Luke 1:4

That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. THAT THOU MIGHTEST KNOW - [`know thoroughly' epignoos (G1921)] - the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed, [ kateecheethees (G2727)] - 'orally instructed;' i:e., as a catechumen, or candidate for Christian baptism....

Verse Luke 1:4. _WHEREIN THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED._] κατηχηθης - In which thou hast been _catechized_. It appears that Theophilus had already received the _first elements_ of the Christian doctrine, but had not as yet been completely _grounded_ in them. That he might know the certainty of the things in which he had been thus catechized, by having all the facts and their proofs brought before him _in order_, the evangelist sent him this faithful and Divinely inspired narrative. Those who content themselves with that knowledge of the doctrines of Christ which they receive from _catechisms_ and _schoolmasters_, however important these elementary instructions may be, are never likely to arrive at such a knowledge of the truth as will make them wise unto salvation, or fortify them against the attacks of infidelity and irreligion. Every man should labour to acquire the m...

THE CERTAINTY - Have full evidence or proof of. BEEN INSTRUCTED - By the preachers of the gospel. The original word is the one from which is derived our word “catechism - been catechized;” but it does not denote here the “manner” in which the instruction was imparted, as it does with us, but simply the fact that he had been taught those things....

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...

THAT THOU MIGHTEST KNOW THE CERTAINTY,.... The end the evangelist had in writing this Gospel, and sending it to Theophilus, was, that he might be more strongly assured of and more firmly established in the truths of the Gospel. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it, "that thou mightest know the truth"; that is, the certain truth of things: the truth he did in some measure know before, but Luke's view was, that he might have a more certain knowledge of it; both truth, and the certainty of it may be intended: so the Hebrew word, אמונה, signifies both truth and firmness; and the word here used signifies such a certain evidence of things, as may be safely depended on; even OF THOSE THINGS, WHEREIN THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED; or catechised, signifying, that he had been hitherto taught, as a catechumen, the rudiments, and first principles of the Christian religion, by word o...

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....

Since many have set their hands to the task of drawing up an account of the events which were completed amongst us, telling the story just as those who were the original eye-witnesses and who became the servants of the word handed it down to us, I too made up my mind to carry out a careful investigation of all things from the beginning, and to write to you, Theophilus, your excellency, an orderly account of them, so that you might have in your mind a full and reliable account of the things in which you have been instructed. Luke's introduction is unique in the first three gospels because it is the only place where the author steps out upon the stage and uses the pronoun "I." There are three things to note in this passage. (i) It is the best bit of Greek in the New Testament. Luke uses here the very form of introduction which the great Greek historians all used. Herodotus begins, "These...

THAT. in order that. MIGHTEST KNOW. get to have full knowledge. Greek. _epiginosko.)_ App-132. Not the same word as in verses: Luke 1:18; Luke 1:34. THINGS. words. WHEREIN. concerning (Greek. _peri._ App-104.) which. THOU HAST BEEN INSTRUCTED. thou wast [orally] TAUGHT. Greek. _katecheo._ See Acts 18:25; 1 Corinthians 14:19; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 1:6....

Luke 1:1-4. Introduction _Forasmuch as_ This brief preface is in several respects most interesting and important. i. It is the only personal introduction to any historic book in the Bible except the Acts. It is specially valuable here as authenticating the first two Chapter s and shewing that Marcion's excision of them was only due to his desire to suppress the true humanity of Christ, as his other mutilations of the Gospel (which made it "like a garment eaten by moths," Epiphan.) were due to hostility to the Old Testament. See Mill's _Mythical Interpretation_, p. 103. ii. The style in which it is written is purer and more polished than that of the rest of the Gospel, though it is "the most literary of the Gospels." It was the custom of antiquity to give special elaboration to the opening clauses of a great work, as we see in the Histories of Thucydides, Livy, &c. In t