We will come back to all this, just notice in passing how he starts his work..

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1 #7- The life of Christ Gospel beginnings Luke 1:1-4 - John 1:1-18 Last week we met the gospel writer, now let's take a look at how they started there gospels. Matthew Remember that Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. Key word is fulfilled some 38 times, 50 direct citation to the Old Testament, The Old Testament is quoted or alluded to 129 times. Matthew begins with a Genealogy, beginning with Abraham again written to the jews he is going to show them that Jesus is from the line of David through Abraham and on. When we begin to look at this we will find two Genealogies, one here and the other in Luke, this one is over Joseph and the one in Luke is of Mary. We will compare these two and see some really interesting thing. We will see Women, in the Genealogy something that we don't normally find, we find a blood curse. We find people with stories. Doing Genealogical work is OK and can be fun however, why are you doing it. Is it for baptism for the dead.. I would encourage you to do your spiritual heritage, where have we come from in America and our Christian heritage. That is a cool story We will come back to all this, just notice in passing how he starts his work.. MARK Mark starts right into the story, he shows Jesus as a servant, as a servant no one cares about your birth or genealogy what is the story, that happened. Mark 1 The beginning of the gospel Gospel = Good news, Mark starts off the beginning of the Gospel 1

2 Those acquainted with the Old Testament knew the importance of the word gospel (cf. Isa. 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1-3). News meant that something significant had happened. When Mark used the word, it had become a technical term signifying Christian preaching about Jesus Christ. The gospel is the proclamation of God s power through Jesus Christ to save all who believe (Rom. 1:16). It was an important term in the theological shaping of Mark s narrative (Mark 1:14-15; 8:35; 10:29; 13:9-10; 14:9). For Mark, the beginning of the gospel was the historical facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Later the apostles proclaimed it, beginning (e.g., Acts 2:36) where Mark ended of Jesus Christ, JESUS - iesous (ʼΙησου ς, 2424) is a transliteration of the Heb. Joshua, meaning Jehovah is salvation, i.e., is the Savior, a common name among the Jews, e.g., Ex. 17:9; Luke 3:29 (RV); Col. 4:11. 2 the Oxford English Dictionary shows the derivation of the name Jesus as follow: In ancient Latin Jesus is spelled Iesus, in ancient Greek (I-ee-sous), ad. late Heb. or Aramaic yeshua, Jeshua, for the earlier y hoshua, Jehoshua or Joshua (explained as Jah (or Jahveh) is salvation : cf. y shuah salvation, deliverance, and Matt Here we see that in the ancient Latin and Greek languages Jesus was spelled with the letter I for there was no J in either of these languages. In Hebrew we know there is no J letter. So Jesus was originally spelled Yeshua, and y hoshua. Note: Here the Messiah s name was spelled in Hebrew two different ways due to the tradition of the Masoretic priests. They did not want to pronounce the sacred part of Yahweh s name, so they changed the Yah, to Yeh, which will be discussed later in this article. Webster s New World Dictionary confirms the Oxford World Dictionary, but it shows the derivation of Jesus correctly transliterated in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew using the letters I and Y, showing that there was no J used in these original languages when the scriptures were translated into them. cf. cf. confer, compare e.g. e.g. exempli gratia, for example 1 John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-). 2 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1996). 2

3 In Late Latin Jesus was original spelled Iesus; In Greek it was spelled Ièsous; and in ancient Hebrew spelled yèshùa, which is a contraction of yehöshùa (Joshua), help of Jehovah < yàh, Jehovah + höshïa, to help. Jesus, the name above all names, and at which in the future judgment every knee shall bow to (Phi 2:10); Jesus, the only name given under heaven among men whereby we must all be saved (Acts 4:12); Jesus, the name above all names, and at which in the future judgment every knee shall bow to (Phi 2:10); Jesus, the only name given under heaven among men whereby we must all be saved (Acts 4:12); CHRIST 5547 Χριστός [Christos /khris tos/] adj. From 5548; TDNT 9:493; TDNTA 1322; GK 5986; 569 occurrences; AV translates as Christ 569 times. 1 Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. 2 anointed. Additional Information: Christ = anointed Χριστός (Christos), οῦ (ou), ὁ (ho): n.pr.masc. [see also 3549]; DBLHebr 5431; Str 5547; TDNT LN Messiah a title for the Anointed One, i.e., God s special adj adj adj: adjective TDNT TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament TDNTA TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume GK GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger AV AV Authorized Version 3 James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order., electronic ed. (Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996). n. n. noun, or nouns pr. pr. proper (i.e., not common, but very limited in scope) 3

