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 161
ἐνθάδε refers to the people’s assembly for which the town clerk is re-
sponsible; the absence of the word in B03 causes a personal element to be
missing from the official’s speech.
οὔτε ... οὔτε B P74 אrell || μήτε ... μήτε D, neque ... neque d vg.
The ellipsis of the participle ὄνταϛ with οὔτε ... οὔτε in B03 presup-
poses the indicative εἰσί and refers to the time of speaking; with μήτε ...
μήτε in D05, the subjunctive ὦσι is presupposed, and the clause refers to
the time of the main verb ἠγάγετε.
τὴν θεόν B P74 אA DH E* H L Ψ 049. 056. 330. 945. 1175. 1739. 1891 pm
|| τ. θεάν D*, deam d Ec P 88. 440. 467. 614. 913. 915. 1108. 1241. 1270.
1505. 1518. 1611. 1838. 2138. 2412. 2495 e gig vg; Chr Theophlem Oecum.
B03 reads the masculine θεόν, which was used for both female and
male deities, although elsewhere in this passage (cf. 19:27) the feminine
form is read without variant.
19:38 (Δημήτριοϛ) οὗτοϛ D, hic d (ὁ Δ. 614. 1611. 2138. 2147. 2412.
2495) syp; Ephr || om. B P74 אrell.
The demonstrative pronoun in D05 testifies to a certain detachment
on the part of the town clerk (cf. 19:26. Cf. also Jesus 2:32.36).
καὶ οἱ B P74 אDD, et qui d rell || οἱ καί D*.
The displacement of καί in D05 causes it to be adverbial and emphatic.
πρόϛ τινα λόγον B P74vid אrell || πρὸϛ αὐτούϛ τινα λόγ. D (gig) samss;
Ephr.
Without the personal pronoun αὐτούϛ in B03, the indefinite τινά is
governed by the preposition πρόϛ, and λόγον is unqualified. The con-
struction is clumsy because the two adjacent accusatives do not belong
together (‘Le rapprochement de τινα mis à côté de λόγον est gênant,
parce que les deux accusatifs n’ont pas la même fonction’, Delebecque,
Les deux Actes, p. 219). In D05, τινά serves as an adjective qualifying
λόγον, underlining the indefiniteness of the charge that Demetrius and
his co-workers might want to bring.
19:39 (εἰ δέ τι) περαιτέρω B P74 (E) 33. 36. 242. 307. 431. 453. 610. 945.
1678. 1739. 1891. 2298, ulterius d gig || περὶ ἑτέρων D אA H (E) L P Ψ
049. 056. 181. 614 M ar c dem e p ph ro w (alterius rei vg) syh co; Chr.
There would seem to be little difference between the pronunciation
of the adverb περαιτέρω (‘further’) and that of the prepositional phrase
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