QUIET TIME: Luke 1:1-4

Observations

Luke opens with an explanation and a defense of his writing an account. The word account is repeated 2x in the first section. He writes about the "things that have been fulfilled among us", which points out he was an eyewitness of of these events. Interestingly Luke does not mention Jesus directly in his opening, well at least in the TNIV. He addresses his letter to the "most excellent Theophilus." The mention of "us" would include Theophilus. Luke's only refers to his writing as an "account of the things fulfilled among us" and mentions "the things you have been taught". He clearly states his purpose in writing this account is to give certainty of the "things you have been taught". Luke shows his credibility by writing that he has personally and carefully investigated "everything from the beginning". In making such strong claims, Luke is boldly putting himself on the line in a writing to Theophilus. He says that many accounts have been written about these current events. Doing a little background commentary research shows that the Gospel of Mark was written prior to this. Luke wants to verify their Truth claims, therefore these many other accounts must be true, and Theophilus has heard them.

Questions arise about who is Theophilus? Why does he speak vaguely about this account and not mention Jesus? Who were the first witnesses and servants of the word?

Interpretation

It is amazing what you can find in just 4 verses of Scripture. Of course the dangerous thing about reading such a small section is that it becomes easy to interpret out of context. Luke is doing a great job at setting up his credibility and answers the sceptics from the beginning of the legitimacy of his truth claims. Luke takes extreme attention to detail which then holds up when his account will be scrutinized.

Luke addresses Theophilus as most excellent, this tittle would be used of heads of state and governmental leaders in his time. Other than that, the text does not give further evidence of who Theophilus was.

Previously I had commented on how detail and carefully worded Luke's writing style is. So why would he be seemingly vague when talking about "this account"? It cannot be that he accidentally neglected it, for that does not fit with the rest of his detailed writing, therefore he must have purposely omitted it. Why? I observe that Luke writes that himself and Theophilus knew of "the things that have been fulfilled among us". Maybe it was not necessary because the information about Jesus ministry was already being taught from Mark's Gospel and of the many eyewitness accounts.

So far the text does not yield, within itself, answers to the questions of who were the first eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Whoever they were they handed down this account to Luke and Theophilus.

Application

What do I do with all this setting up of the passage that Luke does? It shows me the importance doing a personal investigation into the truth claims being made around me. Many of which occur in the academic setting for me. I should be examining more deeply what I hear in my classes from professors and students and not just be a sponge. I need to have a Christian worldview to be able to filter this information through to during my investigation to determine whether it is true. It seems that Luke does not go on this personal investigation only to be content with keeping the answers he finds. He purposefully organizes it into this account for the purpose of giving others certainty. I can apply this by making sure that I don't pursue knowledge only to keep it to myself and allow me to be puffed up with all I know. I need to humble myself and seek to relevantly share it with the culture I am apart of. At the cost of putting myself out there with my account, that I am not ashamed of what I am saying but stand behind the Truth claims of Christ.