Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 1:4
That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
4. mightest know ] Rather, mayest fully know.
of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed ] Rather, of those accounts in which thou wast orally instructed. Gal 6:6. From the word ‘to teach orally’ comes our ‘ catechise,’ &c. Oral instruction ( katechesis) flourished especially at Alexandria, which was famous for its catechetical school. This may possibly have favoured the notion that Theophilus was an Alexandrian.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. Wherein thou hast been instructed.] – 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 most correct knowledge, and indubitable certainty, of those doctrines on which he stakes his eternal salvation. Some suppose that St. Luke refers here to the imperfect instruction which Theophilus had received from the defective Gospels to which he refers in Lu 1:1.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
4. that thou mightest know“knowthoroughly.”
hast been instructedorallyinstructedliterally, “catechized” or “catecheticallytaught,” at first as a catechumen or candidate for Christianbaptism.
Lu1:5-25. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEFORERUNNER.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, , 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 of mouth; and he had taken them in upon the evidence they came with, and the authority of those that instructed him in them; and now he sent him in writing this account, to increase his knowledge, strengthen his faith, and to give him such a sure proof of things, as might preserve him safe in the belief of them, from all doubting and defection. Having finished his preface, he proceeds to the narrative itself, which begins as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Mightest know (). Second aorist active subjunctive of . Full knowledge (-), in addition to what he already has.
The certainty ( ). Make no slip (, to totter or fall, and privative). Luke promises a reliable narrative. “Theophilus shall know that the faith which he has embraced has an impregnable historical foundation” (Plummer).
The things (). Literally “words,” the details of the words in the instruction.
Wast instructed (). First aorist passive indicative. Not in O.T. and rare in ancient Greek. Occurs in the papyri. The word is our word echo (cf. 1Th 1:8 for , has sounded forth). is to sound down, to din, to instruct, to give oral instruction. Cf. 1Cor 14:9; Acts 21:21; Acts 21:24; Acts 18:25; Gal 6:6. Those men doing the teaching were called catechists and those receiving it were called catechumens. Whether Theophilus was still a catechumen is not known. This Preface by Luke is in splendid literary Koine and is not surpassed by those in any Greek writer (Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius). It is entirely possible that Luke was familiar with this habit of Greek historians to write prefaces since he was a man of culture.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Mightest know [] . See on Mt 7:16. With the idea of full knowledge; or, as regards Theophilus, of more accurate knowledge than is possible from the many who have undertaken the narration.
Certainty [] . From aj, not, and sfallomai, to fall. Hence steadfastness, stability, security against error.
Wast instructed [] . From kathcew, to resound; to teach by word of mouth; and so, in Christian writers, to instruct orally in the elements of religion. It would imply that Theophilus had, thus far, been orally instructed. See on delivered, verse 2. The word catechumen is derived from it.
Things [] . Properly words (so Wyc.), which Rev. gives in margin. If the word can mean thing at all, it is only in the sense of the thing spoken of; the subject or matter of discourse, in which sense it occurs often in classical Greek. Some render it accounts, histories; others, doctrines of the faith. Godet translates instruction, and claims that not only the facts of the gospel, but the exposition of the facts with a view to show their evangelical meaning and to their appropriation by faith, are included in the word. There is force in this idea; and if we hold to the meaning histories, or even words, this sense will be implied in the context. Luke has drawn up his account in order that Theophilus may have fuller knowledge concerning the accounts which he has heard by word of mouth. That his knowledge may go on from the facts. to embrace their doctrinal and evangelical import; that he may see the facts of Jesus ‘ life and ministry as the true basis of the Gospel of salvation.
THE NARRATIVE
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “That thou mightest know the certainty,” (hina epignos ton asphalsian) “In order that you might know the reliability,” the trustworthiness. For His “Word is true from the beginning,” Psa 119:160; and His own are to do whatsoever He (Jesus) has commanded them, Joh 14:15; Joh 15:14. This Gospel is therefore designed to give them strength and harmony to the unity of the Scriptures regarding Jesus Christ, Joh 5:39.
