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.
136 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
to the imperfect, following the AT reading. The aorist refers to people
among those who happened to be in the Agora, and who had arguments
with Paul.
(τί ἂν) θέλοι B P74 a rell DH? || θέλῃ D* | θέλει 33. 2412.
B03 has the optative of θέλω (optativus potentialis, see B-D-R, §385.1
and cf. 17:20 D05, below), where D05 has the subjunctive.
(εἶναι), ὅτι τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τὴν Ἀνάστασιν εὐηγγελίζετο B a* E L P Ψ
049. 056. 6. 36. 226. 330. 440. 453. 547. 618. 1175. 1241. 1243. 1646c al syh
sa (+ αὐτοῖϛ P74 a2 A E 33. 1739 M vg syp bo) || om. D d gig; Aug.
The B03 clause (a gloss probably derived from 17:31) implies perhaps
that Paul’s audience (in particular the Stoics) have interpreted Ἀνάστασιϛ
as a feminine deity parallel to Jesus (Metzger, Commentary, p. 455; but
see the objections to this idea in Barrett, II, p. 831). According to Bo-
ismard and Lamouille (II, p. 122), ‘l’addition s’inspire peut-être de 4,2’.
D05 omits this gloss.
17:19 Ἐπιλαβόμενοι δὲ (αὐτοῦ) B Ψ 33. 36. 81. 453. 1241. 1837. 2344 al |
ἐπιλαβόμενοί τε a Α E H L P 049. 056. 1739 M || Μετὰ δὲ ἡμέραϛ τινὰϛ
ἐπιλ. D (Post dies aliquos adpraehensumque eum d) 257. 383. 1799. 2147
(+ τε 614. 2412) syh**.— ἐπὶ τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον ἤγαγον B P74 a rell ||
ἤγ. αὐτὸν ἐπὶ (+ τὸν DB) Ἄρ. πάγ. D*, adduxerunt ad Arium Pagum d
(1518) gig; Chr.— πυνθανόμενοι καὶ (λέγοντεϛ) D, cogitantes et d || om.
B P74 a rell.
The time detail in D05 is typical of the introduction to a new episode,
here marking the beginning of the episode [C'-B] within the wider se-
quence [C'] concerning Paul in Athens. It presents Paul’s stay in Athens
as continuing over a certain length of time.
The word order of B03 accords importance to the location of the
Areopagus, which is at the same time treated, by the retention of the
article, as a known or expected place. The single object pronoun αὐτοῦ
for two verbs which govern different cases (genitive and accusative) is
unusual in Luke’s writing, but comparable instances are found when the
first verb is one involving the idea of arrest (see Read-Heimerdinger, ‘The
Tracking of Participants’, pp. 444–446).
D05 focuses more on the action of the philosophers with respect to
Paul, repeating the object pronoun as a means to underline their seizing
of him and their taking him away; furthermore, it presents the Areopagus
as of some significance, drawing attention to the seriousness with which
the philosophers viewed Paul. The additional participle πυνθανόμενοι
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