4 choice (Mt 2:4; Jn 1:41; 4:25); 2. LN Christ a proper name for Jesus of Nazareth (Mt 27:17) 4 Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew title Māšîaḥ ( Messiah, Anointed One ). It was used specifically of the Deliverer anticipated in the Jewish world who would be God s Agent in fulfilling Old Testament prophecies (e.g., Gen. 49:10; Pss. 2; 110; Isa. 9:1-7; 11:1-9; Zech. 9:9-10). The anticipated Messiah is Jesus. Though the title Christ became part of Jesus personal name in early Christian usage, Mark intended its full titular force as shown by his usage (cf. Mark 8:29; 12:35; 14:61; 15:32). 5 This is the title for Messiah the Son of God The title Son of God points to Jesus unique relationship to God. He is a Man (Jesus) and God s Special Agent (Messiah) but He is also fully divine. As the Son He depends on and obeys God the Father (cf. Heb. 5:8). 6 masc. masc. masculine DBLHebr DBLHebr Swanson, A Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) Str Str Strong s Lexicon TDNT TDNT Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament LN LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon i.e. i.e. id est, that is LN LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon 4 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament), electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997). e.g. e.g. exempli gratia, for example cf. cf. confer, compare 5 John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-). cf. cf. confer, compare 4

5 There is many titles for Jesus - Son of God.. literally has the idea as equal with God, son of man.. has the idea that he is equal with man.. There lies the mystery.. the incarnation.. Let's talk about this when we look at Johns gospel introduction..."word became flesh" LUKE The next earliest account of Luke is in the Anti-Marcionite Prologue to the Gospel of Luke, a document once thought to date to the 2nd century, but which has more recently been dated to the later 4th century. Helmut Koester, however, claims that the following part the only part preserved in the original Greek may have been composed in the late 2nd century: Luke, a native of Antioch, by profession a physician. He had become a disciple of the apostle Paul and later followed Paul until his [Paul's] martyrdom. Having served the Lord continuously, unmarried and without children, filled with the Holy Spirit he died at the age of 84 years. 7 DECIDE FOR YOURSELF At the time that Luke wrote this letter to Theophilus, there was a lot of interest in Jesus and in this movement called Christianity. Many people had written firsthand accounts about Jesus. Luke used these and all other available resources as material for an accurate and complete account of Jesus life, teachings, and ministry. Because truth was important to Luke, he relied heavily on eyewitnesses. Christianity doesn t say, Close your eyes and believe, but rather, Check it out for yourself (John 1:46; 21:24; Acts 17:11 12). No halfhearted investigation will do, however. Approach the life and impact of Jesus with expectation and intensity. Thoroughly investigate the Bible s claims about Jesus because your conclusion about him is a life-and-death matter Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, Luke is admitting that there are MANY Gospel account we assume he it talking about Matthew and mark. We do know that there are other gospels yet rejected in the early church most for obvious reasons. Most with all verified late dates. 6 John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-). 7 A Commentary on the Original Text of the Acts of the Apostles, Horatio Balch Hackett, 1858, Gould and Lincoln; Sheldon, Blakeman & Co., p. 12 5

