You killed the Author of lifeThis phrase is a direct accusation against the Jewish leaders and people who demanded Jesus' crucifixion. The term "Author of life" signifies Jesus as the originator and sustainer of all life, aligning with
John 1:3, which states that all things were made through Him. This highlights the irony and gravity of their actions, as they sought to destroy the very source of life. Theologically, it underscores the belief in Jesus' divinity and His role in creation, as seen in
Colossians 1:16-17. The phrase also reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah being rejected by His own people, such as in
Isaiah 53:3.
but God raised Him from the dead
This statement affirms the core Christian belief in the resurrection, which is central to the gospel message. The resurrection is seen as God's vindication of Jesus, proving His divine nature and the truth of His teachings. It fulfills prophecies likePsalm 16:10, which speaks of God not allowing His Holy One to see decay. The resurrection is also a pivotal event that distinguishes Christianity from other faiths, as it demonstrates victory over sin and death, offering hope of eternal life to believers.
and we are witnesses of this fact
The apostles, including Peter who is speaking here, were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ, as detailed inActs 1:3. Their testimony is foundational to the early church's proclamation of the gospel. The emphasis on eyewitness accounts serves to authenticate the message and encourage faith in the resurrection. This phrase also connects to the Great Commission inMatthew 28:19-20, where Jesus commands His followers to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. The apostles' witness is a fulfillment of Jesus' promise inActs 1:8 that they would receive power to testify about Him.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Peter and JohnApostles of Jesus Christ who are speaking to the people in Jerusalem after healing a lame man at the temple gate called Beautiful.
2.
The Author of LifeRefers to Jesus Christ, emphasizing His divine role in creation and life itself.
3.
GodThe Father who raised Jesus from the dead, affirming His power over life and death.
4.
The ResurrectionThe event where God raised Jesus from the dead, central to Christian faith and the apostles' testimony.
5.
WitnessesPeter and John, along with other apostles, who testify to the resurrection of Jesus, having seen Him alive after His crucifixion.
Teaching Points
The Centrality of the ResurrectionThe resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It validates His identity as the Son of God and assures believers of eternal life.
The Role of WitnessesThe apostles' testimony is crucial for the spread of the Gospel. Believers today are called to be witnesses of Christ's transformative power in their lives.
Jesus as the Author of LifeRecognizing Jesus as the Author of life calls for reverence and submission to His authority. It also provides assurance of His power to sustain and renew life.
God's Sovereignty in RedemptionDespite human actions against Jesus, God's plan of redemption prevailed. This underscores God's sovereignty and the fulfillment of His purposes.
Living in Resurrection PowerBelievers are empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus. This calls for living a life that reflects the victory over sin and death.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Acts 3:15?
2.How does Acts 3:15 emphasize Jesus as the "Author of life" in our lives?
3.What does Peter's testimony in Acts 3:15 teach about witnessing for Christ today?
4.How does Acts 3:15 connect with John 1:4 about Jesus giving life?
5.In what ways can we honor Jesus, the "Author of life," daily?
6.How does Acts 3:15 challenge us to recognize Jesus' authority in our decisions?
7.How does Acts 3:15 affirm the divinity of Jesus as the "Author of life"?
8.Why did the apostles emphasize Jesus' resurrection in Acts 3:15?
9.What historical evidence supports the resurrection mentioned in Acts 3:15?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Acts 3?
11.What defines a God moment?
12.What defines the Church of God?
13.Why does Paul’s version of Jesus’ resurrection appearances differ from the Gospels?
14.Is the Hallucination Theory a valid explanation for Jesus' resurrection?What Does Acts 3:15 Mean
You killed“You killed the Author of life…” (Acts 3:15a)
Peter is speaking to a Jerusalem crowd that had recently cried, “Crucify Him!” Their participation in Jesus’ death was both direct (calling for His execution) and representative (standing for sinful humanity).
• Personal responsibility:Acts 2:23 says Jesus was “handed over by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge,” yet “you…put Him to death.” Divine sovereignty never excuses human guilt.
• Universal application:Isaiah 53:5 reminds us, “He was pierced for our transgressions,” placing every sinner at the foot of the cross.
• Call to repentance: Peter’s blunt words are meant to cut the conscience, just asJohn 3:19 exposes that people “loved darkness rather than light.”
the Author of life“…the Author of life…” (Acts 3:15a)
Jesus is not merely a moral teacher; He is Life’s very source.
• Creator and Sustainer:John 1:3-4 declares, “Through Him all things were made…in Him was life.”Colossians 1:16-17 echoes that all things “were created through Him and for Him.”
• Pioneer of salvation:Hebrews 12:2 calls Him “the pioneer and perfecter of faith,” linking creation life with eternal life.
