Jump To ECM Entry Online Commentary Introduction
Split a/b
R1 would not quite apply because the core of A-related witnesses is not smaller in the b attestation. As the narrative clearly focuses on Paul, variant b may be an adaptation to the singular verb forms in the context.[1] The TFDs, however, show perfect coherence for b, but it is disrupted in the a attestation.
[1] Cf. Metzger (412) and Barrett (878).