Luke’s Crucial Gospel Account – Luke 1:1-4

There has been much made by the more naturalistic scholarship of the New Testament about so-called “lost” Gospels.  “Gospels” such as Thomas and Judas can be read online.  None of these Gospels was written during the time of our Gospels, but much later, and they do not compare to our Gospels.  The naturalistic narrative about these Gospels is that they were suppressed by orthodox Christians but should be viewed as legitimate representations of early Christianity.  There have been ample answers given to this criticism (see Dethroning Jesus by Darrell Bock and Dan Wallace).  But Luke?  Gospel par excellence.

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 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, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.  (Luke 1:1-4 ESV)

Luke was part of the apostle Paul’s ministry team  beginning with Paul’s second missionary journey.  Luke was a Gentile and a doctor, but as he says here, he was also a historian who was concerned to provide for the church an “orderly account” and “narrative” of what God accomplished in the midst of His people through Jesus.  He acknowledges here that he has drawn upon the eyewitness accounts of the original ministers of the message, the apostles and others in addition to whatever other sources he has come upon.  When he was in Israel during Paul’s imprisonment, he may have used this time to interview key witnesses, perhaps even Jesus’ mother, Mary.

Luke addresses Theophilus, whose identity is unknown, though his name indicates he is Greek and means ‘lover of God.’  The “most excellent” title indicates he was a man of some means and authority, and it is likely the gospel is addressed to him because he was the financer and patron of Luke in the publishing of it.  The expense of putting this together could have been considerable.  But this gospel is for the whole church and is what we call a synoptic Gospel, in that it has the same optical perspective as Matthew and Mark, with which it shares many similarities.

The goal of Luke’s writing is that the readers may have certainty of the things they have been taught.  Luke is concerned to show what actually happened, as were Matthew and Mark, of course, but for the audience he is immediately ministering to.  We are justified in wanting to know the facts and truth about the events of the Gospel, about who Jesus is and what he did, in order for our faith to be strengthened.  Faith is not the absence of evidence but the result of it.  And the gospel is rooted in historical facts and events.  The main historical events Luke and the other Evangelists (Matthew, Mark and John) focus on are the crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.