And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Prince.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 4:10,14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
whom.
Acts 2:24,32 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it…
Matthew 28:2-5 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it…
Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
whereof.
Acts 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 10:40,41 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; …
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 like Psalm 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 in Acts 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 in Matthew 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 in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power to testify about Him.
“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 as John 3:19 exposes that people “loved darkness rather than light.”
“…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…” (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 in Acts 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.” (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.
Acts 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 in Acts 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.