Commentary - Luke 1:1-4

Bird's-eye view

In these opening four verses, Luke, the meticulous historian, lays the foundation for his entire two-volume work, the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. This is not the opening to a fairy tale, but rather the preface to a sober, historical, and legally significant document. Luke is writing a carefully researched, orderly account of events that have earth-shattering significance. He begins by acknowledging that he is not the first to write about these things, but he claims a particular authority for his own work based on his comprehensive investigation of the primary sources, the eyewitnesses. The purpose of this entire project is explicitly stated: to give his recipient, a high-ranking official named Theophilus, unshakeable certainty about the truth of the Christian faith he has been taught. This prologue, written in a high literary Greek, stands as a powerful testimony to the historical reliability and factual basis of Christianity. The faith is not based on rumors or myths, but on fulfilled prophecy and the testimony of those who saw and heard the Lord Jesus themselves.

Luke’s method is a direct refutation of any notion that the Gospels are late-coming inventions. He is writing within a generation of the events, at a time when many other accounts were circulating and, most importantly, when the original eyewitnesses were still available to be interviewed. He is a first-rate historian, and he wants his reader to know that the account which follows is not based on hearsay, but on diligent, painstaking research. The entire Christian faith rests on the bedrock of these historical events, and Luke’s purpose is to establish that foundation as solid, immoveable rock.

Outline

Context In Luke

These four verses constitute the formal prologue to the entire work of Luke-Acts. They are distinct in style from the rest of the narrative, employing a more classical and sophisticated Greek than the simpler narrative style that follows. This preface sets the stage for everything that comes after it, establishing the author's credentials, his methodology, and his ultimate purpose. By beginning in this way, Luke places his work squarely in the tradition of the great Hellenistic historians like Herodotus and Thucydides, who also began their works by explaining their sources and methods. This immediately signals to Theophilus, and to all subsequent readers, that what follows is to be read as history, not as myth or legend. After this preface, the narrative immediately shifts to the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, grounding the cosmic events of salvation in the concrete, datable history of the reign of Herod, king of Judea.

Key Issues

History, Not Mythology

The Christian faith is a historical faith. It is not a collection of abstract principles or a set of moral platitudes. It is grounded in actual events that took place in real time and space. God broke into human history in the person of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Luke, more than any other Gospel writer, goes to great lengths to emphasize this. He is a careful historian, a man with what we would call a precise turn of mind. He names rulers, governors, and high priests to situate his narrative in the broader context of Roman and Jewish history. This is deliberate. He is not telling a "once upon a time" story.

In this preface, he lays his cards on the table. He tells us his sources are the eyewitnesses. He tells us his method was careful investigation. He tells us his purpose is to provide certainty. This is a direct challenge to any attempt to demythologize the faith. Luke is effectively saying, "These things really happened. I've done the research. I've talked to the people who were there. You can stand on this." Biblical inspiration does not mean that God dictated words into the ear of a passive automaton. God used the unique gifts, research, and personality of the human author. Luke the physician, the careful investigator, was precisely the man God chose to write the most detailed and meticulous account of the life of Christ and the early church. His work is both a masterpiece of historical narrative and the inerrant Word of God.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

Luke begins by acknowledging that he is not working in a vacuum. The story of Jesus was so explosive, so world-altering, that many people had already tried their hand at writing it down. This simple statement demolishes the critical theory that the Gospels were late inventions created by a church decades removed from the events. No, from the very beginning, there was a flurry of literary activity. People were writing things down. Luke doesn't criticize these other accounts; he simply notes their existence. His use of the word "fulfilled" is crucial. He is not just chronicling interesting events. He is recording the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. These are not random occurrences; they are the culmination of God's redemptive plan, promised for centuries and now brought to completion in their midst. History is not a series of accidents; it is the unfolding of God's sovereign decree.

2 just as those, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, handed them down to us,

Here Luke identifies his sources, and this is the bedrock of his historical method. The tradition he is recording is not based on rumor or third-hand accounts. It comes directly from the people who were there "from the beginning." These are the apostles and the other disciples who walked with Jesus, who saw His miracles, who heard His teaching, who touched His resurrected body. They were eyewitnesses. But they were not just passive observers; they were also "servants of the word." This is a technical term. The "word" here is the gospel message itself. These eyewitnesses were not neutral bystanders; they were men commissioned by Christ to preach and minister this message. They had dedicated their lives to it. Their testimony was not a detached academic exercise; it was the central mission of their lives, and they handed it down, they delivered it, as a sacred trust. Luke, coming after them, is a recipient of this authoritative, apostolic tradition.

3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus,

Having established the source of his information, Luke now describes his own contribution. He states that he has "investigated everything carefully from the beginning." The Greek word here implies a diligent, thorough, and persistent tracing of the facts. Luke didn't just accept what he was told; he researched it. He sifted through the accounts, likely interviewed the eyewitnesses himself (one of his chief sources was almost certainly Mary, the mother of Jesus), and put it all together. His goal was to produce an "orderly sequence." This doesn't necessarily mean a strict chronological order, but rather a logical, coherent narrative designed for a specific purpose. He is a historian shaping his material to make a clear and compelling case. And he addresses it to one man, "most excellent Theophilus." "Most excellent" was a title of respect for a high-ranking Roman official. Theophilus was likely a patron, a government official, or perhaps even the high priest, to whom Luke is presenting a formal defense of the Christian faith.

4 so that you may know the certainty about the things you have been taught.

This is the punchline. This is the purpose of the entire two-volume project of Luke-Acts. The goal is certainty. Theophilus had already received some Christian instruction ("the things you have been taught"), but Luke wants to move him from a basic understanding to a firm, unshakeable conviction. The Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. It is not wishful thinking. It is based on a solid foundation of verifiable historical events and reliable testimony. Luke is providing Theophilus with the evidence, the carefully ordered account of what actually happened, so that his faith might rest not on emotion or speculation, but on the granite foundation of historical truth. This is the great apologetic task: to show that our faith is reasonable, credible, and true, providing a certainty that can withstand any storm of doubt.

Application

Luke's preface is a powerful reminder to us that our faith is not a blind leap. In an age of skepticism and relativism, where "truth" is considered a matter of personal opinion, Luke's commitment to historical fact is a bracing tonic. We are not Christians because the story of Jesus is inspiring or because its moral teachings are helpful. We are Christians because the story of Jesus is true. He was born, He lived, He taught, He performed miracles, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and on the third day He rose from the dead. These are historical claims.

This means we have a responsibility to know our history. We should be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and part of that reason is the overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Gospels. Like Luke, we should value careful investigation and orderly thinking. But the ultimate application is the same as Luke's stated purpose: certainty. God has not left us with a collection of "maybes" and "what ifs." He has given us a sure and certain foundation in the person and work of His Son, attested to by reliable witnesses and recorded for us in His inerrant Word. We can know the certainty of the things we have been taught. Our task is to stand on that certainty, to live in light of it, and to proclaim it without apology to a world drowning in doubt.