6 Origen 8 one of the early church fathers writes.. ORIGEN: With respect to the New Testament also many have tried to write Gospels, but not all found acceptance. 1 You should know that not just four Gospels, but very many, were composed. The Gospels we have were chosen from among these Gospels and passed on to the churches. We know this from Luke s own prologue, which begins this way: Because many have tried to compose an account. The words have tried imply an accusation against those who rushed into writing gospels without the grace of the Holy Spirit. Matthew, Mark, John and Luke did not try to write. They wrote their Gospels when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Hence, many have tried to compose an account of the events that are clearly known among us. Our doctrines about the person of our Lord and Savior should be drawn from these approved Gospels. I know one gospel called According to Thomas, and another According to Matthias. We have read many others, too, so that we do not appear to be ignorant of anything, because of those people who think they know something if they have examined these gospels. But in all of these questions we approve of nothing but that which the church approves, namely, only four canonical Gospels. Luke makes his intention known by the word he uses; that is, that have been clearly shown to us, a concept that the Latin language cannot express in one word. It means that Luke knew by firm faith and by careful consideration and did not waver on any point, wondering whether it should be this way or that. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE There was the gospel of Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Judas, Mary Magdalene, Philip and on the list goes. They would attach these names to works to try to give them credibility. yet as we showed last time, these were rejected in the early church. we have four Gospels. outside of this we do have historical evidence for the life of Jesus.. Following is a list of extra-biblical (outside of the Bible) references of biblical events, places, etc. The list is not exhaustive but is very representative of what is available. 1. Flavius Josephus (AD 37?-101?, a Jewish historian) mentions John the Baptist and Herod - Antiquities, Book 18, ch. 5, par. 2 8 See Bio in whos who document 1 1 Cf. 2 Pet 2:1. 9 Just, A. A. (2005). Vol. 3: Luke. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 3. (3). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 6

7 A. "Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness." 2. Flavius Josephus (AD 37?-101?) mentions Jesus - Antiquities, Book 18, ch. 3, par. 3. A. Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. 3. Flavius Josephus (AD 37?-101?) mentions James, the brother of Jesus - Antiquities, Book 20, ch. 9. A. "Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done." 4. Flavius Josephus (AD 37?-101?) mentions Ananias the High Priest who was mentioned in Acts 23:2 7

8 A. Now as soon as Albinus was come to the city of Jerusalem, he used all his endeavors and care that the country might be kept in peace, and this by destroying many of the Sicarii. But as for the high priest, Ananias (25) he increased in glory every day, and this to a great degree, and had obtained the favor and esteem of the citizens in a signal manner; for he was a great hoarder up of money B. Acts 23:2, "And the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him [Paul] on the mouth." 5. Tacitus (A.D. c.55-a.d. c.117, Roman historian) mentions "Christus" who is Jesus - Annals A. "Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular." Thallus (Circa AD 52, eclipse of the sun) Thallus wrote a history of the Eastern Mediterranean world from the Trojan War to his own time. His writings are only found as citations by others. Julius Africanus, who wrote about AD 221, mentioned Thallus' account of an eclipse of the sun. A. "On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun." i. Is this a reference to the eclipse at the crucifixion? Luke 23:44-45, "And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two."

9 ii. The oddity is that Jesus' crucifixion occurred at the Passover which was a full moon. It is not possible for a solar eclipse to occur at a full moon. Note that Julius Africanus draws the conclusion that Thallus' mentioning of the eclipse was describing the one at Jesus' crucifixion. It may not have been Pliny the Younger mentioned Christ. Pliny was governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor. Pliny wrote ten books. The tenth around AD 112. A. "They (the Christians) were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food but food of an ordinary and innocent kind." The Talmud A. "On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favor, let him come forward and plead on his behalf." But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover!" Julius Africanus, Extant Writings, XVIII in the Ante Nicene Fathers, ed. by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973), vol. VI, p as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company) Pliny, Letters, transl. by William Melmoth, rev. by W.M.L. Hutchinson (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935), vol. II, X:96 as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company) This quotation was taken from the reading in The Babylonian Talmud, transl. by I. Epstein (London: Soncino, 1935), vol. III, Sanhedrin 43a, p. 281 as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company)

10 i. Gal. 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." ii. Luke 22:1-2, "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. 2And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people." 9. Lucian (circa 120-after 180) mentions Jesus. Greek writer and rhetorician. A. "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account.... You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property." 14 Though Lucian opposed Christianity, he acknowledges Jesus, that Jesus was crucified, that Christians worship him, and that this was done by faith. Additional resources Lucian, The Death of Peregrine, 1113, in The Works of Lucian of Samosata, transl. by H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, 4 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1949), vol. 4, as cited in Habermas, Gary R., The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ, (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company) McDowell, Josh. Evidence that Demands a Verdict. San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, Inc., and Habermas, Gary R. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ. Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company,

