Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXIII) (Acts 16:1–40)», Vol. 24 (2011) 135-164
In Acts 16, Paul sets out again on his missionary journey but without Barnabas, Instead he is accompanied by Silas and Timothy, and in part by a group of companions referred to by Luke in the 1st person. His itinerary follows the leading given by successive divine interventions designed to move him westwards, towards Rome. Most of the action takes place in Philippi, his first stopping place after leaving Asia where he had worked previously. On his arrival there, Paul first seeks out the Jewish community. However, a conflictual encounter with local people leads to his imprisonment, when the jailor provides him with the opportunity to speak about the gospel to Gentiles. Paul’s failure to make the most of this opportunity occasions implicit ciriticism from the narrator of Codex Bezae.
144 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
be expected (since logically the deduction must have been made before
taking the decision to go to Macedonia), it is possible to envisage the
inferring being concomitant with the decision to go to Macedonia.
D05, in contrast, has the ‘we’-group first interpret Paul’s vision as
meaning that the Lord (Jesus, in the form of the Macedonian man) had
called them (including Paul) to evangelize the people in Macedonia. D05
thus accords the ‘we’-group a more active role in helping Paul move on to
Macedonia. B03 avoids identifying the Lord as a man, as elsewhere (cf.
7:55; Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 290, 291, 293).
[C] 16:11-40 Macedonia I: Philippi
The unity of this long sequence derives from the location since all the
action takes place in Philippi. There are, however, six episodes, which are
each identified by a change in person and local setting.
[C-A] and [C-A'] act as an introduction and conclusion to the sequen-
ce respectively, narrating the arrival and departure of the disciples from
Philippi. [C-B] concerns the conversion of Lydia, a Gentile God-fearer who
is attached to the synagogue, while [C-B'] corresponds to this episode in
relating the conversion of the jailor, a Gentile with no connection with
the synagogue. The two episodes that relate the imprisonment [C-C] and
the release from prison [C-C'] alternate with the conversion scenes.
[C-A] 16:11-12 Journey to Philippi
[C-B] 16:13-15 Lydia
[C-C] 16:16-24 Imprisonment
[C-B'] 16:25-34 The Philippian jailor
[C-C'] 16:35-39 Release from prison
[C-A'] 16:40 Departure from Philippi
Translation
Codex Bezae D05 Codex Vaticanus B03
[Aa] 16:11 On the next day, having 16:11 Having put out to sea from
been led away from Troas, we ran a Troas, we ran a straight course to
straight course to Samothrace, and Samothrace, then on the next day
on the next day to Neapolis, 12a to Neapolis, 12a and from there to
and from there to Philippi, which is Philippi, which is a leading city of
the chief colony city of Macedonia. the part of Macedonia, a colony.
[a'] 12b We prolonged our stay in this 12b We prolonged our stay in this
city for some days. city for some days,
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