2) “Of those things,” (peri logon) “Concerning those words,” or things reported, in which matters of council and direction, Act 1:1-2. While Matthew, Mark, and John were good historians, Luke was the better editor in grouping and classifying so many personal deeds and events of the Life of the Master. –
3) “Wherewith thou hast been instructed.” (hon katechethes) “In which you were and – have been instructed,” or catechized, regarding character and conduct matters, and deeds of service and worship to God, before your fellowman.
Luke appealed to the Greek, the cultured of the day. In a thoughtful, cultured, philosophic Greek mind, he gave a complete, orderly, and classical story depicting the glorious beauty and perfection of Jesus, the Ideal, universal man, as the Son of man.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(4) Wherein thou hast been instructed.The verb used is that from which are formed the words catechise, catechumen. &c., and implies oral teachingin its later sense, teaching preparatory to baptism. The passage is important as showing that such instruction mainly turned on the facts of our Lords life, death, and resurrection, and on the records of His teaching.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Mightest know the certainty This was the great ultimate object; that the Christian laity, of whom Theophilus was a representative, might be fully assured of the perfect confirmation of the Christian history. This confirmation would arise from the profoundly reliable character of Luke, and from his perfect understanding of all things, even
from the very first. Hast been instructed The Greek word here used, , is that from which the words catechise and catechumen are derived. This probably refers not to the catechesis of Theophilus’s childhood; for Theophilus was probably an adult when the apostolic ministry commenced. It more probably refers to the private oral instruction preparatory to baptism which the minister of the word bestowed on the young convert, over and above the preaching of the word. This catechetical instruction would embrace such documentary or traditional history of Jesus as his particular Church possessed. Luke now proposes to give this catechetical matter a more authentic substance and form.
It is agreed among scholars that this brief preface of Luke’s is written in the purest Greek style of any passage in the New Testament.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Luk 1:4. Wherein thou hast been instructed. , the original word, expresses with great accuracy the instructions given to those whowere training up for admission into the Christian church, whose name ofcatechumens was derived hence, and applied without any particular regard to the age of the persons concerned. See Act 18:25. Rom 2:18 and Doddridge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Luk 1:4 . ] ut accurate cognosceres ; see on Mat 11:27 ; 1Co 13:12 .
] The attraction is not, with the Vulgate and the majority of commentators, to be resolved into: , , as the contents of the instruction is put with in the accusative (Act 18:25 ; Gal 6:6 ), and only the more remote object to which the instruction relates is expressed by (Act 21:21 ; Act 21:24 ), but into: , : that thou mightest know in respect of the doctrines, in which thou wast instructed , the unshaken certainty. Comp. Kstlin, p. 132, and Ewald. The are not the , res (comp. Luk 1:2 ), as is usually supposed; but it is just the specifically Christian doctrines , the individual parts of the , Luk 1:2 ( , Euthymius Zigabenus), that stand in the most essential connection with the history of Jesus and from it receive their ; in fact, they are in great part themselves essentially history.
is to be understood of actual instruction (in Act 21:21 also), not of hearsay, of which, moreover, the passages in Kypke are not to be explained. Who had instructed Theophilus who, moreover, was assuredly already a Christian (not merely interested on behalf of Christianity, as Bleek supposes) we know not, but certainly it was not Luke himself (in opposition to Theophylact).
] the unchangeable certainty , the character not to be shaken. Comp. , Xen. Mem. iv. 6. 15. The position at the end is emphatic . According to Luke, therefore, by this historical work, which he purposes to write, the doctrines which Theophilus had received are to be set forth for him in their immoveable positive truth; according to Baur, on the other hand, the which the writer had in view was to be this, that his entire representation of primitive Christianity sought to become conducive to the conciliatory interest (of the second century), and always kept this object in view. This is purely imported. Luke wrote from the dispassionate consciousness that Christianity, as it subsisted for him as the Pauline contents of faith, had its firm basis of truth in the evangelical history of salvation.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Ver. 4. Wherein thou hast been instructed ] Which thou hast received by hearsay, or by word of mouth; and wherein thou hast been catechised, receiving the mysteries of the faith by the ministry of the voice, . And surely when we see men caring and casting how to find out this certainty here spoken of, and not be led by conjectural, suppositions, but be fully persuaded as St Luke was, and would have his Theophilus to be, then there will be some hopes that the Lord’s party will increase.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4. ] here in its stricter sense, of acquiring additional , more accurate knowledge see reff. . ] Theophilus had then been orally instructed in the narratives which form the subject of this Gospel: and Luke’s intention in writing it is, that he might have a more accurate knowledge of these histories .
