In Luke's introduction he explains

What his letter is about (Content of his letter)

Where he got his information (Source for his information)

How he performed his inquiry into this information (Selection and transmission of this information)

Why he took the time and effort to put it in a letter to Theophilus (Aim of this record)

WHAT his letter is about (Content of his letter)

Common and strongly held belief of early Christians

KJV, "things which are most surely believed among us"

Common – reflected in all NT letters

Strongly held – to the point of defamation, poverty, imprisonment, death!

WHAT is worthy of such devotion?!

Jesus came from heaven!

Virgin birth, 1:27, 34-35.

Cmpr. Jn. 6:32-33…38…41,42

Confirmed his person and ministry by miracles!

4:40-41

Cmpr Jn 14:11; Ac 2:22

Came to seek & save the lost!

1:77; 19:10

Raised from the dead!

24:1-7,34,36-43

Cmpr Rom 1:4

This was the "common faith"

text; Tit 1:4; 2 Pt 1:1; Jude 3

WHERE he got his information (Source for his information)

"Eyewitness" testimony!

text

"eyewitness" - "It means seeing with one's own eyes. It occurs here only in the N.T. We have the very word in the medical term autopsy." RWP

NOT "cleverly devised tales" 2 Pt 1:16. See Gal 1:11-12,20

Of NT writers – Six were eyewitnesses, two got info from eyewitnesses.

"handed down" – tradition?

Yes! so with "who is parents"…"who discovered America?"….!

2 Th. 2:15; 3:6; 2 Pt 1:13-15

HOW he performed his inquiry into this information (Selection and transmission of this information)

"having investigated everything carefully" v 3

Archaeological finds and other historical documents have confirmed Luke to be a careful and accurate writer relative to geographical, political, and other historical data.

Note:

Religion/natural abilities

Religion not preclude the use of natural abilities (reason, research)

Inspiration/human abil. & know.

Inspiration not preclude use of human ability and knowledge

Our texts also lies on solid ground

careful research by qualified scholars from credible sources

WHY he took the time and effort to put it in a letter to Theophilus (Aim of this record)

To thoroughly ground him in the truth of the gospel!

"you may know" = epiginOskO - full (epi) knowledge ("things you have been taught"), but Luke intends to thoroughly ground. A great letter for us today!

"so that you may know the exact truth" v 4

"exact truth" = asphaleia. "The noun is derived from sphallO, to trip up, plus the negative a; hence it is a condition in which one stands solidly and is no longer tripped and made to totter and to fall." Lenski. "'Theophilus shall know that the faith which he has embraced has an impeachable historical foundation.' Plummer" RWP

Cmpr. Ac 2:42; 5:42; 11:23; 15:36…41; 1 Co 15:1-2; Php 3:1; 2 Pt 1:12..16

Keep teaching, preaching, reading, meditating on the gospel!

Don't quit telling, repeating, and preaching the "old. old story"! We will never "graduate" from the need for this instruction!

Q: Have you read it lately?

Q: Is your life built on it?

Q: Are you ready to meet this person Luke knew and wrote about?