Luke 1:3-4 3it seemed good also to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4in order that you may know the certainty about the things you have been taught.
Luke gives his reason for writing in verses 3-4. He wrote to help a person named Theophilus so that he would grow in his faith in Jesus. Luke did not just put together material about Jesus haphazardly but set out in an orderly way to draw up an account (to write it down). This gives us the clue that this Gospel is a theological treatise that should be viewed as a whole and not as loosely connected stories just collected together without order or purpose. Luke’s words imply that Theophilus will study this document carefully, and by doing so, he faith will grow. He may have heard the basic gospel message and accepted this. He was a baby Christian who needed to deeper training that would take away doubt and confusion.
The Acts of the Apostles was also written to Theophilus, which indicates that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by the same person. They form a two-volume set that covers from the birth of Jesus to the gospel reaching the capital of the Roman Empire. Theophilus in Greek literally means “lover or friend of God,” someone devoted to God. The name could be an actual name or more of a description of the qualities of this person. Although these books were written to Theophilus, it is likely that there was a group of people, an early church, connected to him. Luke calls him most excellent, implying he may have had some high social standing or been a person of authority (the word is also used in Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25). The opening of this Gospel shows some of the highest and most sophisticated Greek in the New Testament, showing that Luke was a highly educated person.
Luke attempted to hand the readers of these two books an accurate account of his experiences and those who were eyewitnesses. He explains where the Christian faith came from. He could be writing a subtle defense of Christianity against Roman and Jewish authorities. The location of writing is not stated, but if the Gospel and Acts can be put together, it appears that Luke was with Paul during Paul’s imprisonment, as is suggested by 2 Timothy 4:11. Luke explains how the church came about and how it needed to live wherever it emerged. He also shows the triumph of God’s promise in the gospel message in Jesus Christ. The gospel is connected to God’s grand plan emerging in the Old Testament. The plan continues through the church as the world is reached. It is a message we do not need to be ashamed about but have certainty and confidence in.
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