11 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, Remember Luke is a medical Doctor. Notice the word he uses here Eyewitness αὐτόπτης [autoptes /ow top tace/] n m. From 846 and 3700; TDNT 5:373; TDNTA 706; GK 898; AV translates as eyewitness once. 1 seeing with one s own eye, an eye-witness. 1A a medical term: autopsy, a detailed examination IT S TRUE! As a medical doctor, Luke knew the importance of being thorough. He used his skills in observation and analysis to thoroughly investigate the stories about Jesus. His diagnosis? The gospel of Jesus Christ is true! You can read Luke s account of Jesus life with confidence that it was written by a clear thinker and a thoughtful researcher. Because the gospel is founded on historical truth, our spiritual growth must involve careful, disciplined, and thorough investigation of God s Word so that we can understand how God has acted in history. If this kind of study is not part of your life, find a pastor, teacher, or even a book to help you get started and to guide you in this important part of Christian growth. (You might want to read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis or More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell.) In this day of n n: noun or neuter m m: masculine TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger AV Authorized Version 16 Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G845). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship. 11

12 accepting the diversity of many religious points of view, we need the reassurance that comes from studying the life of Christ. 17 Some of the text that Luke will draw from is From Mary, he will say things that only Mary would know. of the early days of Jesus Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. In contrast to Mark that is probably the account of Simon peter. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Luke probably used a number of sources. First and primary were his own personal experiences. This is most clearly seen in the we sections of Acts (16:10-40; 20:5-28:31). A second source of information would have been Paul, with whom Luke spent much time. The apostle s conversion and his experiences in ministry undoubtedly would have been discussed by the two in their time together. A third source is seen in the other witnesses whom Luke contacted (cf. 20:4-5; 21:15-19). In Acts 21:18-19 James is mentioned as being one with whom Luke met. James certainly would have been able to convey information about the very first chapters in Acts! In fact, the early chapters of Acts seem to betray an Aramaic source. Furthermore, while Paul was incarcerated for two years in Caesarea (24:27), Luke would have been free to carry out thorough investigative work in Palestine (Luke 1:2-3). Having carefully researched eyewitness accounts, Luke, by the Spirit s direction, penned the Book of Acts Minister ὑπηρέτης [huperetes /hoop ay ret ace/] n m. From 5259 and a derivative of eresso (to row); TDNT 8:530; TDNTA 1231; GK 5677; 20 occurrences; AV translates as officer 11 times, minister 17 Bruce B. Barton, David Veerman, Linda Chaffee Taylor and Grant R. Osborne, Luke, Life application Bible commentary, 3 (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997). cf. confer, compare 18 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. n n: noun or neuter m m: masculine TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament 12

13 five times, and servant four times. 1 servant. 1A an underrower, subordinate rower. 1B any one who serves with hands: a servant. 1B1 in the NT of the officers and attendants of magistrates as of the officer who executes penalties. 1B2 of the attendants of a king, servants, retinue, the soldiers of a king, of the attendant of a synagogue. 1B3 of any one ministering or rendering service. 1C any one who aids another in any work. 1C1 an assistant. 1C2 of the preacher of the gospel. Additional Information: For synonyms see entries 1249, diakonos; 1402, douloo; and 2324, therapon.see entry 5834 for comparison of synonyms. 19 In a hospital the under-rower is the intern. Dr. Luke is saying that all of them were just interns under the Great Physician. What Dr. Luke is telling us is that as a physician and a scholar, he made an autopsy of the records of those who had been eyewitnesses TO US Luke carefully identified himself with the believers (v. 1). Some have suggested that Luke may have been among the 72 Jesus sent out on the missionary journey (10:1-24) because of his notation that the things were fulfilled among us. However, the next statement that these things (i.e., accounts and teachings) were handed down orally by the eyewitnesses of Jesus would negate that possibility. Luke implied that TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger AV Authorized Version 19 Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G5257). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship. 20 McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (4:244). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. v. verse i.e. id est, that is 13

14 he was not an eyewitness but a researcher. He was thorough and exact in his research, having investigated for his account everything from the beginning, that is, from the first of Christ s life it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, ORDERLY- hexes (ἑξη ς, 1836) denotes after with the significance of a succession of events, an event following next in order after another, Luke 7:11; 9:37; Acts 21:1; 25:17; 27: Luke is the only gospel writer that claims to put this all in chronological order. we are sure glad he did. but some see this not as Chronological order but a logical order.. To write an orderly account. The exact meaning of orderly is uncertain. It can refer to a temporal (Acts 3:24), geographical (18:23), or literary-logical sequence (11:4). The fact that Peter in 11:15 stated that the Spirit came upon Cornelius as he began to speak, whereas in 10:44 45 the Spirit came after Peter had spoken for some time, indicates that the order Luke was referring to was a logical rather than a chronological one. Several examples of Luke s concern for logical order can be mentioned. In Luke 3:19 20 the arrest of John the Baptist is placed next to the baptism account due to topical considerations, whereas chronological considerations would place it later (cf. Mark 6:17 18), after Jesus baptism (Luke 3:21 22). In 4:16 30 Luke recorded Jesus first sermon even though earlier he had preached/healed in Capernaum (4:23). In 6:12 16 Jesus calling of the twelve disciples is placed before his withdrawal with them in 6:17 19, whereas the order in Mark is reversed (3:13 19 and 3:7 12). In Luke 8:23 Jesus sleeping is mentioned before the storm (cf. Mark 4:37 38). In Luke 8:42 the daughter s age is given at her first mention rather than as a parenthetical comment at the end (cf. Mark 5:42). In 9:14 Luke placed the number of people present next to the amount of bread needed (cf. Mark 6:44), and in 22:56 62 he placed Peter s denial next to the mention of Peter in 22:54 55 rather than reintroducing him later as Matthew and Mark did (cf. Matt 26:57 58 and 26:69 75; Mark 14:53 54 and 14:66 72). The term orderly was used throughout Greek literature by writers who sought to convince their hearers of the meticulous research and careful organization of their material. By his use of this term 21 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (2:202). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. Indicates that all the NT occurrences of the Greek word under consideration are mentioned under the heading or sub-heading. 22 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1996). 14

15 Luke was stating that he had written his Gospel in a logical fashion. In the next verse he gives the purpose of this meticulous research and orderly writing. 23 WHO IS THEOPHILUS Theophilus. This name means friend (philys) of God (theos). This probably was the name of a real person rather than a symbolic metaphor or a pseudonym to obscure the real identity of the letter s recipient. Numerous suggestions about Theophilus s identity have been made; they include a Roman governor, the official who was to hear Paul s case in Rome, and Luke s literary patron. Nevertheless who this person was remains unknown. 24 SOME would say that Theolphilus was the one to funded Luke journeys, that he was some wealthy business man. Theophilus is unknown so anything we say about Him is speculation, but it is fair to make some assumptions. most Excellent suggests he was a roman official.. Acts 24:3 we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Acts 26:25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. We don t know if he was a Christian or pagan, yet his Name means LOVER OF GOD.. 23 Robert H. Stein, vol. 24, Luke, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, 65 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001). 24 Robert H. Stein, vol. 24, Luke, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary, 66 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001). 15

16 Theophilos, addressed in v. 3 as Your Excellency, was probably an upper-class Greek for whom Luke wrote this book and the book of Acts (see Ac 1:1N) with the purpose he himself states in v. 4. Alternatively, since the name means lover of God, Luke may be writing to a generic and typical disciple. 25 LUKE WRITTEN FOR ALL WHO LOVE GOD. AMBROSE: So the Gospel was written to Theophilus, that is, to him whom God loves. If you love God, it was written to you. If it was written to you, discharge the duty of an evangelist. Diligently preserve the pledge of a friend in the secrets of the Spirit. EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE One more view that is interesting by our friend Chuck Missler.. Pre-Trial Documents? Roman law required written documents, containing all the pertinent background regarding a case, to precede an appellant's appearance before Caesar. There are some scholars who suspect that the two volumes penned by Luke were to comply with those requirements. In a world denied the conveniences we currently take for granted with copiers and fax machines, it is hard for us to appreciate a culture entirely dependent upon handwritten documents (that's why we call them manu-scripts). To compile a comprehensive history of the facts surrounding Paul's appeal to Caesar was an expensive undertaking, and some assume that the official known as Theophilus was Luke's sponsor. (We now understand that Matthew was among those skilled in shorthand: it was a requirement for his profession as a customs official. That's why his Gospel includes the extensive discourses: he would have been able to take them down verbatim. Without the discourses, Matthew's Gospel would be shorter than Mark's.) 25 Stern, D. H. (1992). Jewish New Testament commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament. Includes index. (1st ed.) (Lk 1:1). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish New Testament Publications EHG 13*; CSEL 32 4: Just, A. A. (2005). Vol. 3: Luke. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture NT 3. (4). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 16

17 An analysis of Luke's writings seems to support the pre-trial thesis. His consistent emphasis in the various episodes always focuses on establishing the responsibilities of the Jewish leadership in instigating the numerous uprisings, rather than Paul. The avoidance of civil unrest would have been the primary concern of the Roman administration. It is also interesting to note that, in Luke, centurions are always presented as "good guys." It is noted that the in acts. Acts 1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, The most excellent is missing some speculate that it is because he lost his position when he became a Christian. It might be as simple that Paul was not closer friends with Theolphilus and now dropped the formality because of friendship. We don t know that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed certainty: The purpose of this term was to give assurance to Theophilus, possibly a young believer and someone very interested in the Christian message. It is likely that Theophilus was a Gentile, since so much of Luke and Acts is concerned with Jewish-Gentile relationships (Acts 10; 11; 15). He not only needed to know the truth and accuracy of what the church taught, but also needed to be reassured. He might well have been wondering what he as a Gentile was doing in a movement that was originally Jewish, especially when so many Israelites were rejecting the message. Can a dead Messiah really be the center of God s promise? Is the persecution of the church a sign of God s judgment on a movement that has made God s grace too generous by including Gentiles so directly without making them become Jews first? Luke wished to reassure Theophilus (and other readers of his work) that Jesus did bring the promise of God, that His ministry and especially His resurrection show that God is behind Him, and that any Gentile belongs in the movement. In addition, as Acts shows, the persecution of the church is like that which Jesus faced and has provided the opportunity for the Word of God to spread over the entire region, even as far as Rome ( accessed July ) 28 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 1:4). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers. 17

18 It is clear that Theophilus had already received some perhaps even considerable information in Christian doctrine. To a certain extent the truth of the Christian religion had been dinned into his ears; that is, he had been catechized. However, he is in need of a more thorough grounding in the truth, the facts concerning Jesus and his church. That Luke regards this truth as significant is clear from what he has already said (see especially verse 3). For Theophilus to know (or: come to know) the exact truth was very important. For this there were two reasons: (a) to keep him from falling into error. Think of the many attacks upon the truth constantly being made by both Jew and Gentile (Matt. 19:3 8; 27:63; John 6:42, 52; 7:40 49; 9:24; Acts 26:24; 28:22; I Cor. 1:23); and (b) to obtain salvation in full measure to the glory of God. In connection with (b), the words that you may know [or: come to know] the exact truth remind us of the statement of Jesus, You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). Other significant passages showing the great importance which Jesus and the New Testament writers attach to knowing the truth are John 16:13; 17:17, 19; Gal. 2:5; Eph. 1:13; 4:15; II Thess. 2:10, 12, 13; I Tim. 2:4; 3:15; II Tim. 2:15; II Peter 1:12. And for the Old Testament see especially Hos. 4:6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. 29 JOHN John tells us at the end of his gospel why he is writing.. John 20:30 31 (NKJV) 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 1:1-14 The apostle John writing now form a perspective of a Old man, that that had been close to Jesus, one that loved Jesus and was loved by Him. Now John in his 80 s it has been some years after the resurrection, as we read the words of the gospel we hear the love that he has for Jesus, how he longed to hear his voice, to see his face, to quell a rumor concerning his approaching death, to clarify some of the sayings of Jesus, to refute certain heresies, and to satisfy the members of his community who urged him to do so, John began to write, he wrote for the children in the fellowship he so dearly loved, for the fathers he sometimes pitied with tears because they could not begin to imagine all they had missed, For the young men who only 29 Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. ( ). Vol. 11: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke. Accompanying biblical text is author's translation. New Testament Commentary (59). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. 18

