Studies of the Gospel of Luke the Gentile.2

DAY 1.

Luke Chapture 1 v. 1-4)

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;  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,  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Analysis

verse 1. We see that by the time that Luke wrote his gospel, many had already laid out the order of the events that had transpired in the life of Christ and the foundational principles of the things “most surley believed” by his followers.

verse 2. Many of these who “delivered” these accounts to us were “eyewitnesses” and “ministers of the word“.

who were these eyewitnesses?

• 2 Peter 1:16  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty

(Note) According to Peter, an eyewitness knows that they are not following cunningly devised fables. They know what they have seen and nothing can change their minds. In other words, Christ wants us to not have a blind faith, but a faith founded on experience and fact. In a world of mass deception, we as Christians today must also be eyewitnesses of the power and majesty of Christ. Everyday He must become more real to us. We must have a tangible experience with our Savior, not a mere theoretical head knowledge of him.  Paul said it best “I know whom I have believed.” 2 Timothy 1:12. As we near Christ second coming, we are being attacked on every side by the enemy who is trying to make us think that we are “following cunningly devised fables”, and many are falling, victimizes by the poison of unbelief. We must have an experience on which we can rely, and experienced built on the word of God and the testimonies of men who were the eyewitnesses of verifiable facts. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us. 1 John 1:2
verse 3. Luke says that even as they have presented the facts, it seemed a good thing to him that he also lay them down in a letter to Theophilus (or to us), seeing that he also had a perfect understanding of these things from the vary first.

(Note) Notice he says that he had a “perfect understanding of these things from the vary first“. This simply means that from the start of Christ ministry, he was there. He had a perfect understanding of all the events that transpired from the vary start of Christ earthly work. Here is another credible eyewitness, yet not a Jew writing about a long awaited Messiah like Peter, Matthew, Mark, John or Paul,but he was a educated Gentile, an outsider, who saw Christ work for himself and believed.

verse 4. He is writing his personal accounts of Christ life to Theophilus for one reason ,so that he would “know the certainty of those things, wherein” he had been instructed.

(Note) This Book was given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to help ground us in the faith. To help us know the CERTAINTY OF THOSE THINGS WHEREIN THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED. Christ wants us, the Gentiles, to know the certain, unquestionable facts about his life and doctrine, and on these facts our faith will be able to rest. This is what the book of Luke will give us, the facts with certainty. To know the truth about what we have been taught. So this will be the goal of our study into the gospel of Luke, to find the facts that can be verified by historical records so that we can say with a certainty that Jesus of Nazareth is the Savior of all mankind .