Since
many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus; that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
Luke 1:1-4
Luke 1 [1.] Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus; that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
Luke 1 [5.] There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
Meaning:
Luke opens his Gospel in a way no other Gospel does. Matthew begins with a genealogy, Mark with “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), and John with the eternal Word. Luke begins with one long, carefully built Greek sentence, written in the style of the historians of his day. He tells his reader who he is writing for, how he gathered his material and why he is writing. Then, from verse 5, the story itself begins in the temple at Jerusalem (Luke 1:5-25).
- “Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative”
Luke was not the first to write about Jesus. Many had already tried to put the events into an orderly account. The phrase “those matters which have been fulfilled among us” shows how he sees the story: not as a collection of interesting events, but as the fulfilment of God’s promises. The word “fulfilled” sets the tone for the whole book, which keeps showing that what the prophets spoke has come to pass.
- “eyewitnesses and servants of the word”
Luke’s sources were people who had been there “from the beginning.” They had seen Jesus with their own eyes and then devoted their lives to serving the message about him. Luke himself was not one of the twelve. Paul calls him “Luke, the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), and near the end of his life Paul wrote, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11). In the book of Acts, Luke slips into “we” when he joins Paul’s journeys: “immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia” (Acts 16:10). Some scholars think the details about Mary’s thoughts in chapters 1 and 2 may have come from her or from those close to her (see Luke 2:51).
The apostles stressed the same point about eyewitness testimony. John wrote of “that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). The Christian faith rests on events that real people saw and heard.
- “having traced the course of all things accurately from the first”
Luke did the work of a historian. He investigated everything carefully, going back to the very beginning. That is why his Gospel alone tells of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and the boy Jesus in the temple. It is also why Luke ties his story to world events, naming rulers such as Herod, Caesar Augustus and Quirinius (Luke 2:1-2), and later dating John’s ministry by the reign of Tiberius Caesar.
- “to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus”
“In order” means a well arranged and connected account, not necessarily strict date order in every detail. Theophilus means “friend of God” or “loved by God.” The title “most excellent” was used for officials of high rank, so Theophilus was probably a real person of some standing, perhaps a patron who helped to have the work copied and circulated. Luke wrote a second volume to the same man: “The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1).
- “that you might know the certainty”
Here is Luke’s purpose. Theophilus had already been “instructed,” perhaps taught the basics of the faith. Luke wanted him to have firm assurance that what he had heard was true. It is trust in a God who has acted in history, and that history can be known. John states a similar purpose: “these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
The Significance of Luke 1:1-4
- A faith grounded in history
Luke shows that the Gospel is not a myth or a set of ideas but the record of what God did in a particular time and place. Believers can welcome honest questions and careful study, because the truth about Jesus can stand up to examination.
- God uses careful human work
Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit, yet he also researched, interviewed and wrote with skill. God works through diligent effort and gifts of mind as well as through visions and miracles.
Cross-References:
Acts 1:1: "The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach," Luke’s second volume to the same reader.
John 20:31: "these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," the purpose of a Gospel.
1 John 1:1: "that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched," the witness of those who were there.
Colossians 4:14: "Luke, the beloved physician," Paul’s companion and the writer of this Gospel.
Conclusion: Luke begins his Gospel by explaining how and why he wrote it. Many had already told the story, drawing on eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Luke carefully traced everything from the beginning and set it out in order for Theophilus, so that he might know the certainty of what he had been taught. The Gospel rests on real events, carefully researched and faithfully handed down.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible