Luke Chapter 1

Can you say Longest Chapter Ever?

vs 1

This introduction is really vital to understanding the book. It tells us why Luke is writing, at least partly.

So Luke is aware that he's not the only one who is trying to write this story. Who is he aware of? Mark? Matthew? Hard to say. Certainly Luke shares some common source with them both - what is commonly known as Q I think. Anyhow, It's good to know.

In more formally equivalent translations, you'll see they start with some odd word which sounds odd. The account starts with the word "Since" (NASB 'Inasmuch', KJV 'Forasmuch').

vs 2

Luke was not, then, an eyewitness. However, this verse not only tells us that Luke has had contact with these first eyewitnesses, but also that they handed down what they saw, "just as they" suggesting that they perhaps also wrote it down, suggesting a previous written source perhaps? Note also that the eyewitnesses Luke spoke to (or was in contact with) were also servants of the word, and therefore you can't really trust them to be unbiased.

vs 3

Luke has put a lot of work into investigating this whole thing, but note that he is only putting pen to paper now - that was not the primary reason for his investigations.

He's putting it together for Theophilus. Possibly a patron of the book, possibly an important Roman official, possiby a code name for a Christian (lover of God), possibly a code name for all Christians. The code name things aren't really attested to anywhere else, though.

vs 4

Note the reason given though - it is to prove the truthfulness of a gospel already taught. In that way, doesn't it make it weird that we use it to teach the gospel? What it's really for is legitimising the gospel we preach. At least, that's what it seems Luke wrote it for.

This does indicate that Theophilus, or the readers intended (if he were a patron), were to gain assurance about their faith and their gospel through this book.

vs 5

Well, we start out with some pretty correct-sounding information, don't we? We're given a way of dating the period, we're given names and lineage of the people involved. Sweet.

vs 6

Which is a very nice thing to have written about you. They stand to this day as God-glorifying people.

vs 7

And yet, even with their devotion to God, life wasn't all peachy, was it? They couldn't have kids. But they remained faithful to God.

vs 8

What I find interesting is the regulatory nature of the priestly service. It was a job, just like any other. Sure, you're doing holy stuff, but you're still on shift.

vs 9

Nothing unholy about lots, or any sort of chance-providing tool. Anyway, the point Luke is making is not to defend random-chance generation, but to show that Zechariah was going into the temple.

vs 10

As they always did, I assume.