literally, catechized, ‘ catechetically taught .’ Bleek, h. l., reminds us that this is not St. Luke’s own usage of the verb: cf. Act 21:21 ; Act 21:24 , where it simply signifies hearing by report. But we may answer that in Act 18:25 , where the same construction occurs, this is the most likely sense.
is not to be rendered ‘things:’ neither it, nor , nor , ever has this meaning , as is commonly but erroneously supposed. In all the commonly-cited examples of this, ‘ things expressed in words ’ are meant: here, the histories, accounts. (See Prolegg. to the Gospels, i. 3.)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 1:4 . Indicates the practical aim: to give certainty in regard to matters of Christian belief. . : an attraction, to be thus resolved: . is best taken = matters ( , Luk 1:1 ), histories (Weizscker), not doctrines. Doubtless this is a Hebraistic sense, but that is no objection, for after all Lk. is a Hellenist and no pure Greek, and even in this preface, whose pure Greek has been so often praised, he is a Hellenist to a large extent. (So Hahn, Einleitung , p. 6.) The subject of instruction for young Christians in those early years was the teaching, the acts, and the experience of Jesus: their “catechism” historic not doctrinal. : is this word used here in a technical sense = formally and systematically instructed, or in the general sense of “have been informed more or less correctly”? (So Kypke.) The former is more probable. The verb (from , ) is mainly Hellenistic in usage, rare in profane authors, not found in O. T. The N. T. usage, confined to Lk. and Paul, points to regular instruction ( vide Rom 2:18 ).
This preface gives a lively picture of the intense, universal interest felt by the early Church in the story of the Lord Jesus: Apostles constantly telling what they had seen and heard; many of their hearers taking notes of what they said for the benefit of tnemselves and others: through these gospelets acquaintance with the evangelic history circulating among believers, creating a thirst for more and yet more; imposing on such a man as Luke the task of preparing a Gospel as full, correct , and well arranged as possible through the use of all available means previous writings or oral testimony of surviving eye-witnesses.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
That = in order that.
mightest know = get to have full knowledge. Greek. epiginosko.) App-132. Not the same word as in verses: Luk 1:18, Luk 1:34.
things = words.
wherein = concerning (Greek. peri. App-104.) which.
thou hast been instructed = thou wast [orally]
taught. Greek. katecheo. See Act 18:25. 1Co 14:19. Gal 1:6, Gal 1:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] -here in its stricter sense, of acquiring additional, more accurate knowledge-see reff. .] Theophilus had then been orally instructed in the narratives which form the subject of this Gospel: and Lukes intention in writing it is, that he might have a more accurate knowledge of these histories.
-literally, catechized, catechetically taught. Bleek, h. l., reminds us that this is not St. Lukes own usage of the verb: cf. Act 21:21; Act 21:24, where it simply signifies hearing by report. But we may answer that in Act 18:25, where the same construction occurs, this is the most likely sense.
is not to be rendered things: neither it, nor , nor , ever has this meaning, as is commonly but erroneously supposed. In all the commonly-cited examples of this, things expressed in words are meant: here, the histories,-accounts. (See Prolegg. to the Gospels, i. 3.)
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 1:4. , that) Expressing the scope of the whole work, [which in John is stated at the close of his Gospel, ch. Luk 21:24.-Harm., p. 34.]-, thou mightest clearly perceive) The compound verb is emphatic.[2]-, thou hast been instructed) by the mouth of others. This [3] also comprises sacred history. Luke hereby claims to himself greater authority than that of those from whom Theophilus had previously received instruction.-[ , the certainty) This unerring certainty has place, where nothing of a spurious character is added, nothing that is necessary is omitted (left to be wished for, desideratur), and all the particulars are attested and proved by adequate documents and proofs.-V. g.]
