Luke 1:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

NIV: 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,

NASB: it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus;

CSB: So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

NLT: Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,

KJV: It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

NKJV: it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke notices others are recording facts about Jesus' earthly ministry. Those accounts include eyewitness records and other points of history (Luke 1:1–2). Critics of faith often forget that Christian belief spread before the writing of letters from men like James (James 1:1), Paul (1 Corinthians 1:1–2) and Peter (1 Peter 1:1–2). Many of those messages were themselves in circulation prior to the Gospels. Christian faith was driven by experience and testimony, not by interesting storytellers.

Luke is confident he can make a valuable contribution to these efforts. He was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10), perhaps serving as Paul's personal doctor (Colossians 4:14). His writing is based on careful research and investigation. That likely includes direct, first-hand accounts told to Luke by the primary figures of these stories. The intent of this historical record is to inspire confidence (Luke 1:4). Luke's approach is deliberate, orderly, and factual. This emphasis on rational, reasonable belief is common theme in early Christianity (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1).

Nothing is known of Theophilus, mentioned both here and in the introduction to the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). His name literally means "lover of God." For that reason, some have suggested "Theophilus" is a category—i.e., "you who love God"—rather than a proper name. That the honorable title "most excellent" is attached suggests a royal or government role, however.

Luke 1:1–4 introduces the purpose of this gospel. Luke intends to compile an "orderly account" of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. His content is based on personal experience, eyewitness testimony, and other firsthand sources. These beliefs predate the writing of the New Testament, and Luke's goal is to inspire confidence in those truths. The book of Acts is a direct continuation of this process (Acts 1:1–3).

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.