Tag Archives: Theophilus

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A CAREFUL RECORD – 1

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Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nothing recorded and preserved in Scripture is there by chance. Let’s take a step back and view Luke’s story of Jesus within God’s purpose and the greater scheme of things. 

Was it by chance or by design that Luke shone the light on the humanity of Jesus? His research and his carefully-crafted report brings to the surface a man, although He was undoubtedly God,  who was an equally a human in every sense of the word. 

Why was it important for Theophililus, his target recipient, to have accurate details about Jesus in whom he had obviously come to believe? If one has put one’s life and destiny into the hands of someone who claims to be both God and man, at last one must be sure of His credentials. 

“Luke was a physician and companion of Paul, while Theophilus was a high-ranking individual (possibly a Roman official or patron) to whom Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to provide an accurate, faith-building account of Jesus and the early Church. Theophilus’ name means “friend of God,” and Luke’s detailed, eyewitness-style writing aimed to solidify his faith and understanding.” (Source: Google)

How did Luke know Paul? We don’t know. Luke was a Gentile, Paul’s companion on some of his journeys and a loved and trusted fellow-believer.  Paul’s calling to evangelise the Gentiles suggests that this association began through Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles. Then, perhaps, Luke influenced Theophilus and out of these associations, he wrote his record of Jesus and the of the early church to provide the foundation for Theophilus’ faith, culminating with Paul’s eventual destination…Rome!

“Scholars have noted that Luke had an outstanding command of the Greek language. His vocabulary is extensive and rich, and his style at times approaches that of classical Greek, as in the preface of his gospel (Luke 1:1–4), while at other times it seems quite Semitic (Luke 1:5—2:52). He was familiar with sailing and had a special love for recording geographical details. All this would indicate that Luke was a well-educated, observant, and careful writer.” 

(Source: got questions.org – “Who was Luke in the Bible?”)

Luke was neither an eyewitness nor a servant of the word, but one who used these records as part of his “careful investigation” around which he built his narrative. 

Luke had the credentials to be the author of two books included in the canon of Scripture. He was a careful, accurate, and accomplished writer, adding another dimension to the story of Jesus. His background in medicine, in keeping with his times, gave him a special interest in Jesus’ healing ministry. His own history and that of Theophilus as Gentiles was in line with prophecy…that Jesus came for Jew and Gentile. 

So, his “mini-biography” of Jesus begins… not with Jesus Himself but with the birth of John the Baptist, a key figure in prophecy and in the narrative of the God-man. 

Can we trust the authenticity of Luke’s version of Jesus? Does it match up with the Jewish writers who were associates and companions of Jesus or, In the case of Mark, a close associate of a disciple…Peter? The ancient scholars who carefully complied the canon of Scripture, said a resounding “Yes!”  

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – LUKE, THE CHRONICLER OF JESUS, SON OF MAN

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LUKE’S GOSPEL

CHAPTER ONE

LUKE, THE CHRONICLER OF JESUS, SON OF MAN

“So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honourable Theophilus, so you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt the reality of what you were taught.” Luke 1:1-4.

Luke was a Gentile, possibly a Greek or a Roman, who was acquainted with Theophilus, a Roman, judging by his name, of high rank, either socially or as a government official somewhere. He was a follower of Jesus but he needed the anchor of an authentic record of the life of the one he had chosen to follow. Luke undertook the task, researching and writing as accurately as possible, using the verbal and written reports of eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, but of those who themselves believed in Him.

Luke was only one among many, according to him, who had undertaken this task, but it was his work that made its way into the canon of Scripture. While he used the work of others, it was his that was “God-breathed” and acknowledged as inspired. It would be a fascinating story of how a document written for only one man, made its way into the public eye and eventually into the New Testament. Did Theophilus share Luke’s story with family and friends, with work colleagues and social acquaintances? Did Luke show his gospel to Paul? Did Paul circulate copies to the churches because he recognised the value of Luke’s work?