[2] The augments the force of the simple verb. Wahl explains it, plane et accurat cognoscere.-ED. and TRANSL.
[3] Whence Engl. word, catechism, catechetical.-ED. and TRANSL.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 20:31, 2Pe 1:15, 2Pe 1:16
Reciprocal: Pro 22:21 – I Joh 20:30 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
The special purpose Luke had in writing to this man was that he might be assured of the instructions he had already received.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 1:4. Know, as the result of acquaintance with the accurate account now sent him.
The certainty. The emphatic word; certainty as the result of positive, accurate statements of truth. From faith to knowledge, from knowledge to still firmer faith.
Concerning the things, Greek words, i.e., the statements of living, divine-human facts of salvation which centre in the Person of Christ. Christianity is a religion that is everlasting, for facts cannot be altered; universal, for facts appeal to all; mighty, for facts are stronger than arguments.
Wherein thou wast instructed. Theophilus had been regularly instructed in regard to the main truths of Christianity. The history of our Lord formed the basis of this instruction, but the Epistles of Paul, some of which were written before this Gospel, show that the meaning of the facts was plainly taught Christian instruction is religious, not purely historical. Our word catechise is derived from the term here used.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Ver. 4. And now, what is the aim of the work thus conceived? To strengthen the faith of Theophilus and his readers in the reality of this extraordinary history.
On Theophilus, see the Introduction, see sec. 3.
The epithet is applied several times, in the writings of Luke, to high Roman officials, such as Felix and Festus: Act 23:26; Act 24:3; Act 26:25. It is frequently met with in medals of the time. Luke wishes to show his friend and patron, that he is not unmindful of the exalted rank he occupies. But in his opinion, one mention suffices. He does not deem it necessary to repeat this somewhat ceremonious form at the beginning of the book of the Acts.
The work executed on the plan indicated is to give Theophilus the means of ascertaining and verifying () the irrefragable certainty () of the instruction which he had already received. The construction of this last phrase has been understood in three ways. The most complicated is to understand a second ; the second and more simple, adopted by Bleek, is to make depend not on , but on : . But the example (Act 21:21), which Bleek quotes, is not analogous; for there the object of is personal: they are informed of thee. The simplest construction is this: , certitude touching the instruction which…Comp. for this form , Act 18:25, Gal 6:6.
The term , to cause a sound to penetrate into the ears, and thereby also a fact, an idea, into the mind, may simply mean that intelligence of the great events of which Luke speaks had reached Theophilus by public report (Act 21:21; Act 21:24); or it may denote instruction properly so called, as Rom 2:18, Act 18:25, Gal 6:6; neither the expressions nor the context appear to me to offer sufficient reasons to decide which. Perhaps the truth lies between these two extreme opinions. Theophilus might have talked with Christian evangelists without receiving such catechetical instruction, in the strict sense of the term, as was often given when a church was founded (Thiersch, Versuch, p. 122 et seq.); and then have applied to Luke with a view to obtain through his labours something more complete.
The word is relegated to the end, to express with greater force the idea of the irrefragable certainty of the facts of the Gospel.
