Luke 1:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He says, were eyewitnesses, because this is our chief ground for believing in a thing, that we derive it from those who were actually eyewitnesses.

He writes to Theophilus, a man probably of some distinction, and a governor; for the form, Most excellent, was not used except to rulers and governors. As for example, Paul says to Festus, Most excellent Festus. (Acts 26:25.)

In what he says of the Apostles having been eyewitnesses of the word, he agrees with John, who says, The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory. For the Word by means of the flesh was made visible.

Now they who have attempted to set forth these things in order have laboured by themselves, and have not succeeded in what they attempted. For without the assistance of man come the gifts and the grace of God, which, when it is infused, is wont so to flow, that the genius of the writer is not exhausted, but ever abounding. He well says therefore, Of things which have been fully accomplished among us, or which abound among us. For that which abounds is lacking to none, and no one doubts about that which is fulfilled, since the accomplishment builds up our faith, and the end manifests it.

In order for you to understand and gain a stronger grasp of the solid foundation of the teachings you have received, it is important to avoid being swayed by the accounts that many have attempted to write, as mentioned earlier.

It is plain that of one kind of knowledge, the end is in the knowledge itself, as in geometry; but of another kind, the end is counted to be in the work, as in medicine; and so it is in the word of God, and therefore having signified the knowledge by the words were themselves eyewitnesses, he points out the work by what follows, and were ministers of the word.

St. Luke at the commencement of his Gospel has told us the reason of his writing, which was, that many others had rashly taken upon themselves to give accounts of those things of which he had a more certain knowledge. And this is his meaning when he says, Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of things.

He says, of things, because not by shadows, as the heretics say, did Jesus accomplish His advent in the flesh, but being as He was the Truth, so in very truth He performed His work.

The whole Preface of this Evangelist contains two things; first, the condition of those who wrote Gospels before him, (Matthew and Mark for example;) secondly, the reason why he also himself proposed to write one.

Nevertheless both Matthew and John were obliged in many things that they wrote to consult those who had had means of knowing the infancy, childhood, and genealogy of our Lord, and of seeing the things which he did.

Luke commences his account with an introduction outlining the reasons, objectives, and aims behind composing his Gospel. He writes because numerous individuals had already initiated the creation of written records concerning the well-documented events of the Gospel narrative. The Evangelist does not explicitly detail what these various reports entailed. The term έπιχρησαν appears again in St. Luke's Acts (Acts 9:29, 19:13), where it signifies attempts that were ultimately without success. Nevertheless, the term itself merely implies undertaking a challenging endeavor and does not inherently criticize those attempts. Διηγησιν, particularly in its singular form, refers to a coherent narrative or depiction. Άνατάξασθαι translates to organizing or composing in an orderly fashion.

The Apostle Matthew is credited with authoring the first Gospel, in which he recorded what he knew with assurance and significance in order to convince the Jewish people that Jesus, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is the Messiah foretold in numerous prophecies found in the Scriptures. Following him, Mark, who was a companion of the Apostle Peter, documented the oral teachings of Peter at the behest of Christians in Rome; this work, once finished and endorsed by Peter, became known as the Gospel of Mark. During this period, various individuals attempted to narrate the life events of Jesus Christ, but their accounts proved to be unreliable, leading the Church to dismiss them.

The Third Gospel was authored by St. Luke, a well-known associate of St. Paul during his evangelical missions. The name Luke derives from Lucas or Lucilius. Hailing from the city of Antioch in Syria, his precise background remains uncertain. Trained as a physician, he is fondly referred to as Paul’s ‘beloved physician,’ as he likely offered his medical expertise during moments of illness and distress that frequently accompanied Paul during his arduous endeavors. In ancient times, medical training was often the domain of lower social classes, including slaves who were specifically educated for such roles. It is plausible that Luke practiced medicine in coastal towns and aboard ships, eventually becoming an attending physician to Paul on one of his journeys.

The term 'doctrine' refers to the core beliefs of the Christian faith. According to the Evangelist, the essential underpinning of this belief system is the account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, commonly known as the Gospel narrative. This doctrine remains steadfast and unwavering when the events within the Gospel are deeply examined and scrutinized (Luke 1:3), thereby elevating it beyond any uncertainty. The Gospel serves as the cornerstone for the entire structure of the Christian Church as a community of believers. The phrase 'in whom he was instructed’ marks the initial evidence of catechetical teaching for those joining the Christian community, representing the foundational instruction in faith drawn from Gospel accounts. The Evangelist aims to solidify this foundational teaching through both the oral and written dissemination of the Gospel narrative, particularly seeking to embed this understanding within the heart of Theophilus.

Our recommended passage emphasizes that numerous individuals have made an effort to create a detailed narrative of the occurrences which have profoundly impacted our faith. After thoroughly investigating everything from the beginning, I have dared to present this account to you, esteemed Theophilus, as these events have been transmitted to us by those who were firsthand witnesses and servants of the Gospel.