Limitless Word
“Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple area the whole message of this Life.”
Acts 5:20 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”
  • KJV Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
  • BSB “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
  • NKJV “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
  • NLT “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The angel commands them to go and preach in the temple all 'the words of this life.' Deliverance is for the sake of bold witness, not safety.

Overview

God frees the apostles not to flee but to return to the very place of danger and proclaim the message. 'The words of this life' is the gospel that gives true and eternal life through the risen Christ. The command shows that the purpose of God's rescue is the continued spread of His saving word.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • John 6:63It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
  • John 6:68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
  • 1 Jn 5:11–12The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • 1 Jn 1:1–3That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
  • Matt 21:23When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
  • John 17:3This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
  • John 12:50I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
  • John 18:20Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret.
  • Acts 11:14who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’
  • Jer 36:10Then Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the book in Yahweh’s house, in the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house, in the ears of all the people.
  • Jer 22:1–2Thus said Yahweh: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
  • Jer 19:14–15Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where Yahweh had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of Yahweh’s house, and said to all the people:
  • Jer 26:2“Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
  • Isa 58:1“Cry aloud, don’t spare. Lift up your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their disobedience, and to the house of Jacob their sins.
  • Jer 7:2“Stand in the gate of Yahweh’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word, all you of Judah, who enter in at these gates to worship Yahweh.’”
  • Jer 20:2–3Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in Yahweh’s house.
  • John 17:8for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.
  • Exod 24:3Moses came and told the people all Yahweh’s words, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 5:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 5:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.