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.
192 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
general noun, and the infinitive ἀπέχεσθαι that follows has the force of
an imperative. Alternatively, it is possible that the article in B03 is the
result of dittography, in which case the text should be punctuated in
such a way that ἐπάναγκες begins a new sentence, listing the contents of
τούτων (as in D05 and )01); cf. Delebecque (Les deux Actes, p. 97): ‘le
texte court [B03] semble fautif en écrivant τῶν, par dittographie, après
τούτων, qui doit être suivi d’un point en haut’.
The absence of the article in D05 is viewed by Metzger (Commentary,
p. 386) as a possible instance of haplography. Such a view ignores the
sense that is given by the D05 reading as it stands, where the equivalent of
a colon follows τούτων, and a new sentence begins with ἐπάναγκες (the
verb ἐστιν is implicit), followed by the infinitive (cf. Bailly, ἐπάναγκες).
In this way, D05 distinguishes between the decision of the Holy Spirit
(μηδὲν ... βάρος) and that taken by the assembly (πλὴν τούτων· ἐπάναγκές
<ἐστιν> ἀπέχε-σθαι...).
15:29 (αἵματος) καὶ πνικτῶν B )* A* C 81. 614. 1175. 1611. 2147. 2412
pc (co) aeth; Cl Orlat pt CyrJmss Amphpt Socr Gaud Hierpt.mss acc. to Cassian |
κ. πνικτοῦ P74 )2 A2 E H L P Ψ 33. 1739 M (lat) syp.h; (Orlat pt) CAp CyrJ
Diod Amphpt Did? Chr Sev Cyr Ambstmss acc. to Ps-Vig || om. D d l aethpt;
Ir1739mg.lat Tert Cyp Pac Hierpt Ambst Aug.
The absence of καὶ πνικτῶν in D05, with some versional and a range
of patristic support, has already been noted at 15:20 (see above).
(πορνείας), καὶ ὅσα μὴ θέλετε ἑαυτοῖς γίνεσθαι (γενέσθαι 614. 2412)
ἑτέρῳ (ἑτέροις 323. 945. 1739. 1891 al syh** Ir) μὴ ποιεῖν (ποιεῖτε DE 614
pc ar q sa Ir Cyp) D*, et quaecumque non vultis vobis fieri aliis ne feceritis
d 42. 51. 234. 242. 323. 429. 464. 614. 945. 1739. 1891. 2412 pc ar l p ph w
vgms syh** sa aeth; Ir1739mg.lat Eus1739mg Cyp || om. B P33.74 ) rell c dem e gig p
ph ro w vg syp bo; Tert Cl Orlat CAp CyrJ? Diod Amph Did? Chr Sev Socr
Cyr Ambst Pac Gaud.
The sentence concluding the advice of the letter in D05 is similar to
the judgement with which James concluded his speech (cf. 15:20 above).
ἐξ ὧν (διατηροῦντες) B P33.74 ) rell || ἀφ’ ὧν D, a quibus d 323. 614. 945.
1739. 1891. 2412 e vg; Irlat Tert.— (εὖ) πράξετε B P33 ) A (E) P Ψ 049.
056. 33. 1739* M d latt sa bo; Cl Orlat CAp Did? Chr Socr Pac Ps-Vig |
πράξατε P74 C L 2344 ar aeth; (Amph) || πράξατε φερόμενοι ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ
πνεύματι D (agitis ferentes in sancto spiritu d) 1739c (l); (Ir1739mg.lat) Tert
Cass Ephr.
The prepositional phrase ἐξ ὧν in B03 follows directly from the list
of four types of activities to which the relative pronoun ὦν relates. When
FOLLOW US