Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Aspostles (XXV) (Acts 18:24–19:40).», Vol. 26 (2013) 127-163
In the text of Acts according to Codex Bezae, a fourth and final part of the book begins at 18.24. It is Paul’s ultimate goal of Rome that separates it from the earlier missionary phases and confers unity on the remainder of the book. In this opening section (Section I), his activity will be centred for three years in Ephesus, the main city of Asia, where he will meet with some success despite hostility from some of the Jews. In his dealings with the Gentiles, opposition will also be encountered because of the threat posed by his teachings to the trade of the city. The Bezan narrator indicates plainly that Paul’s travel to Ephesus should have been the initial stage of his journey to the imperial capital. Additional references in Codex Bezae to the directions given to Paul by the Holy Spirit make clear that his visit had been prepared for by the work of Apollos; however, it was contrary to his own intentions, which were rather to go back to Jerusalem. The struggle against the divine leading is seen as Paul terminates his stay in Asia once he has carefully prepared for his return to Jerusalem.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 135
D05 includes the verb διαλέγομαι, which was used previously of Paul
on various occasions (17:2.17; 18:4.19) with negative connotations (see
The Message of Acts III, p. 312, n. 59).
εἶναι τὸν χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν B P74 אrell | εἶναι … τ. χρ. Ἰη. Ψ | χρ. εἶναι Ἰη.
P38vid || τὸν Ἰη. εἶναι χρ. D, Iesum esse Christum d a vgD sy.
Whereas B03 presents the aim of Apollos’ teaching as being to demon-
strate the identity of the Messiah, the concern in D05 is rather with the
identity of Jesus (it is the anarthrous noun in each case that represents
the complement).
19:1 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ τὸν Ἀπολλῶ (–ῶν P74 A2 L 33. 2412 pc | Ἀπελλῆν
*א36. 307. 431*. 453. 536. 610. 1175 bo, as in 18:24) εἶναι ἐν Κορίνθῳ B
P74 אA E Ψ 33. (36). 181. (307). 431. (453. 536. 610). 614. 945. (1175).
1409. 1678. 1739. 1891. 2344 M lat syp.h sa (bo) arm; Chr Hier Petilianus
|| Θέλοντοϛ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν βουλὴν πορεύεσθαι εἰϛ
Ἱεροσόλυμα, εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑποστρέφειν εἰϛ τὴν Ἀσίαν D,
Volente vero Paulo secundum suum consilium exire in Hierosolyma,
dixit ei spiritus revertere in Asiam d P38vid vgRmg syhmg; Ephr.— Παῦλον
διελθόντα τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη (κατ)ελθεῖν εἰϛ Ἔφεσον B (P74vid אA E
Ψ 33. 440. 945. 1739. 1837. 1891 pc) M lat || διελθὼν δὲ τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ
μέρη ἔρχεται εἰϛ Ἔφ. D P38vid (perambulantes[-latis] superioris[-ribus]
partibus venit in Ephesum d ro2) syhmg.
The difference between the two texts here is significant, and marks
the first of several occasions on which the warnings of the Holy Spirit
to Paul not to go to Jerusalem are either effaced or attenuated in the
Alexandrian text. Thus, B03 brings Paul back into the narrative with
the circumstantial information that Apollos was in Corinth when Paul
arrived in Ephesus; the omission of the article before his name serves to
bring him back into focus after the episode concerning Apollos.
D05, in contrast, presents Paul’s arrival in Ephesus as a response to the
direction given to him by the Holy Spirit when he himself was wanting to
go to Hierosoluma (see Rius-Camps, ‘The Gradual Awakening of Paul’s
Awareness of his Mission to the Gentiles’, in T. Nicklas and M. Tilly [eds],
Apostelgeschichte als Kirchengeschichte. Text, Traditionen und antike
Auslegungen [BZNW, 122; Berlin–New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2003],
pp. 281–296). The presence of the article indicates that he has always
been in focus, even when Apollonius was the temporary topic of the nar-
rative (cf. ὁ Παῦλοϛ, 18:18). The present tense ἔρχεται underlines the
obedience of Paul by highlighting the verb and anticipates a significant
action that follows (cf. 10:27 AT; Levinsohn, Discourse Features, p. 208:
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