Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXIII) (Acts 16:1–40)» filologia-neotestamentaria, Vol. 24 (2011) 135-164 page 159

Vol 24 (2011)

Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXIII) (Acts 16:1–40)», Vol. 24 (2011) 135-164

In Acts 16, Paul sets out again on his missionary journey but without Barnabas, Instead he is accompanied by Silas and Timothy, and in part by a group of companions referred to by Luke in the 1^st person. His itinerary follows the leading given by successive divine interventions designed to move him westwards, towards Rome. Most of the action takes place in Philippi, his first stopping place after leaving Asia where he had worked previously. On his arrival there, Paul first seeks out the Jewish community. However, a conflictual encounter with local people leads to his imprisonment, when the jailor provides him with the opportunity to speak about the gospel to Gentiles. Paul’s failure to make the most of this opportunity occasions implicit ciriticism from the narrator of Codex Bezae.

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The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 159 The name of Silas is preceded yet again by the article in ‫א‬01, treating him as distinct from Paul (cf. 16:19), whereas D05 continues at this point (now supported by B03) to view them as forming a united pair. 16:30 (καὶ) προαγαγών (προάγων ‫ )*א‬B P74 ‫א‬2 rell, cum produxisset d || προήγαγεν D. B03 reads the aorist participle of προάγω, anticipating the finite verb ἔφη; D05 reads a finite verb, conjoined to εἶπεν with καί (see below). (ἔξω) τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀσφαλισάμενος D (ceteros custodivit d syp.h**).— ἔφη B P74 ‫ א‬rell || καὶ (– Ds.m.) εἶπεν αὐτοῖς D*, et dixit illis d. D05 specifies that the jailor led Paul and Silas outside only after mak- ing sure the other prisoners could not escape, thus indicating that the earthquake had loosened the bonds of everyone in the prison. B03 uses here the imperfect ἔφη, found only occasionally as a verb of speaking in Acts (cf. 1:4 D05; 2:38; 7:2; 8:36; 10:28.30.31; 11:28 D05; 16:37; 17:22; 19:25 D05.35; 21:37; 22:2 [not D05].27 B03.28; + 11 occur- rences in passages that are missing in D05). D05 has the more common εἶπεν here; furthermore, the text specifies the addressee with the dative pronoun αὐτοῖς referring to Paul and Silas (cf. αὐτούς in the previous clause), a clarification arising from the mention just made of the other prisoners in D05. 16:31 ( ᾿Ιησοῦν) Χριστόν D C E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 1739 M sy sa aeth || om. B P74 ‫ א‬A 33. 81. 1243. 2344 pc gig vg bo. It is typical of D05 to use the full title of Jesus in declarations of salva- tion, though the use of the full title is not a generalized tendency since it is not found in all situations (see Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 264, 267, 271). 16:32 (τὸν λόγον) τοῦ θεοῦ B ‫ *א‬255 pc || τοῦ (– D) κυρίου D, domini d P45.74 ‫א‬2 A C E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 33. 1739 M it vg syp.h.pal sa bo; Lcf Epiph Chr | om. 1891 ar. The phrase τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ of B03 is in keeping with Luke’s custom of using this expression when the word is addressed to Gentiles for the first time. The expression in D05, τὸν λόγον κυρίου, is unique in Acts, in that κυρίου is anarthrous, though it is the common expression in the LXX (Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, p. 297). It may be that κύριος is being highlighted by the absence of the article here because the word is salient, precisely because Paul and Silas do not go through their normal practice of offering τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ to a Gentile before speaking τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου.