What Does Acts 1:3 Mean in the King James?
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse makes resurrection the living voice of God’s governance: Jesus is shown alive and then speaks of God’s rule.
THE MEANING
The verse presents Jesus as living, with his suffering still named and his presence open to encounter. God’s governance is not left abstract: it is what the living one speaks about.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that suffering defines a life only by damage or death; here, life is shown after suffering and present to witnesses.
THE ROOT
ζῶντα
zōnta
GROWS FROM
ζάω
zaō
to live
The Greek word belongs to the same family as “life” and “make alive,” so the verse presents life as an active reality made visible. Jesus is not described only as having escaped death; he is shown living.
ALSO GROWS
zōē: life
ζωή
The shared family ties “alive” to life itself, rather than to a bare statement that death has ended.
zōopoieō: make alive, give life
ζωοποιέω
This branch shows the family’s active sense of life being brought forth, deepening the force of Jesus being shown alive.
βασιλείας
basileias
GROWS FROM
βασιλε-
basile-
kingly rule, reign
The word can name a kingdom, while its word family centers on king and reigning. That puts God’s active governance in view, not only a place or territory.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: king
βασιλεύς
The related word names the one who rules, making the governing sense of “kingdom” audible.
basileuō: reign, rule as king
βασιλεύω
This branch expresses the activity behind the noun: God’s kingdom is also God’s reigning.
παθεῖν
pathein
GROWS FROM
πάσχω
paschō
to suffer, undergo
The Greek construction means “to suffer” or “to undergo,” giving “passion” a concrete sense here. The life shown is life after suffering, with that suffering still named in the verse.
ALSO GROWS
pathos: suffering, experience
πάθος
This related word keeps the root’s sense of undergoing something, rather than reducing it to emotion.
pathēma: suffering, affliction
πάθημα
This branch makes explicit the hardship carried by the root, clarifying what precedes the showing of life.
THE PATTERN
Life is not left under death: it is raised and made manifest.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;THE THREAD
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.Acts calls Jesus ζῶντα (zōnta, alive), while Romans says ζῇ (zē, lives); both come from ζάω (zaō, to live). Romans makes explicit the orientation held within Acts’ image: the life that passes through death is life unto God.
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