1:3
Luke decided to write his own account. Why did he do this? Was there something lacking in the other accounts? Luke is probably not criticising the other accounts. Rather I suspect he was seeking to bring various strands of information together into an orderly account. Others perhaps had snippets of information here and there. Luke wanted to write a complete and orderly account from the very beginning, and Luke’s gospel is the most complete account. “Most Excellent Theophilus” indicates the Theophilus was a person of good social standing,or an official. Luke does emphasise the interaction of Jesus with outcasts and others regarded as second-rate by society. This is important, but we also need to have a balance. Luke also gives emphasis, both here and in Acts, to “middle-class” people.
1:4
The purpose was to confirm the faith of Theophilus. Atheists are very fond of talking of faith as if it exists with no regard for facts or reality. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible, and especially the gospel, is founded on facts, much of it is verifiable. Theophilus had been taught various things, there things were not made up, they were not the invention of men’s minds. Rather they were reports of who Jesus was, what He had done, and what He taught. It was all based on truth.
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