Luke 1:1 – 4

Introduction to the Book of Luke

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

3 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,

4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Luke is the writer of this book, he was not an apostle, but he was inspired to write this record of the Gospel, and he was not born as a Jew, but he was a Christian doctor of Medicine. He also journeyed with the apostle Paul on part of his missionary journeys and wrote the book of Acts of the Apostles, known by us as the book of Acts.

Luke was not an eyewitness of the things he wrote in the book of Luke which covers Jesus life, death, resurrection, and ascension. But the events were related to him by eyewitnesses who told him what there experiences were. The Holy Spirit qualified him by inspiration the same as it guaranteed the accuracy of the memory of the apostles which was promised by Jesus before he left them (John 14:26)

The eyewitnesses gave Luke such a thorough of a report that he says it gave him a perfect understanding of the things which happened during Jesus life on earth.

The book is addressed to Theophilus, who according to the Bible dictionaries, was an outstanding, educated Christian.

Being addressed to one individual does not affect the importance of this book to us any more than the fact that Paul wrote four of his epistles to individuals as well.

Theophilus knew of the Gospel before Luke wrote this letter to him. He had been given the seed of the Gospel and had acted on the instructions given to him. This letter helped confirm what he had already knew about the life of Jesus and his Gospel.