“In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”
Acts 1:1-2 (NAB)
These are Luke’s introductory words as he wrote what became a two volume work. The first volume is known as the gospel of Luke, followed by volume two, the Acts of the Apostles. He recorded the entire progression of events that happened from the birth of Jesus to the early church ministry, decades after Jesus ascended to heaven.
Luke gathered all his facts from eyewitnesses, telling his friend, Theophilus, “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.” (Luke 1:3)
If it wasn’t for Luke writing down an “orderly account from the beginning”, for his friend, we would have no knowledge of the amazing events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, or Paul’s dramatic conversion and the ministry of the early church.
Luke was a Greek gentile, who converted to Christianity in the year 51 A.D. He was considered the only New Testament writer who was clearly identified as a non-Jew.
Every other writer of the New Testament was a Jewish convert. Luke was from the city of Antioch, in Syria, which today is in Turkey, so he didn’t grow up in the holy land.
Antioch was once the center of Hellenistic Judaism, until it became the cradle of Christianity. It’s the first place that the name “Christian” was created and commonly used. At that time period, Antioch was the third largest city in the world and a center for all the arts and sciences, and was comparable to New York City in our nation today.
Luke was a trained physician from Antioch who worked as a doctor. Unlike Matthew and John who wrote their gospels from eyewitness experiences, Luke never met Jesus personally, but he meticulously interviewed many of those who did. Historians know that Luke traveled to Jerusalem and spent time with the Apostles and the mother of Jesus. It would have been natural for Luke to learn the earliest details directly from Mary.
As he became a close friend to many eyewitnesses, Luke gathered information based on his interviews, which is probably why his gospel contains the most detailed account of the earliest events, like the incarnation and Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. It’s obvious that Luke spent a lot of time with Mary, since his gospel contains the most words spoken by her, than any of the other gospels. (Luke 1:46-55)
Scholars of archeology and ancient literature, rank Luke among the top historians of his time period, with well written accounts of Jesus, the apostles and the biography of Paul.
Luke was a friend and a partner to Paul, joining him in his missionary travels from Macedonia to Phillipi.
He was among the few loyal companions who did not abandon Paul during his final imprisonment and death in Rome. After Paul’s martyrdom in the year 66 A.D., Luke never wavered in his courage or faith, and he continued to preach in the Mediterranean area.
This brings us back to Luke’s friend, Theophilus. Everything Luke wrote was addressed to this one man, who he referred to in his letters as “most excellent”, indicating he was a high ranking official of some type.
So who is this friend of Luke called Theophilus?
Theophilus was an educated Greek gentile, just like Luke. They were homeboys from the same city of Antioch, and both were converts to Christianity. Theophilus might have been younger than Luke, since he was a leader in the city of Antioch well into the end of the 2nd century.
Scholars think that Theophilus was not only a leader, but a wealthy benefactor, who supported Paul and Luke on their missionary journeys. Historical records refer to Theophilus as the sixth bishop of Antioch and a Christian apologist during that 2nd century time period. Theophilus, might have eventually devoted himself to full time ministry, learning everything he knew from the letters of his good friend, Luke.
Luke’s letters became the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, in our bibles today. These two books give us the most detailed and informative account of events, from the birth of Jesus to the post Pentecost early church era.
Luke probably never knew that his letters would become a part of sacred scripture. Sharing our faith and encouraging our friends can have results that go beyond what we could ever think or imagine, which only eternity will reveal.
Theophilus’ name translates to
“friend of God” in Greek. The most enduring blessings in life begin with friendships that leads us closer to our friendship with God.
Luke was not only one of the writers of the New Testament but shows by example how friendship blesses beyond all expectations. He was Dr. Luke, a great doctor, a historian, biographer, a brilliant apologist who defended Christianity, and a beloved friend to Theophilus, Paul and many others.
Lord, thank you for Luke and his friendship with Theophilus and the apostles. Thank you for preserving his writing, which is a part of our bibles today. Give us the courage to follow his example and to become living, breathing gospel letters to our friends and to all we meet. Amen
(A painting of Luke talking to Mary, gathering info)