Who Was Theophilus?
TRANSLATION
(1) Since many have undertaken (the task of) compiling a narrative concerning that which has been accomplished among us, (2) just as these things were handed down to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning, (3) it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, (4) so that you may have certainty regarding the things you have been taught.
OBSERVATIONS
In this opening paragraph of his Gospel, Luke repeated only one word for emphasis: “things” (vss. 2, 3, & 4) referring to what Jesus did during his earthly ministry. Two sets of synonyms give us insight into what the author was trying to accomplish. “Narrative” (vs. 1) and “orderly account” (vs. 3) tell us what kind of Gospel he was seeking to write while “eyewitnesses” and “ministers of the word” (vs. 2) reveal to us the sources on which he was depending for accuracy as he wrote about that which he had “followed…closely for some time” (vs. 3). One more phrase should be noted. In the last verse Luke told Theophilus his purpose for writing: “that you may have certainty regarding the things you have been taught.”
OUTLINE
Luke undertook the writing of his Gospel...
– to provide an accurate account of Jesus’ earthly ministry. (1-3)
– to provide certainty for his readers regarding their faith. (4)
IDEA STATEMENT
Luke’s purpose in writing his Gospel was to provide an accurate account of Jesus’ earthly ministry so that those reading it might have a firm foundation on which to base their faith.
APPLICATION
The Greek name, “Theophilus,” which appeared in both introductions to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles meant “friend of God” or “beloved of God.” Did this name belong to an actual person or was it Luke’s way of indicating that his Gospel was written for anyone who fit this description? We may never know the answer for certain. Whatever the case, we are greatly blessed to have such accounts authored by someone whose mastery of Greek was admirable and whose scholarship was unquestioned. Doctor Luke was, for all intents and purposes, the First Century’s version of a professional historian.
Luke desired that everyone reading his accounts might become a “Theophilus,” one who was both a recipient of God’s love and one who loved God in response. The Apostle John in his First Epistle wrote, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn. 4:16). And then three verses later, he added, “We love (him) because he first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19). It is when we become the beneficiaries of God’s love expressed in the giving of his Son and then respond to him with a love that expresses our gratitude and devotion, that we can claim the designation, “Theophilus.”