19 had him to tell them, with his words that so often felt clumsy, like fish flopping out of a nets, he wrote because they wouldn t leave him alone until he did, because he missed the sound of Jesus voice so much sometime he thought his heart would break. perhaps he wrote in the hope that thought he words of just one of his sentences he might hear once again the familiar sound of His voice. 30 So his pen begins to scratch away at the parchment, and the first words comes,,,,,,,,,,,, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Word λόγος lŏgŏs, log -os; from 3004; something said (incl. the thought); by impl. a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extens. a computation; spec. (with the art. in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ): account, cause, communication, concerning, doctrine, fame, have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work Michael Card the parable of Joy, introduction. pg. 20 incl. incl. incl. = including, inclusive, inclusively impl. impl. impl. = implied, impliedly, implication extens. extens. extens. = extension 18, extensive spec. spec. spec. = specific, specifically art. art. art. = article 3 i.e. i.e. i.e. = that is (multiplication) denotes a rendering inthe A.V. that results from an idiom peculiar to the Greek. For example, in Heb 12:21, the whole Greek phrase in which ἔντρομος, ĕntrŏmŏs (1790) appears is a way of expressing great anxiety. The same idiom is used about Moses in Acts 7:32. (multiplication) denotes a rendering inthe A.V. that results from an idiom peculiar to the Greek. For example, in Heb 12:21, the whole Greek phrase in which ἔντρομος, ĕntrŏmŏs (1790) appears is a way of expressing great anxiety. The same idiom is used about Moses in Acts 7: (addition denotes a rendering inthe A.V. of one or more Greek words in connectionwith the one under consideration. For example, in Rev. 17:17, No. 1106, γνώμη (gnōmē) is translated as a verb 19

20 John unlike the other writers did not begin with a historical account, with John the Baptist or with the announcement to Mary, but he begins here, that we would understand who Jesus is, it is like John is saying you must first understand who Jesus is before we begin to look at what he said or did, he is eternally God. he begins as our bibles begin, Gen. 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, he starts in the beginning was the word. and just so we don't miss who he is talking about here, he is equally God, we spoke of the trinity, the Jesus is the second person of the trinity, again hard to understand but the facts cannot be denied. essentially God Jesus is God, this is what John is going to have us focus on time and time again in the account of Jesus He was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Word has always been in a relationship with God the Father. Christ did not at some point in time come into existence or begin a relationship with the Father. In eternity past the Father ( to agree ), when it is actually a noun and a part of a Greek idiom that is literally translated to do one mind. (multiplication) denotes a rendering inthe A.V. that results from an idiom peculiar to the Greek. For example, in Heb 12:21, the whole Greek phrase in which ἔντρομος, ĕntrŏmŏs (1790) appears is a way of expressing great anxiety. The same idiom is used about Moses in Acts 7: (addition denotes a rendering inthe A.V. of one or more Greek words in connectionwith the one under consideration. For example, in Rev. 17:17, No. 1106, γνώμη (gnōmē) is translated as a verb ( to agree ), when it is actually a noun and a part of a Greek idiom that is literally translated to do one mind. 31 James Strong, The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997). 20

