Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 1].
consideration. {Most excellent Theophilus} (\kratiste
Theophile\). The name means god-lover or god-beloved. He may have
been a believer already. He was probably a Gentile. Ramsay holds
that "most excellent" was a title like "Your Excellency" and
shows that he held office, perhaps a Knight. So of Felix (Ac
23:26) and Festus (Ac 26:25). The adjective does not occur in
the dedication in Ac 1:1.
1:4 {Mightest know} (\epign•is\). Second aorist active
subjunctive of \epigin•sk•\. Full knowledge (\epi\-), in addition
to what he already has. {The certainty} (\t•n asphaleian\). Make
no slip (\sphall•\, to totter or fall, and \a\ privative). Luke
promises a reliable narrative. "Theophilus shall know that the
faith which he has embraced has an impregnable historical
foundation" (Plummer). {The things} (\log•n\). Literally "words,"
the details of the words in the instruction. {Wast instructed}
(\kat•ch•th•s\). First aorist passive indicative. Not in O.T. and
rare in ancient Greek. Occurs in the papyri. The word \•che•\ is
our word echo (cf. 1Th 1:8 for \ex•ch•tai\, has sounded forth).
\Kat•che•\ is to sound down, to din, to instruct, to give oral
instruction. Cf. 1Co 14:9; Ac 21:21,24; 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 _Koin•_ 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.
1:5 {There was} (\egeneto\). Not the usual \en\ for "was," but
there arose or came into notice. With this verse the literary
_Koin•_ of verses 1 to 4 disappears. To the end of chapter 2 we
have the most Hebraistic (Aramaic) passage in Luke's writings,
due evidently to the use of documents or notes of oral tradition.
Plummer notes a series of such documents ending with 1:80, 2:40,
2:52. If the mother of Jesus was still alive, Luke could have
seen her. She may have written in Aramaic an account of these
great events. Natural reserve would keep her from telling too
much and from too early publicity. Luke, as a physician, would
take special interest in her birth report. The supernatural
aspects disturb only those who do not admit the real Incarnation
of Jesus Christ and who are unable to believe that God is
superior to nature and that the coming of the Son of God to earth
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