Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XVI) (Acts 9:31–11:18).», Vol. 17 (2004) 45-88
The present section deals with the events concerning the conversion of Peter (Acts 9:31–11:18) whereby he at last comes to understand that the good news of Jesus is for Jews and Gentiles alike. Since the Greek pages of Codex Bezae are missing from 8:29 to 10:14 and the Latin ones from 8:20b to 10:4, we have noted in the Critical Apparatus the variants of other witnesses that differ from the Alexandrian text. From 10:4b (fol. 455a), the Latin text of Codex Bezae is available. The Greek text starts at 10:14b (fol. 455b).
66 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
25 ὡϛ δὲ á¼Î³á½³Î½ÎµÏ„ο τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν τὸν ΠέτÏον B P74 ) rell ‖ Ï€Ïοσεγγίζοντοϛ
δὲ τοῦ ΠέτÏου εἰϛ τὴν ΚαισάÏειαν, Ï€ÏοδÏαμὼν εἷϛ τῶν δούλων
διεσάφησεν παÏαγεγονέναι αá½Ï„όν D (d gig p) syhmg mae.
The phrasing of B03, which describes the moment at which Peter
entered Caesarea, is ‘certainly surprising to meet with in Luke’26: the
article τοῦ is not only redundant27, but is incorrect28. Luke uses τοῦ +
infinitive frequently but never after á¼Î³á½³Î½ÎµÏ„ο where the infinitive is the
subject. The genitive of the article may express the idea of something
about to happen, corresponding to Ï€Ïοσεγγίζοντοϛ τοῦ ΠέτÏου εἰϛ
τὴν ΚαισάÏειαν in D05. In fact D05, beginning in the previous verse
(see above), describes in considerably more detail than B03 the moments
leading up to Cornelius’ meeting with Peter, seeing them from Cornelius’
point of view. The narrative presents a flashback to the time just before
Peter entered the city (cf. 10:24a), and shows a slave, either one of the
two sent by Cornelius to Joppa or one posted by Cornelius as a lookout,
who runs ahead to tell his master of Peter’s arrival. Not only is the
drama of Cornelius thus rendered more personal and immediate, but the
parallel with the story of the centurion in Luke’s Gospel is considerably
strengthened (Lk. 7:1-10). The function of the details is more to enhance
the atmosphere of anticipation and welcome on the part of a Gentile than
to simply iron out difficulties in the sequence of events29.
συναντήσαϛ αá½Ï„á¿· ὠΚοÏνήλιοϛ B P74 ) rell ‖ ὠδὲ Κ. á¼ÎºÏ€Î·Î´á½µÏƒÎ±Ï› καὶ
συν. αá½. D (d gig p) syhmg mae.
Only Luke uses the verb á¼ÎºÏ€Î·Î´á½±Ï‰, here in D05 and at Acts 14:14,
with the sense of a sudden dashing movement.
(πεσὼν) á¼Ï€á½· B P74 ) rell ‖ Ï€Ïόϛ D.
á¼Ï€á½· read by B03 is only found here in the New Testament to refer to
some-one falling at a person’s feet; Ï€Ïόϛ is also found at Mk 5:22; Acts
5:10; Jn 11:32; Rev. 1:17.
(Ï€Ïοσεκύνησεν) αá½Ï„όν (-Ï„á¿· DAvid) D* d Ψ ‖ om. B P74 ) rell.
Without the pronoun, the verb Ï€Ïοσκυνέω on its own implies worship
of God (cf. Acts 8:27; 24:11; Jn 4:20 [× 2]; 12:20); the text of D05 makes it
clear that Cornelius worshipped Peter.
Winer, Grammar, 412.
26
M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek (trans. rev. and ed. J. Smith; Rome 1963), §§ 386, 389.
27
Delebecque, Les deux Actes, 193.
28
Cf. Metzger, Commentary, 329.
29
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