Advent - God Knows What He's AboutSample

Luke Writes to Theophilus 

Unlike the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, Luke begins his Gospel with an explanation of how and why he wrote. Mysteriously, he addresses that explanation to a certain Theophilus. The name, Theophilus, literally means “friend of God.” Possibly Luke was not referring to a particular person, but to any “friend of God” reading his book. Most scholars today, however, believe that Theophilus may have been a prominent person (i.e., “most excellent”) who was Luke’s patron – an affluent official who may have helped fund the copying and distribution of the Gospel. 

Luke tells Theolphilus that he has researched the life of Jesus “from the very first” and intends to write an orderly account. Luke clearly states that there are other accounts (“many have undertaken”), but he evidently feels that he can cover some things that are not included in the other accounts. Indeed, in the first two chapters, Luke tells us about the parents of John the Baptist, the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, and the beautiful songs of Mary (Magnificat), of Zechariah (Benedictus), of the angels (Gloria in Excelsis) and of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis). Later in Luke’s account, he records parables and stories of Jesus found only in his text: e.g., the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and Zacchaeus. 

In reading Luke’s remarkable prologue, we become aware that we are reading trustworthy history. The people and events in Luke’s account draw us into worship the newborn King alongside lowly first-century Jews and lofty Greco-Roman officials. For Luke, Jesus is the Savior of the whole world, born in a particular time and place - born in Bethlehem of Judea, born under the reign of Augustus the first Roman Emperor, born into a humble family desperately seeking shelter, born into a world in need of hope. 

This Advent season, perhaps we too as “friends of God” will read Luke’s carefully studied account and again worship the King. 

Dr. Bill Carrell
Christian Studies Professor, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor