Luke 1:1-4
The record of Jesus’ life on earth
begins in the Gospels, more specifically with Luke’s account written AD 60-62. Even though Matthew’s Gospel is listed first
of the four gospels, Luke begins earlier in the chronological life of Jesus. Of
Luke, it is known that he was a gentile, a physician (Colossians 4:14), a frequent
traveling companion of the apostle Paul, writer of the Acts of the Apostles, and
a meticulous historian.
In classical Greek historical style,
Luke wrote to a man named Theophilus addressing him as “most excellent”
indicating he was a person of status, probably a Roman government official and
perhaps a recent convert. Luke states
that as others have compiled information of events that has taken place from
the beginning of the first century AD, he himself endeavors to do so using reliable
sources of individuals who were first-hand eyewitnesses and ministers of the
word. Luke was not an eyewitness himself;
he was converted sometime after the death of Christ on the cross. Luke’s purpose was as he puts it that, “thou
mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed”
(vs. 1-4).
When a new believer comes to
Christ, from the outset he or she needs encouragement from other believers and
assurances from reading the Bible. Theophilus,
as a new believer came from a Greco-Roman culture that was polytheistic in
nature- a belief in many gods tethered to hedonistic practices. An example is given in Acts 19:21-41, in
Ephesus, there is a temple dedicated to the goddess Diana (Artemis) that employed temple
prostitutes. Additionally, as a Roman official, he would
have to struggle with splitting loyalties between the emperor and God of
righteousness and love. To defy the
emperor could mean death. However, it is
heartening that in Acts 1:1, Luke addresses Theophilus as one talks a
brother-in-Christ, not as a Roman official.
