It is very likely that the expression used by Luke in Acts 5.20: “all the words of this life” essentially refers to the same reality that Jesus called in the Gospels “the kingdom of God” or “the kingdom of heaven”, but under a different wording that is particularly suited to the context of Acts.
An Expression Unique to Luke
The angel commands the apostles:
“Go, stand in the temple, and speak to the people all the words of this life” (Acts 5.20).
The word “life” (Greek zōē) does not simply mean biological existence. In the New Testament, it generally refers to the new life granted by God, the eternal life promised by the Messiah (John 3.16; John 10.10).
Another Way of Speaking of Salvation
During his earthly ministry, Jesus proclaimed:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4.17).
After his resurrection, he continued to speak to the apostles about the kingdom of God (Acts 1.3). Yet in Acts, Luke often uses different expressions:
- “the word of God” (Acts 6.7);
- “the Way” (Acts 9.2);
- “the gospel” (Acts 8.25);
- “salvation” (Acts 13.26);
- “the grace of God” (Acts 20.24);
- “the kingdom of God” (Acts 20.25);
- “the words of this life” (Acts 5.20).
All these expressions describe different aspects of one and the same reality: the saving work accomplished by Jesus Christ.
A Particularly Fitting Expression
The context is remarkable. The apostles have just been imprisoned and are in danger of death. The angel does not ask them to announce a political program or a religious reform, but life. The contrast is striking: the religious authorities seek to silence the apostles and, indirectly, to spread death, while God sends them back to proclaim the words that impart eternal life (John 6.68).
A Change in Vocabulary After the Resurrection
We may also observe that in the Gospels the dominant expression is “the kingdom of God,” because Jesus announces the coming of the messianic reign. In Acts, after the death and resurrection of Christ, the emphasis shifts more toward the consequences of this reign: the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. Thus, “the words of this life” represent the blessings brought by the kingdom that Jesus inaugurated.
We could therefore paraphrase Acts 5.20 as follows:
“Go and announce to the people the message that leads to eternal life and makes it possible to enter the kingdom of God.”
The two expressions are not absolutely synonymous, but they are closely linked. The kingdom of God is the reality announced; the new life is one of the chief benefits it provides.