92 Peter Spitaler Likewise, the active phrase μηδὲν διακρίναντα in 11:12 does not func- tion as an a-posteriori interpretive key for an active reading of the middle διακρίνομαι in 10:20, and need not mean “without having separated out (the Gentiles)”, which distinctive translation, Baumert suggests, agrees with his rendering of διακρίνομαι in 10:20 (“to separate/distance one- self”)40. From the perspective of the story’s narrative progression, μηδὲν διακρίναντα both echoes the events at Caesarea and foreshadows Peter’s statement to the Jerusalem council that the spirit does not discriminate “between us (Jews) and them (Gentiles)” (οὐθὲν διέκρινεν μεταχὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν, 15:9). Thus, this particular phrase has (similar to 10:20) a unique transitory function within the narrative. Whereas the adverb ἀναντιρρήτως (10:29) closely, and exclusively, links the second retelling of Peter’s vision to the Joppa event itself, the phrase μηδὲν διακρίναντα both recalls Peter’s discovery at Caesarea (i.e., there is no difference be- tween Gentile and Jews) and anticipates the decision of the members of the Jerusalem council (i.e., Gentiles may join the group of Christ-believers without first converting to Judaism). With the phrase μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Luke records the spirit’s re- sponse to Peter’s refusal to comply with the instructions during his vision. Commanding Peter to desist from contesting orders, the spirit preempts his possible fourth objection, to join company with Gentiles41. In my opinion, Luke uses the post-vision order to follow Cornelius’ servants μηδὲν διακρινόμενος against the backdrop of Peter’s non-compliance with the voice’s instruction during his vision, not against the backdrop of his “confusion” and “pondering” (as “NT meaning” approaches to διακρίνομαι imply), and also not against the backdrop of his anticipated experience in Caesarea (as Baumert suggests by rendering διακρίνομαι, “to distance oneself”). 3. Conclusion Contextual, grammatical, linguistic, and semantic markers that would signal a special “NT meaning” for διακρίνομαι in Acts 10:20 (i.e., “doubt”, Cf. “Wortspiel” 32. DeGraaf (“Some Doubts” 740) translates similarly, “keeping one’s 40 distance”. Gaventa (Acts 167) observes that Luke “underscores the drama of this moment by the 41 use of the intensive form of several key terms”; “all bear the same intensive prefix (dia)”: διαπορέω, διερωτάω, διενθυμέομαι, διακρίνομαι (vv. 17.19.20). However, Gaventa’s ob- servation does not constitute a rationale for διακρίνομαι to be translated as “doubt”. In my opinion, the chain of verbs with the prefix δια- testifies to the narrative unity of the section.