This side of eternity we will never know but God designed this book to be part of the written witness to the life of His Son. It is part of the four-fold fulfilment of the prophetic picture of Messiah represented in the four faces of the living creatures around the throne of God. Matthew presents Jesus as the King of the Jews, the fulfilment of Messianic prophecy, symbolised by the face of a lion (Ezekiel 1:10; Rev 4:7). Mark’s picture of Jesus is that of a servant, symbolised by the face of an ox. Luke portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, symbolised by the face of a man, and John the exalted Son of God represented by the flying eagle.

Luke’s purpose was to present Jesus as the Son of Man, not just the human Jesus, but the Messiah, the God-man who was anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the link between heaven and earth; God in human form, weak, vulnerable, ordinary, yet extraordinary in His nature and function, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a perfect man and a perfect sacrifice. He was true man, yet more than a man. He was true God, veiled in a human body to live out a real human life and to die a real human death so that we can be reconnected to God.

Luke’s research and writing skill has left us with an incomparable record of aspects of Jesus’ birth, glimpses into His childhood and His short public life, and examples of His matchless teaching which are recorded nowhere else in Scripture. Together with the other gospel writers we have a fully rounded and comprehensive record, not of every detail of Jesus’ life, but of the witness He left by His life and death to His reason for coming – a revelation of the Father through His miracles, His life and His teaching and His death and resurrection.

Luke’s story would be incomplete without the other gospels, yet in his writing he presents a very ordinary person, a man of prayer and dependence on the Father, who lived an extraordinary life and accomplished extraordinary things because He was empowered and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that fell on the church on the day of Pentecost and empowers us to live the same life He lived.

What Now?

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WHAT NOW?

“Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day He said goodbye to the apostles, the ones He had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After His death He presented Himself alive in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, He talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:1-3 (NIV).

It is fitting that we continue the story of Jesus as Luke did to his friend, Theophilus. We are indebted to him for his meticulous record. Without it we would never know the sequel to the Jesus-story and how the first disciples took on the Roman Empire and, through the promised Holy Spirit, so securely planted the message of the truth about Jesus that it infiltrated the known world of their day and still continues to change lives through their writings.

Luke made sure that Theophilus understood that Jesus spent forty days with His disciples after the resurrection, tying up all the loose ends so that they would know exactly what to preach and teach after He left them. His theme was the kingdom of God. There was no doubt that He was alive and that He would continue to be fully involved with them as they carried out His instructions and lived out His life in a hostile environment.

Unlike so much of current preaching and teaching which ignores the bigger picture and makes the gospel all about us, He put His life and death into the perspective of God’s realm and rule in the lives of people. It was not about them. It was about Him, His purpose for coming and their on-going mission to proclaim Him to the world.

He would have warned them that their task was a dangerous one. Like Him they would have to face the hostility of the Jewish leaders who had put Him to death as well as the Caesars whose claims demanded the worship and allegiance that was due Him alone.

These arrogant Roman emperors, in particular Caesar Augustus, “believed that he was god incarnate on earth, the prince of peace who had come to restore all of creation…His priests offered sacrifices and incense to rid people of their guilt. One of his popular slogans was “There is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved than that of Caesar.” Another phrase they used was “Caesar is Lord.” Throughout the Roman Empire, the Caesars called on people to worship them as the divine saviours of humankind…” (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, Zondervan 2005, page 162)

The implications are obvious. Into this world came the “Jesus movement” in a remote corner of the empire that was giving them no end of trouble. These people claimed that their leader was a rabbi, that He had announced the arrival of the kingdom of God, that He had been executed by the Roman authorities for treason, and that His followers claimed that He was alive. Now they were claiming that He, not Caesar, is Lord!

Their opposition would be ruthless ad relentless but the message had to go out. The apostles had to know it, be convinced of it, believe it and proclaim it not matter what the consequences. This was the final mission of Jesus before He returned to the Father. For forty days He instructed them until He was sure that they were ready to take on the world!