• Stark irony: The crowd extinguished the human life of the One who originated life itself.
but God raised Him from the dead“…but God raised Him from the dead…” (Acts 3:15b)
The resurrection is God’s public vindication of His Son.
• Fulfillment of promise:Psalm 16:10 foretold that God would not let His Holy One see decay; Peter cites this inActs 2:31.
• Power over death:Romans 1:4 states Jesus “was declared with power to be the Son of God…by His resurrection.”
• Guarantee for believers:1 Corinthians 15:20 calls Christ “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” assuring our future resurrection.
and we are witnesses of this fact“…and we are witnesses of this fact.” (Acts 3:15c)
Eyewitness testimony grounds the gospel in historical reality.
• Apostolic mandate:Acts 1:22 set the qualification that an apostle be “a witness of His resurrection.”
• Multiple confirmations:1 Corinthians 15:5-6 lists Peter, the Twelve, and over five hundred others who saw the risen Lord.
• Transforming power: Peter, once fearful (Luke 22:57-60), now boldly proclaims Christ, illustrating how firsthand encounter with the risen Jesus changes lives.
summaryActs 3:15 confronts us with humanity’s guilt—“You killed”—yet immediately magnifies God’s grace. The very One slain is “the Author of life,” impossible to keep in the grave; “God raised Him” in fulfillment of His redemptive plan. The apostles’ eyewitness testimony anchors these truths in verifiable history. The verse summons every reader to acknowledge sin, trust the risen Christ, and join the ongoing witness that Jesus is alive.
(15)
And killed the Prince of life.--The word translated "Prince" is applied to Christ here and in
Acts 5:31. In
Hebrews 2:10 we meet with it in "the
Captain of their salvation;" in
Hebrews 12:2, in "the
Author and Finisher of our faith." Its primary meaning, like that of prince (
princeps)
,is one who takes the lead--who is the originator of that to which the title is attached. The "Prince of life," the "Captain of salvation," is accordingly He who is the source from which life and salvation flow. In the LXX. of the Old Testament it is used for the "chieftains" or "princes" of Moab and the like (
Numbers 13:3;
Numbers 24:17).
Whereof we are witnesses.--St. Peter falls back, as inActs 2:32 (where see Note), on this attestation to the one central fact. . . .
Verse 15.- Raised for
bath raised, A.V
. The Prince of life; a remarkable title here given to our Lord, to bring out the contrast between him whom they preferred and him whom they rejected. Barabbas was a murderer, one who took away human life for his own base ends; the other was the Prince and Author of life, who was come into the world, not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. This title, taken in connection with the preceding declaration, "God hath glorified his Servant Jesus," seems almost to be a reminiscence of our Savior's prayer," Father,... glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him" (
John 17:1, 2). Jesus himself in very many places dwells upon his own great prerogative of giving life: "I am come that they might have life, and.., have it more abundantly" (
John 10:10); "I am that Bread of life;" "I am the living Bread ... if any man cat of this bread, he shall live for ever;" "I give... my flesh for the life of the world;" "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life;" "They that hear shall live;" "As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" "The Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should... have eternal life;" "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The word
ἀρχηγός applied to Christ is found also in
Acts 5:31, and in
Hebrews 2:10;
Hebrews 12:2, rendered the "
Author or
Captain of their salvation," "of our faith."
Whereof we are witnesses (see
Acts 2:22, note). The marginal rendering
of whom is equally literal, and may be defended by reference to
Acts 1:8;
Acts 13:31; but the rendering
whereof is in accordance with the more frequent phrases (
Acts 5:32;
Acts 10:39, etc.). The meaning is practically the same.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
You killedἀπεκτείνατε(apekteinate)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 615:To put to death, kill; fig: I abolish. From apo and kteino; to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.AuthorἈρχηγὸν(Archēgon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 747:Originator, author, founder, prince, leader. From arche and ago; a chief leader.of life,ζωῆς(zōēs)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222:Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.[but] GodΘεὸς(Theos)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.raisedἤγειρεν(ēgeiren)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1453:(a) I wake, arouse, (b) I raise up. Probably akin to the base of agora; to waken, i.e. Rouse.[Him]ὃν(hon)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.fromἐκ(ek)Preposition
Strong's 1537:From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.[the] dead,νεκρῶν(nekrōn)Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3498:(a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. From an apparently primary nekus; dead.[and] weἡμεῖς(hēmeis)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.areἐσμεν(esmen)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.witnessesμάρτυρές(martyres)Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3144:A witness (judicially) or figuratively (genitive case); by analogy, a 'martyr'.of [the fact].οὗ(hou)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.
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NT Apostles: Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life whom (Acts of the Apostles Ac) 
