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 163

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 163 ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ῾Ρωμαῖοί εἰσιν B P45vid.74 ‫ א‬A 33. 69. (81). 945. 1175. 1739. 1837. 1891. 2344 | καὶ ἐφ. ἀκ. ὅτι ῾Ρω. εἰ. E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 614 M || οἱ δὲ ἀκ. ὅτι ῾Ρω. εἰσιν ἐφ. D, cum autem audierunt quia Romani sunt timuerunt d syp. The word order of B03 confers particular importance on the fact of Paul and Silas being Roman. In D05, this fact is downplayed by being expressed in a participial clause preceding the main verb; in addition, the initial articular pronoun signals that this sentence is an intermediate step, preparing for the more important following action, the speech of the magistrates to Paul and Silas (see next variant). The initial articular pro- noun and position of the verb at the end of the clause in D05 emphasizes the fear of the magistrates and especially the cause of it. 16:39 (καὶ) ἐλθόντες παρεκάλεσαν αὐτούς B P45vid.74 ‫ א‬rell || παραγενόμενοι μετὰ φίλων πολλῶν εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν παρ. αὐ. ἐξελθεῖν εἰπόντες· ᾿Ηγνοήσαμεν τὰ καθ’ ὑμᾶς ὅτι ἐστὲ ἄνδρες δίκαιοι D, cum venissent cum amicis multis in carcerem rogaverunt eos exire dicentes: Ignoramus adversum vos quoniam estis viri iusti d | ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν παρ. αὐ. ἐξελθεῖν εἰπόντες· ᾿Ηγν. τ. καθ’ ὑμ. ὅτι ἐσ. ἄν. δίκ. 257. 383. 614. 1799. 2147. 2412 vgR2 syh**; (Ephr). The narrative in B03 concludes in a matter-of-fact way, explaining how the magistrates did what Paul had asked. D05 has a number of circumstantial details, which express with more force the magistrates’ fear and insistency. First, the magistrates are said to have gone to the prison with many friends and, once there, to have begged the two prisoners to go out, explaining that they had not realized that they were ‘good men’. The same term δίκαιοι is used of the disciples at 14:2 D05. (καὶ ἐξαγαγόντες) ἠρώτων ἀπελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως B P74 ‫ א‬A 33. 81. 945. 1175. 1739. 1891. 2344 | ἠρ. ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τ. πόλ. P45vid E H L P Ψ 049. 056 M || παρεκάλεσαν αὐτοὺς λέγοντες· ᾿Εκ τῆς πόλ. ταύτης ἐξέλθατε, μήποτε πάλιν συστραφῶσιν ἡμῖν ἐπικράζοντες καθ’ ὑμῶν D, rogaverunt eos dicentes: De civitate ista exite, ne forte iterum convertan- tur ad nos clamantes adversum vos d | καὶ ἐκ ταύτης τῆς πόλ. ἐξέλθετε, μή πως ἐπιστραφῶσι πάλιν οἱ ἐπικρ. καθ’ ὑμ. 257. 383. 614. 1799. 2147. 2412 vgR2 syh**; Ephr. The details continue in D05: having led them out of the prison, they again insist on the urgency for them to get out of the city, in case the local people start up another complaint against them. B03 expresses it more tamely as a ‘request’, ‘to go away from the city’.