalem church and to be judged by the leaders there, and thus
confirms the lectio difficilior of 15:4 D05 (cf. 21:31).
15:27 ἀπαγγέλλοντας τὰ αὐτά B P74vid ) A C DB E H P L 049. 056. 33.
1739 M || ἀπαγγελοῦντας ταῦτα D*, haec d P33 Ψ 88. 181. 257. 467.
614. 913. 915. 1108. 1175. 1611. 1646. 1799. 1898. 2412 pc syp.h sa aeth;
Didasc Chr.
B03 reads the present participle where D05 uses the future; both have
a final sense (cf. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §284: ‘The question may be
raised, whether the present participle may not at times stand for the
future one indicating the end in view’). The same variant occurs at 17:15.
The pronoun in B03 refers to the ‘same things’, that is, Judas and
Silas are to explain orally what is written in the letter overall. In D05, the
demonstrative pronoun is used, anticipating the decision regarding the
Gentiles that follows.
15:28 (ἔδοξεν γὰρ) τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ B P33.74 ) A Ψ 33. 81. 927.
1270. 1837. 2344 || τῷ ἁγ. πνεύματι D, sancto spiritui d C E H P L 049.
056. 1739 M e gig l; Irlat Or Cyp Cyr Heslat.
Luke varies the word order of the phrase for the Holy Spirit according
to the context (see Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 151-172 for an
exhaustive analysis of the phrase in Luke’s writings). The B03 expression
is usually found in the context of a new explanation or instruction (cf.
13:2; 15:8); it may be the formal setting of the letter, whose purpose is
to communicate information, that is behind the choice of wording. The
D05 phrase, on the other hand, is reserved for situations where the Spirit
communicates with, or relates to, Christian believers, in an intimate way
(cf. 1:8; 15:29 D05; 16:6), as is appropriate here.
(μηδὲν) πλέον B P33.74 ) rell || πλεῖον D Ψ 945. 1739. 1891.
Both forms are found in Hellenistic Greek as the comparative neuter
of πολύς (B-A-G, πολὺς, II).
(πλὴν) τούτων τῶν ἐπάναγκες B P33vid )2 C DB? H Ψ 049. 69. 81. 88. 104.
614. 945. 1175. 1270. 1505. 1739. 1854. 1891. 2412. 2492 al, haec quae
necesse est d; Irlat | τῶν ἐπάναγκες (ἐξάν- P74) A 36. 453. 1241. 1611 pc;
Cl | τῶν ἐπάναγκες τούτων E L P 056 M || τούτων· ἐπάναγκές <ἐστιν>
D* )* 33. 1837. 2344 pc.
As the text stands in B03, the neuter adjective ἐπάναγκες is being
used as an adverb with a plural article which, while theoretically not
impossible, is a construction not found with this adverb elsewhere; if the
article is intentional, ἐπάναγκες has to be understood as standing for a
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