It is a very nice question whether the term , which we have translated instruction, here refers solely to the historical contents of the Gospel, or also to the religious meaning of the facts, as that comes out of the subsequent narrative. In the former case, Luke would simply mean that the certainty of each particular fact was established by its relation to the whole, which could not well be invented. An extraordinary fact, which, presented separately, appears impossible, becomes natural and rational when it takes its place in a well-certified sequence of facts to which it belongs. In strictness, this meaning might be sufficient. But when we try to identify ourselves completely with the author’s mind, do we not see, in this instruction of which he speaks, something more than a simple narrative of facts? Does not the passage in 1Co 15:1-4 show that, in apostolic instruction, religious comment was inseparable from the historical text? Was it not with a view to faith that facts were related in the preaching of the gospel? and does not faith, in order to appropriate them, require an exposition of their meaning and importance? The instruction already received by Theophilus refers, then, without doubt to the Gospel history, but not as isolated from its religious interpretation; and since we have to do here with a reader belonging to a circle of Christians of heathen origin, the signification given to this history could be none other than that twofold principle of the universality and free grace of salvation which constituted the substance of what Paul calls his gospel. Luke’s object, then, was to relate the Christian fact in such a way as to show that, from its very starting-point, the work and preaching of Jesus Himself had had no other meaning. This was the only way of making evangelical instruction, as formulated by St. Paul, rest on an immoveable basis. As a consequence, this apostle ceased to appear an innovator, and became the faithful expositor of the teaching of Jesus. To write a Gospel with this view, was to introduce beneath the vast ecclesiastical edifice raised by Paul, the only foundation which could in the end prevent it from falling. For whatever there is in the church that does not emanate from Jesus, holds a usurped and consequently a transitory place. This would be true even of the spiritualism of St. Paul, if it did not proceed from Jesus Christ. Certainly it does not therefore follow, that the acts and words of Jesus which Luke relates, and in which the universalist tendency of the Gospel is manifested, were invented or modified by him in the interest of this tendency. Is it not important for him, on the contrary, to prove to his readers that this tendency was not infused into the Gospel by Paul, but is a legitimate deduction from the work and teaching of Jesus Christ? The essential truth of this claim will be placed beyond all suspicion when we come to prove, on the one hand, that the author has in no way tried to mutilate the narrative by suppressing those facts which might yield a different tendency from that which he desired to justify; on the other, that the tendency which he favours is inseparable from the course of the facts themselves.
If we have correctly apprehended the meaning of the last words of the prologue, we must expect to find in the third Gospel the counterpart of the first. As that is A Treatise on the right of Jesus to the Messianic sovereignty of Israel, this is A Treatise on the right of the heathen to share in the Messianic kingdom founded by Jesus. In regard to the earliest writings on the subject of the Gospel history, we may draw from this preface four important results: 1. The common source from which the earliest written narratives of the history of the ministry of Jesus proceeded was the oral testimony of the apostles,the , which is spoken of in Act 2:42 as the daily food dispensed by them to the rising Church.2. The work of committing this apostolic tradition to writing began early, not later than the period of transition from the first to the second Christian generation; and it was attempted by numerous authors at the same time. Nothing in the text of Luke authorizes us to think, with Gieseler, that this was done only amongst the Greeks. From the earliest times, the art of writing prevailed amongst the Jews; children even were not ignorant of it (Jdg 8:14).3. In composing his Gospel, Luke possessed the apostolic tradition, not merely in the oral form in which it circulated in the churches, but also reduced to writing in a considerable number of these early works; and these constituted two distinct sources.4. But he did not content himself with these two means of information; he made use, in addition, of personal investigations designed to complete, correct, and arrange the materials which he derived from these two sources.
Having obtained these definite results, it only remains to see whether they contain the elements required for the solution of the problem of the origin of our synoptics, and of the composition of our Gospel in particular. We shall examine them for this purpose at the conclusion of the work.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
1:4 That thou mightest {e} know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
(e) Have fuller knowledge of those things which you know only partially.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Luke did not address Theophilus in a way that enables us to know if he was a believer in Jesus when Luke penned these words. He had received some information about Christianity, specifically reports of the words and works of Jesus Christ. We do not know either if Theophilus was in danger of abandoning the faith or if he just needed a strong foundation for immature faith. Luke’s introduction promised a factual foundation. [Note: See Earle E. Cairns, "Luke As a Historian," Bibliotheca Sacra 122:487 (July-September 1965):220-26; F. Duane Lindsey, "Lucan Theology in Contemporary Perspective," Bibliotheca Sacra 125:500 (October-December 1968):346-51; Merrill C. Tenney, "Historical Verities in the Gospel of Luke," Bibliotheca Sacra 135:538 (April-June 1978):126-38; and Nicholas M. van Ommeren, "Was Luke an Accurate Historian?" Bibliotheca Sacra 148:589 (January-March 1991):57-71.]
The Christian faith does not require believing things that are contrary to the facts but believing things that are true. Luke wrote his introduction to assure his readers that there was a factual basis for their faith. The gospel tradition was and is reliable. Luke was the only Gospel writer who stated his purpose at the beginning of his book (cf. Joh 20:31).