Acts 3:15
and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "Author of life" is a powerful contrast to the murderer they chose instead of Jesus. It highlights Jesus as the very source from which all life flows—natural, spiritual, and eternal—a concept often missed when focusing just on His resurrection.
Peter is addressing the crowd after miraculously healing a lame man. He redirects their amazement from himself and the healed man to Jesus, emphasizing that the miracle was done through faith in Jesus' name, not by Peter's own power. He directly confronts the people, accusing them of rejecting Jesus, the holy and righteous one, and instead asking for a murderer to be released.
Peter doesn't just call Jesus a prince; he calls Him the 'Prince of life.' What does that title reveal about Jesus, especially in contrast to the murderer the crowd wanted instead?
The Greek word used here, 'archēgos,' is powerful. It doesn't just mean 'ruler' or 'leader.' It means 'beginner,' 'originator,' or 'source.'
The Source of All Life
Peter declares Jesus is the 'Author of life.' This means Jesus is the source from which all life flows – not just physical life, but spiritual life and eternal life too.
A Stark Contrast
Think about the context: the crowd demanded Barabbas, a murderer, be released. Peter powerfully contrasts this with Jesus, the 'Author of life,' whom they killed. They chose death over life, a rebel over the Originator of all existence. This highlights the profound, tragic choice they made.
The apostles boldly accuse the crowd of 'killing' Jesus. Yet, the very next phrase points to God's ultimate triumph. How do these two realities fit together?
Peter directly confronts the people: 'you killed the Author of life.' This is a serious accusation, holding them accountable for their role in Jesus' crucifixion.
Human Agency and Divine Sovereignty
But Peter immediately follows this with: 'whom God raised from the dead.' This isn't a contradiction; it's a profound theological statement.
Witnesses to the Ultimate Victory
Understand the original words
archēgos · Greek Noun
The originator, pioneer, or source of something; used here to identify Jesus as the source of eternal life and the resurrection.
martys · Greek Noun
Individuals who have personally seen or experienced an event and are tasked with providing authoritative testimony to the truth of that event, particularly the resurrection of Christ.
This verse is spoken in the immediate aftermath of a miraculous healing, with Peter directly confronting the Jerusalem crowd. He emphasizes that the Jesus they condemned and had executed is the very source of life, whom God vindicated through resurrection. The timeline highlights the pivotal events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, setting the stage for Peter's bold proclamation and the apostles' witness.
c. AD 30— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth is executed by crucifixion in Jerusalem under the authority of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. This event is the central focus of the apostles' preaching.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus
According to the New Testament, Jesus is raised from the dead three days after his crucifixion. This event is the core testimony of the apostles.
c. AD 30
Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
The apostles and other followers of Jesus receive the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach and perform miracles.
c. AD 33
Healing of the Lame Man
Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the Jerusalem temple. This miracle draws a large crowd.
This passage emphasizes Jesus as the source of life, directly echoing the title 'Author of life' used in Acts 3:15 and highlighting his divine nature.
Acts 2:24Peter previously preached that God raised Jesus from the dead, making the statement in Acts 3:15 a continuation of this core witness testimony.
Hebrews 2:10This verse uses a similar Greek term, referring to Jesus as the 'Captain of their salvation' through suffering, connecting the idea of Jesus' leadership and the purpose of his death and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20This passage calls Jesus the 'firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,' directly linking his resurrection to the promise of life for believers, which is a key aspect of his role as the 'Author of life.'
Philippians 2:9-11This passage describes God exalting Jesus and giving him a name above all names, which is the ultimate outcome of his death and resurrection, making him worthy of being called the 'Author of life.'
vincentActs 3:15: "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
The Prince of life (ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς)The Greek brings out by the position of these words what Bengel calls "the magnificent antithesis" between a murderer and the Prince of life. "Ye demanded a murderer, but the Prince of life ye killed." This is the only place where the phrase occurs. Ἀρχηγός, though sometimes rendered prince, means, primarily, beginning, and thence originator, autho…
calvinActs 3:12-16: "And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?"
- And when Peter saw that, he made answer unto the people, Men of Israel, why marvel ye at this, or why look ye so steadfastly on us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made this man walk? 13. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his S…
The phrase "Author of life" is a powerful contrast to the murderer they chose instead of Jesus. It highlights Jesus as the very source from which all life flows—natural, spiritual, and eternal—a concept often missed when focusing just on His resurrection.
Peter is addressing the crowd after miraculously healing a lame man. He redirects their amazement from himself and the healed man to Jesus, emphasizing that the miracle was done through faith in Jesus' name, not by Peter's own power. He directly confronts the people, accusing them of rejecting Jesus, the holy and righteous one, and instead asking for a murderer to be released.
Peter is addressing the crowd after miraculously healing a lame man. He redirects their amazement from himself and the healed man to Jesus, emphasizing that the miracle was done through faith in Jesus' name, not by Peter's own power. He directly confronts the people, accusing them of rejecting Jesus, the holy and righteous one, and instead asking for a murderer to be released.
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Peter's declaration 'To this we are witnesses' emphasizes that they are testifying not just to Jesus' death, but to His resurrection – the ultimate vindication by God.
c. AD 33
Peter's Sermon in Solomon's Portico
Following the healing of the lame man, Peter preaches to the gathered crowd, proclaiming Jesus as the 'Author of life' and confronting them with their role in his death and God's resurrection of Him.
"and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." — The phrase "Author of life" is a powerful contrast to the murderer they chose instead of Jesus. It highlights Jesus as the very source from which all life flows—natural, spiritual, and eternal—a conc…
