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Acts 13

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:

Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

But God raised him from the dead:

And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

What does Acts 13:36 mean?

Explanation

Acts 13:36 discusses the life and death of King David, an important figure in Jewish history and a key ancestor in the lineage of Jesus Christ, according to Christian tradition.

In a direct sense, this verse states that David served his generation according to God's purpose for him.

He lived his life in a way that was aligned with God's will, and after doing so, he died ("fell on sleep"), was buried with his ancestors ("laid unto his fathers"), and his body decayed ("saw corruption").

This verse emphasizes the natural human experience of life, death, and decay but points out that David lived a life of purpose and significance in alignment with divine will.

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Historical Context

Acts 13:36 is found in the New Testament, within a sermon preached by Paul at Antioch in Pisidia. This sermon was given during Paul's first missionary journey which occurred around AD 47-48. The audience of the sermon included Jews and God-fearing Gentiles.

This verse was used by Paul to contrast David's death and decay with the resurrection of Jesus, who, according to Christian belief, did not suffer decay after his crucifixion because he was raised from the dead.

David, being a revered king, served as a relatable and powerful example to draw a connection to the Messiah, who was often understood as a descendant of David.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse is significant because it is part of a larger argument made by Paul to establish Jesus as the promised Messiah.

David's role is representative; his life served God's purpose, but unlike Jesus, he experienced death and decay.

The implication is that while David was indeed an important servant of God, he could not conquer death, making Jesus’ resurrection a foundational proof of his divinity and messiahship in Christian doctrine.

Some theologians may focus on the idea of "serving one’s own generation" to emphasize the importance of fulfilling God's purpose in one's lifetime.

Practical Applications

In practical terms, this verse can encourage individuals to consider how they are serving their own generation.

It serves as a reminder that life is finite and that, like David, people are called to live according to a divine purpose.

It could inspire individuals to seek a greater understanding of their calling or to live out their faith actively within their community.

It may also reinforce the belief in the natural process of life and death, reassuring individuals that decay and death are part of the human experience.

Cross-References

2 Samuel 7:12 - "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom."
Psalm 89:48 - "What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah."
Acts 2:29-31 - "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day."
Acts 2:34 - "For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,"

Language Study

The key phrases in the original Greek text of this verse include ‘diakonia’ (service), ‘genea’ (generation), ‘koimao’ (fell on sleep, a euphemism for death), and ‘eidon diaphthora’ (saw corruption/decay). ‘Diakonia’ signifies service or ministry, often used in the New Testament to describe the work of the apostles. ‘Genea’ refers to a group of people born around the same time, a generation. ‘Koimao’ in biblical Greek is commonly used to describe the sleep of death. ‘Diaphthora’ means corruption or decay, signifying the physical decay that occurs after death which did not occur to Jesus according to Christian belief.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The account of David's death and the treatment of his body reflects common ancient Near Eastern practices concerning burial and reverence for ancestors.

In ancient cultures, it was common to bury the dead in ancestral tombs. Unlike the Egyptian tradition of mummification meant to preserve the body, Jewish burial practices accepted the natural process of decay, which is acknowledged in this verse.

In comparisons with other religions, the notion of an afterlife or the continuation of influence post-mortem could be contrasted with the ideas of resurrection in Christianity, reincarnation in Hinduism, or the journey to the afterlife as seen in ancient Egyptian and Greek beliefs.

Scientific Perspectives

From a modern scientific standpoint, the reference to bodily decay is consistent with biological understanding. Upon death, the body undergoes a natural process of decomposition.

This verse aligns with the natural observation that, without life-sustaining processes, the human body decomposes. There is no scientific evidence to support the idea of a bodily resurrection as described concerning Jesus in Christian theology, which remains a matter of faith.

Commentaries

Various biblical commentaries provide insight into this verse.

Matthew Henry's Commentary suggests that David, despite his faults, served the purposes of God in his own generation, delivering an important message of the temporary nature of human life contrasted with the eternal nature of God's plan.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible elaborates on the concept of 'sleep' as death for saints, reassuring that like sleep, death is not final but a state from which one will awaken.

Gill also affirms that David's death was a natural one, as all men, except Enoch and Elijah, must return to dust.

Modern commentaries like the ESV Study Bible and the NIV Study Bible focus on the fulfillment of God’s promise to David and the foreshadowing of the Messiah who would rise from David’s lineage and conquer death.

Acts 13

Acts 13

What does Acts 13:36 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 13:36 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?