Luke 1:3

It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, IT SEEMED GOOD TO ME ALSO, HAVING HAD PERFECT UNDERSTANDING OF [ pareekoloutheekoti (G3877 ) - RATHER, 'HAVING CLOSELY FOLLOWED,' OR 'TRACED ALONG'] ALL THINGS FROM THE VERY FIRST, [ anoothen (G509) pasin (G3956) akriboos (G199)] - 'all things with precision from the earliest;' referring particularly to the precious contents of his first two chapters, for which we are indebted to this Evangelist alone, TO WRITE UNTO THEE IN ORDER, ...

3._Having carefully examined all things _The old translator has it, _having followed out all things; _(20) and the Greek verb παρακολουθεῖν is taken metaphorically from those who tread in the footsteps of others, that nothing may escape them. So that Luke intended to express his close and laborious investigation, just as Demosthenes employs the same word, when, in examining an embassy against which he brings an accusation, he boasts of his diligence to have been such, that he perceived every thing that had been done as well as if he had been a spectator....

Verse Luke 1:3. _HAVING HAD PERFECT UNDERSTANDING_] παρηκολουθηκοτι ανωθεν, _Having accurately traced up_-entered into the very spirit of the work, and examined every thing to the bottom; in consequence of which investigation, I am completely convinced of the truth of the whole. Though God gives his Holy Spirit to all them who ask him, yet this gift was never designed to set aside the use of those faculties with which he has already endued the soul, and which are as truly his _gifts_ as the Holy Spirit itself is. The nature of inspiration, in the case of St. Luke, we at once discover: he set himself, by impartial inquiry and diligent investigation, to find the whole truth, and to relate nothing but the truth; and the Spirit of God presided over and directed his inquiries, so that he discovered the whole truth, and was preserved from every particle of error. From

IT SEEMED GOOD - I thought it best; or, I have also determined. It seemed “to be called for” that there should be a full, authentic, and accurate account of these matters. HAVING HAD PERFECT UNDERSTANDING ... - The literal translation of the original here would be, “having exactly traced everything from the first;” or, “having, by diligent and careful investigation, “followed up” everything to the “source,” to obtain an accurate account of the matter.” This much better expresses the idea. Luke did not profess to have seen these things, and this expression is designed to show how he acquired his information. It was by “tracing up” every account until he became satisfied of its truth. Here observe, * That in religion God does not set aside our natural faculties. He calls us to look at evidence; to examine accounts; to make up our own minds. Nor will any man be convinced of the truth of...

EXPOSITION THE origin of the Gospels—the four histories which relate in detail the circumstances of the foundation of Christianity—will ever be an interesting study. Here we shall never know the exact truth of the compilation of these writings, the foundation-stones of all our hopes and fears; a reverent, scholarly speculation is all that can be offered to the student of the Divine memoirs. The speculation, however, probably in this case comes very near the truth. After the Ascension and the events of the first Pentecost, which quickly followed their Master's return to heaven, the twelve and a few others who had walked in the company which followed Jesus during the years of his public ministry no doubt often met together and talked over the teaching and the acts of their risen and now glorified Master. As time passed on, a certain number of these acts, a certain number of the public and...

IT SEEMED GOOD TO ME ALSO,.... Being moved to it by the Holy Ghost; for he did not undertake this work of himself, merely by the motion of his own will, but was influenced, and directed to it by the Spirit of God, as well as by him assisted in it: HAVING HAD PERFECT UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THINGS; relating to the subject of this Gospel, concerning the conception, birth, ministry, baptism, and death of John the Baptist; concerning the conception, birth, private and public life of Christ, together with his sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension. The Syriac and Persic versions refer the word "all" to persons, to the eyewitnesses and ministers of the word; rendering the clause thus, "who have been studiously near to them all": and both senses may be taken in, and the meaning be, that Luke had diligently sought after, and had attained unto a perfect knowledge of all the affairs of Chris...

FROM "From the very first": (Greek, "anōthen", "from above)." So translated in (John 3:31); (John 19:11); (James 1:17); (John 3:15); (John 3:17). In no other place is the Greek, "anōthen", translated "from the very first." The use by Luke of anothen is an affirmation that his knowledge of these things, derived from those who had been eye-witnesses from the beginning (Luke 1:2) was confirmed by revelation. In like manner, Paul had doubtless heard from the eleven the story of the institution

LUKE 1:3 kavmoi, Several copyists, dissatisfied that Luke makes no explicit mention of inspiration in connection with his writing the Gospel, added the words “it seemed good to me _and to the Holy Spirit_…to write an orderly account” (itb, q vg3 mss goth). The supplement comes from Acts 15:28 (“it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”)....

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE Analysis and Annotations I. The Birth and Childhood -- Chapter 1-2:52 CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction. (Luke 1:1)_ 2. Zacharias and Elizabeth; the Vision. (Luke 1:5) 3. John the Baptist, his birth and ministry announced. (Luke 1:13) 4. Zacharias' Unbelief and Punishment. (Luke 1:18) 5. The Angel's Announcement to the Virgin Mary. (Luke 1:27) 6. Mary's Question and the Answer. (Luke 1:34) 7. Mary Visits Elizabeth ...

PREFACE. The writer, influenced by the attempts of others to record the primitive tradition of Christianity as it was handed down by the first generation of disciples, essays the same task, and having taken pains to collect, examine, sift, and arrange the contents of the written and oral tradition, presents the result to Theophilus, a Roman official of some standing, who needed fuller acquaintance with the historic basis of the oral teaching about Christianity which he had received. The preface is written in rather elaborate Greek, is modelled on the conventional lines of ancient literature, and displays some acquaintance with medical phraseology, especially that of Galen. LUKE 1:2. FROM THE BEGINNING, _ i.e._ of the public ministry of Jesus, the Baptism. MINISTERS OF THE WORD: servants of the spoken gospel....