Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXIV) (Acts 17:1–18:23).», Vol. 25 (2012) 119-160
In these final sequences of Part III of the Book of Acts, the second phase of Paul’s missionary journey continues through Macedonia before moving on to Greece where he spends a brief time in Athens before a more extended stay in Corinth. Despite the divine intervention in Philippi in the previous sequence, which focused attention on the evangelisation of the Gentiles, Paul fails to follow this up but reverts to his earlier practice of devoting his energy first and foremost to the Jews in the synagogues. In Athens, his wellknown attempt to speak to the Gentiles meets with little favour; it is only in Corinth, after fierce opposition from the synagogue, that Luke records more successful efforts to include the Gentiles as well as the Jews in his preaching activity.
134 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
The Majority text does have a different verb, καθιστάω, with a similar
meaning, (‘hinstellen, vorführen’, Mayser I, III, p. 223.8-11).
παρῆλθεν δὲ τὴν Θεσσαλίαν· ἐκωλύθη γὰρ εἰϛ αὐτοὺϛ κηρύξαι τὸν
λόγον D, transiit vero Thessaliam: vetatus est enim super eos praedicare
sermonem d; (sEphr) || om. B P45.74 a rell.
The reading of D05 is by no means impossible (pace Boismard and
Lamouille, II, p. 121): for a third time, Paul is prevented (by God, divine
passive) from preaching the word in Thessaly and so by-passes the region
without stopping there, going to Athens instead round the coast by boat:
‘Le préverbe implique un itinéraire qui longe la côte, apparemment par
mer’ (Delebecque, Les deux Actes, p. 340).
καὶ λαβόντεϛ ἐντολήν B P74 a rell | κ. λαβ. ἐπιστολὴν παρ’ αὐτοῦ E ||
λαβ. δὲ ἐντολὴν παρὰ Παύλου D, ut accepissent mandatum a Paulo d.
The subject of the new clause continues uninterrupted in B03, which
therefore links it with καί to the previous one. In D05, however, there has
been an intervening parenthetical clause and so this new sentence begins
a new development with δέ. D05 further makes it clear that the order the
people from Beroea receive comes from Paul.
τὸν (Τιμόθεον) B P45 a E 33. 81. 1243. 1270. 2344 || om. D P74 A H L P
Ψ 049. 056. 614. 1739 M.
B03 continues to view Silas and Timothy as separate individuals. D05
at this point sees them from Paul’s point of view, as a pair of co-workers
who are ordered to undertake an action together.
ἵνα ὡϛ τάχιστα (ἔλθωσιν) B P74 a rell, ut quam celeriter d || ὅπωϛ ἐν
τάχει D (gig).
The B03 construction of ἐντολή … ἵνα + subjunctive, instead of the
more usual infinitive in Hellenistic Greek, is also found at Jn 13:34; 15:12;
1 Jn 3:23 a01; 4:21; 2 Jn 6. It has the force of an imperative here (Zerwick,
Biblical Greek, §415). The construction of ὅπωϛ + subjunctive in D05
underlines the purpose of Paul’s instructions.
The B03 reading ὡϛ τάχιστα is unique in the New Testament. Luke
often uses, on the other hand, the D05 reading of ἐν τάχει: Lk. 18:8; Acts
10:33 D05; 12:7; 22:18; 25:4.
17:16 (ἐκδεχομένου) αὐτοὺϛ τοῦ Παύλου B P74 a2 A DC rell || αὐτοῦ τ.
Π. D*, ([expectante] eo Paulum d!) syp | αὐτοῦ a*.
τοῦ Παύλου in D05 stands in apposition to the pronoun αὐτοῦ of
the genitive absolute; a01* omits the apposition; B03 corrects αὐτοῦ to
FOLLOW US