Acts 5:20

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(20) All the words of this life.—The use of the demonstrative pronoun is significant. The “life in Christ” which the Apostles preach is that eternal life which consists in knowing God (John 17:1), and in which the angels are sharers.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:17-25 There is no prison so dark, so strong, but God can visit his people in it, and, if he pleases, fetch them out. Recoveries from sickness, releases out of trouble, are granted, not that we may enjoy the comforts of life, but that God may be honoured with the services of our life. It is not for the preachers of Christ's gospel to retire into corners, as long as they can have any opportunity of preaching in the great congregation. They must preach to the lowest, whose souls are as precious to Christ as the souls of the greatest. Speak to all, for all are concerned. Speak as those who resolve to stand to it, to live and die by it. Speak all the words of this heavenly, divine life, in comparison with which the present earthly life does not deserve the name. These words of life, which the Holy Ghost puts into your mouth. The words of the gospel are the words of life; words whereby we may be saved. How wretched are those who are vexed at the success of the gospel! They cannot but see that the word and power of the Lord are against them; and they tremble for the consequences, yet they will go on.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the temple - In a public and conspicuous place. In this way there would be a most striking exhibition of their boldness; a proof that "God" had delivered them, and a manifestation of their purpose to obey God rather than man.

All the words - All the doctrines. Compare John 6:68, "Thou hast the words of eternal life."

Of this life - Pertaining to life, to the eternal life which they taught through the resurrection of Jesus. The word "life" is used sometimes to express "the whole of religion," as opposed to the spiritual "death" of sin. See John 1:4; John 3:36. Their deliverance from prison was not that they might be idle, and escape to a place of safety. Again they were to engage in the toils and perils which they had just before encountered. God delivers us from dangers sometimes that we may plunge "into" new dangers; he preserves us from one form of calamity that we may be tried in some new furnace of affliction; he calls us to encounter trials simply "because" he demands it, and as an expression of gratitude to him for his gracious interposition.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

20. all the words of this life—beautiful expression for that Life in the Risen One which was the burden of their preaching!

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Stand; the word implies courage and stedfastness of mind, as well as such a posture of the body.

All the words; without preferring some acceptable truths before others more ungrateful, if necessary towards their salvation. Christ for a time did limit them; they might not tell any that he was Jesus the Christ, Matthew 16:20, nor the vision which they had seen in his transfiguration, Matthew 17:9. Now this prohibition is taken off. Thus the sun does not shine in his full glory all at once.

This life; some admit of an hypallage, and join the pronoun to the other substantive, reading in this place, these words of life; and the rather because by this life is ordinarily understood the present, temporary life, as in 1 Corinthians 15:19: but there needs not this translatitious sense; by this life, the angel might very well understand eternal life and salvation, for that was it which the Sadducees denied, and for the preaching of which life the apostles were imprisoned.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people,.... They were not delivered out of prison, in order to go and secure themselves from danger; but to go about the work they were called to, to preach the Gospel "in the temple", the place of worship; and a proper place to meet with persons to preach to, being a public place, whither the Jews always resorted; and there they were to stand, and continue with courage and intrepidity, not fearing the reproach and wrath of men, seeing they had both Christ and truth on their side; and there declare it "to the people", the common people, the multitude, even all that came to hear: the Gospel is to be preached to all; the Spirit of God makes it effectual to some, and others are rendered inexcusable: the substance of what they were to speak follows,

