bible verses about the author of life

Bible Verses About the Author of Life: 12 Scriptures on Jesus, Prince of Life

Acts 3:15 calls Jesus the Author (Prince) of life. Read why he is called that, and verses on Christ as the source and giver of life.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published October 1, 2026Updated October 22, 20267 min readActs 3:15 (NIV)

A person steps through an open gate in a stone wall into a bright orchard.

"You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."

— Acts 3:15 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about the author of life want Scripture on archēgos — Acts 3:15's Author/Prince of life — not only the eternal life promise inventory alone, the Jesus personal-name list alone, or the salvation deliverance list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about eternal life, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about salvation, Bible verses about resurrection, Bible verses about the redeemer, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about the cross, and Bible verse of the day. Author of life here means the pioneer/source who gives and leads life — distinct from the broader eternal-life or Jesus pages. The Prince of Life list is on Bible verses about Prince of Life. For Old Testament promises of the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled them, see Bible verses about the Messiah.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "author" in Acts 3:15 is ἀρχηγός archēgos (Strong's G747; Bible Hub G747) — pioneer, founder, prince, author. Acts names Jesus the Author of life whom God raised; Hebrews uses the same word for pioneer of salvation and faith. This list centers that title.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 3 presses that they killed the Prince of life, whom God raised — and the apostles were witnesses (Bible Hub MHC Acts 3; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Acts 3). (Eternal-life and salvation inventories live on those pages; this list centers archēgos as Author of life.)

What does it mean that Jesus is the Author of Life?

Acts 3:15 says, "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." Peter was speaking to people who had handed Jesus over to be killed. He calls Jesus the Author of life, a Greek word that simply means the leader and source, and says God raised him. Some Bibles say Prince of life. The title means Jesus is the one life comes from, and death could not hold him.

John 1:3 says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:4 says, "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind." Life was in him before the world was made. He is not only a teacher about life. He is the one through whom all things were made, and life itself is in him.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus gives life, and he gives it fully. John 11:25 says, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.'" He does not only point to life. He is the resurrection and the life.

Hebrews 12:2 says, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The same Jesus who is the Author of life is the author and perfecter of faith. He began the way of faith, finished it through the cross, and lives at God's right hand.

12 Bible verses about the author of life

  1. Acts 3:15. "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." The author of life — raised from the dead. See Bible verses about resurrection.

  2. Hebrews 2:10. "In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered." Pioneer of their salvation — perfect through suffering. See Bible verses about salvation.

  3. Hebrews 12:2. "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Pioneer and perfecter of faith. See Bible verses about faith.

  4. John 1:4. "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind." In him was life — light of mankind. See Bible verses about light of the world.

  5. John 5:26. "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." The Son has life in himself. See Bible verses about jesus.

  6. John 10:10. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I have come that they may have life. See Bible verses about eternal life.

  7. John 11:25. "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.'" I am the resurrection and the life. See Bible verses about resurrection.

  8. John 5:21. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it." The Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. See Bible verses about resurrection.

  9. 1 John 5:11. "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." This life is in his Son. See Bible verses about eternal life.

  10. 1 Corinthians 15:45. "So it is written: 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." The last Adam — a life-giving spirit. See Bible verses about jesus.

  11. Revelation 1:18. "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." I am the Living One — alive for ever. See Bible verses about hope.

  12. Acts 5:31. "God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins." Prince and Savior — exalted to God's right hand. See Bible verses about the redeemer.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need the Author of life — not twelve as a grind. If you need Acts' title, start with Acts 3:15. If you need pioneer of salvation/faith, open Hebrews 2:10 or Hebrews 12:2. If you need life in the Son, open John 1:4 or 1 John 5:11. For the eternal-life promise list, open Bible verses about eternal life. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

Where in the Bible is Jesus called the Author of Life?

Peter uses the title in Acts 3:15: "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." That is the verse that calls Jesus the Author of Life. Hebrews 12:2 calls him the pioneer and perfecter of faith, a related title.

Is 'Author of Life' the same as 'Prince of Life'?

Yes. Author of Life and Prince of Life translate the same words in Acts 3:15. Both mean Jesus is the one who leads and gives life. The Prince of Life verses are on Bible verses about Prince of Life.

What is a good Bible verse about the author of life?

Acts 3:15 (author of life raised), Hebrews 2:10 (pioneer of salvation), and John 1:4 (in him was life) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about the author of life differ from eternal life or Jesus?

Eternal life centers the gift and promise of life forever. Jesus centers the personal name and ministry inventory. This page centers archēgos — Author/Prince/pioneer of life — then cross-links those companions. See Bible verses about eternal life.

What does archēgos mean?

Greek archēgos (G747) means pioneer, founder, prince, or author — the one who leads the way. Acts 3:15 applies it to Jesus as Author of life; Hebrews applies it to pioneer of salvation and faith. The Author of Salvation title in Hebrews 2:10 is on Bible verses about Author of Salvation.

Is the author of life the same as the redeemer?

Related but not the same emphasis: redeemer centers purchase/release from bondage; author of life centers the source and pioneer of life itself. See Bible verses about the redeemer.

Where can I read more about eternal life, Jesus, and resurrection?

Start with Bible verses about eternal life, then Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about resurrection, and Bible verses about salvation.

Sources

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