21 (God) and the Son (the Word) have always been in a loving communion with each other. Both Father and Son are God, yet there are not two Gods.32 when you look at the vastness of space, the smallest bug, yet the word, Jesus loves us so much, that blows your mind. And yet great is the mystery, he came just like us. Telescope, and then look at the mico scope. Have you every looked at a Mico scope to look at a leaf or a bug, God created that Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." Colossians 1: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (NKJV) they are all for him, by him Jesus!!! He made today!! he made Calvary, the hill the tree.. Every hillside he climbed had been fashioned by his own had even the final hill called Calvary. Every tree that offered Him coolness and shade had been carved out of nothingness by Him, even that dark tree from which the cross would be carved In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, Michael Card, the parable of Joy, Page 3 21

22 In Jesus we have life, New life comes when we know him. new life... and Light.. Life and light that is how John describes Jesus, his friend.. that life was the light of Men, John scratches onto the parchment, he pushes himself back from the table and remembers a thousand examples of the truth of what he has just written, remembers dark people who after a simple word of a touch, went away with this same light alive on heir faces. remember how this light first came blazing into his own personal darkness when Jesus first asked, What do you want? Life that was alive and that was light, that was who He was. 34 Comprehend here can mean extinguish or can mean understand, that is the fact, Jesus the light came into the darkness but the darkness did not understand it but the darkness could not either extinguish it, the world did not understand they said we will not have this man rule over us, so what happened, they crucified him on the cross, and there from 12-3 while they tried to extinguished him they did not want the light so they experienced the darkness could they do it for three hours it was dark, but three days later, IM BACK, the darkness could not extinguish him he lives in our hear and shines Himself There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world we will look at john in a couple of week. he was not the light just as he said.. he was NOT messiah He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God there was three receptions of Jesus 34 Michael Card, the parable of Joy, Page 6 22

23 the world The world (kosmos) means the world of men and human society which is now in disobedience to God and under the rulership of Satan (cf. 14:30). The Logos came among people in the Incarnation, but mankind did not recognize its Maker (cf. Isa. 1:2-3). The failure to recognize ( know ) Him was not because God s nature was somehow hidden in people, as some suggest. Rather, it is because of human ignorance and blindness, caused by sin (John 12:37).35 Could you imagine not being recognized by your own creation, what would it be like to pick up your kids at school and the kids say I DONT KNOW YOU, some times they do that, but this time it is real, no its you mom, no I found another to go home with. NO I don t know you, this is your mom, what is this. \ how must it be God, you create those to love, and they turn away and say NO I don t know you. what do you mean all thought your life I have been talking to you and spending time with you. remember when you saw that sunset and how I was trying to wow you into my presence and I want to talk to you, that was me, remember, don t you get it if God was to appear in your life right now he would blow you away so he appears to you through a pastor, through a friend, thought a sunset.. His own In some ways this is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. The Logos went to His own home but He had no welcome. Jesus went to His own people, the nation Israel, but they as a whole rejected Him. In rejecting Him, they refused to accept Him as the Revelation sent by the Father and refused to obey His commands. Isaiah long before had prophesied of this Jewish national unbelief: Who has believed our message? (Isa. 53:1)36 it is so sad to see that the Jews have rejected Jesus ( the wailing wall) 35Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983,

24 those who received him who becomes a son of God, those who believe in his name what is his name the angle came to marry and told here you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from there is, or yashua, yaway is salvation, Jesus is salvation, that is who he is God in the flesh and you will be saved living in the family of God when we believe that Jesus is not just a savior but when he is MY savior. A lot of people say that Jesus is a savior. I m a sinner, I have blown it I need a savior personally that is one that comes a son of God, when he become MY savior. And then I am born again. This is not past along, no matter how holy your parents are or your grandfather. You are born again. AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM. We have received him in the day of the Romans taught that a man if he wanted to kill his children he could and the law would not hang him, he could kick them out, or sell his kids and the law could do nothings, if there was a wealthy man and a poor man and he the rich man wanted to the word that Paul used in Eph 1:5, this Is the same word that is what this is all about you came out of a vary poor house into a rich one you came form darkness to light and its the illustration of John 1:12 Ephesians 1:5 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (NKJV) he has chosen us and predestined us we are his. We are a child of the king and we will all stand before him as a vessel of destruction as Paul put it or a child of God there is not gray area, we are His.. 24