all the words of this life; all the doctrines of the Gospel; none of them are to be dropped or concealed, but to be spoken out, fully, freely, and faithfully, with all boldness and constancy; though they cannot be comprehended by reason, and are rejected by learned men, and the majority of the people; though charged with novelty and licentiousness, and attended with reproach and persecution: and these may be called, "the words of life", even of eternal life, as in John 6:68 because they show the nature of it, and point out the way unto it; not by the law, and obedience to that, but by Christ and his righteousness; and are the means of quickening dead sinners, of reviving drooping saints, and of nourishing them up unto eternal life: and also the words of "this" life; not of this present frail, mortal, and sinful life; but of life by Christ, which is begun to be enjoyed now, and will be perfectly enjoyed hereafter: and particularly the doctrine of the resurrection unto life may be intended; in opposition to the Sadducees, who denied it, and were the men that, being filled with indignation against them for preaching it, had seized them, and put them into prison; and being now delivered from prison, they are bid to go and preach this same doctrine again, in the most public manner: though some think there is an hypallage in the words; and so the Syriac version renders them, "all these words of life"; and the Ethiopic version, "this word of life"; meaning the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, they had in commission to preach, and for which they were reproached and persecuted.

Geneva Study Bible

{5} Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the {i} words of this life.

(5) God therefore delivers his own, so that they may more vigorously provoke his enemies.

(i) Words by which the way unto life is shown.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 5:20. Πορεύεσθε: characteristic of St. Luke both in Gospel and Acts. The word appears here in Acts for the first time, and it is found in St. Luke’s Gospel about fifty times, and in this book nearly forty (Friedrich, Lekebusch).—σταθέντες, Acts 2:14, on this pictorial use of the word, see Page’s note, and Friedrich, Das Lucasevangelium, p. 42; so also ἀναστάς, ἐπιστάς, ἐγερθείς, καθίσας, στραφείς—here it intimates the boldness with which the Apostles were to proclaim their message.—ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ: they were to speak not only boldly but publicly.—τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης (cf. Acts 13:26, τῆς σωτηρίας ταύτης, and Romans 7:24), i.e., the life to which the whole Apostolic preaching referred, the life which the Sadducees denied, bestowed by Him who was Himself the Resurrection and the Life, cf. Acts 3:15, Acts 4:12. This or a similar explanation is accepted by Holtzmann, Wendt, Weiss, Zöckler, Blass. On the attempt to explain the words as simply = these words of life, see Winer-Moulton, xxxiv. 3, b., and see also Grimm, sub v. ῥῆμα.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

20. Go, stand and speak in the temple] There is a conjunction in the Greek which is not here expressed. Render, Go ye and stand and speak.

There was to be no attempt made to conceal their escape. They were to go back to the same place where their most frequent teachings had been given before, and they were to continue the same teaching. They are not directed to appeal to the multitude for sympathy, nor to try and excite any feeling against those who had arrested them.

to the people all the words of this life] Here we have another of the words by which St Luke emphasizes in the most natural manner the point at issue between the Sadducees and the Apostles.

this life] i.e. this future life, the promise of which has received its first fulfilment in the resurrection of Jesus. This was the teaching which the Sadducees could not tolerate, but which in spite of opposition was to be persisted in.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 5:20. Πορεύεσθε, go) at once.—σταθέντες, standing) most freely.—ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, in the temple) in public, as before.—τῷ λαῷ, to the people) whereas the rulers do not wish them to hear.—πάντα, all) without any curtailment.—τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ζωῆς ταυτῆς, the words of this life) That is, these words of life. With this comp. Acts 5:32. So among the Hebrews the adjective often is connected with the latter of the two substantives. Comp. ch. Acts 13:26, “The word of this salvation.” The words of life, John 6:68 (” Lord, Thou hast the words of eternal life”), are to be proclaimed without fear, viz. the words concerning the life of Christ and of believers.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. - Go ye for go, A.V. In the temple; not in the house, but in the courts. The words of this Life; i.e. this life which is in Christ, whom ye preach, through his resurrection from the dead (comp. John 6:68, "Thou hast the words of eternal life;" see too the whole chapter and 1 John 1:1-3). Acts 5:20

Vincent's Word Studies

Stand

Compare Acts 2:14; and see on Luke 18:11; and Luke 19:8.

Of this life

The eternal life which Christ revealed. It is a peculiar use of the phrase, which is commonly employed in contrast with the life to come, as 1 Corinthians 15:19. Compare John 6:63, John 6:68. Not equivalent to these words of life.