Excerpts from the CNT:

In Acts 5:30-32 Christ is revealed as the Leader and Savior: “The God of our fathers has raised Jesus, whom you slew by hanging Him on a tree. This One God has exalted to His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Christ was slain by the Jews on a tree and exalted by God to His right hand to be the Leader, as the Ruler of the kings, to rule over the world, and to be the Savior to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel (Rev. 1:5; 19:16). Christ, exalted by God to be the Leader and Savior, was also witnessed by the disciples and the Holy Spirit, who was one with the disciples.

a. Slain by the Jews on a Tree and Exalted by God to His Right Hand to Be the Leader and Savior

(1) The Leader, as the Ruler of the Kings, to Rule over the World

Acts 5:30 tells us that Christ was slain by the Jews on a tree. Acts 5:31 goes on to say that God has exalted the crucified Jesus “to His right hand as Leader and Savior.” The Greek word rendered “Leader” is archegos, meaning “author,” “origin,” “originator,” “chief leader,” “captain.” This word is used only four times in the New Testament and always in reference [2988] to Christ (3:15; Heb. 2:10; 12:2). It has been translated a number of different ways in various versions because there is no precise English equivalent to the Greek. The thought is that this One is the origin and Originator, the Author, the Leader, and the Inaugurator. He is above all, and He is spontaneously the Ruler with authority. God has exalted Jesus, the One rejected and killed by the Jewish leaders, as the highest Leader. His being the Leader is a matter related to His authority. He rules sovereignly over the earth with His authority so that the environment may be fit for God’s chosen people to receive His salvation (Acts 17:26-27; John 17:2).

The Lord Jesus as the highest Ruler is above kings and presidents. In a very real sense, Christ as the Ruler of the kings dethrones all the kings. Only He is the Ruler. According to Revelation 1:5, He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16). Christ is both the Ruler and the King. As the Ruler of all the enthroned ones, He rules the entire earth. Today the entire world is under the Lord’s ruling. He is sovereign over everyone and everything.

As the Leader, the Ruler, He is ruling the earth for the purpose of our salvation. He is ruling so that we may be saved. We believe that God chose us, and then at the right time the Lord Jesus, the Ruler of the kings of the earth, exercised His authority to produce a certain environment so that we had no choice except to believe in Him. In a sense, we have been “caught” by the Lord in His sovereignty. We have been caught by Christ and in Christ; furthermore, we have been caught in the church. He is the Ruler of the kings, arranging the environment so that we were constrained to believe in Him. Without such an environment, we would not have believed in Him. Actually, believing in the Lord does not depend on us—it depends altogether on Him. He has been exalted to be the Leader over all the kings to arrange the environment so that His chosen people will believe in Him.

(2) The Savior to Give Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins to Israel

The One God has exalted to His right hand is not only the [2989] Leader but also the Savior. Leader is related to His authority, and Savior to His salvation. Jesus’ incarnation made Him a man, His human living on earth qualified Him to be man’s Savior, His crucifixion accomplished full redemption for man, His resurrection vindicated His redemptive work, and His exaltation inaugurated Him to be the ruling Leader so that He might be the Savior.

According to Peter’s word in Acts 5:31, the Lord is the Savior “to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” To give repentance and forgiveness of sins to God’s chosen people requires Christ to be exalted as a ruling Leader and Savior. His sovereign ruling causes and leads God’s chosen people to repent, and His salvation based upon His redemption affords them forgiveness of sins.

Repentance is for forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). On God’s side, forgiveness of sins is based upon His redemption (Eph. 1:7). On man’s side, forgiveness of sins is through repentance. Repentance and forgiveness are major gifts, and only the Lord Jesus as the Leader and Savior is qualified to give them. We need to realize that in this universe He is the only One qualified to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is the Lord who has caught us and compelled us to repent. Otherwise, we would not have repented. Repentance is not of us; it is a gift given by the exalted Leader and Savior. Following repentance, we received the gift of forgiveness. We should praise the Lord that He is qualified to give repentance and forgiveness to God’s chosen people.

When Christ was on earth, He saved Peter, John, and many others. However, although the title “Savior” is applied to Christ in His earthly ministry (John 4:42), He was not officially the Savior until His ascension. We were saved officially by the Christ on the throne, by the One in glory. When we were saved, we were seated with Him in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6). Christ has saved us from the throne and to the throne. This is the ascended Christ as our Savior.

b. Witnessed by the Disciples and the Holy Spirit

Christ exalted by God to be the Leader and Savior was witnessed by the disciples and the Holy Spirit. In Acts 5:32 [2990] Peter goes on to say, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” The Greek word translated “things” here is rhema, referring to instant words. Both the apostles and the Holy Spirit were witnesses of these things. This indicates that the Holy Spirit was one with the apostles. In this verse Peter says that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. Obedience is the way and the condition to receive and enjoy the Spirit of God.