Luke 1:3
New International Version
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

New Living Translation
Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,

English Standard Version
it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Berean Literal Bible
it seemed good also to me, having been acquainted with all things carefully from the first, to write with method to you, most excellent Theophilus,

King James Bible
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,

New King James Version
it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

New American Standard Bible
it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus;

NASB 1995
it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

NASB 1977
it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;

Legacy Standard Bible
it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus,

Amplified Bible
it seemed fitting for me as well, [and so I have decided] after having carefully searched out and investigated all the events accurately, from the very beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus;

Christian Standard Bible
So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

American Standard Version
it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He appeared also to me because I had approached all things carefully, that I would write everything in order to you, excellent Theophila.

Contemporary English Version
So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus,

Douay-Rheims Bible
It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

English Revised Version
it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus.

Good News Translation
And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you.

International Standard Version
I, too, have carefully investigated everything from the beginning and have decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Literal Standard Version
it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to you in order, most noble Theophilus,

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

New American Bible
I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,

NET Bible
So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

New Revised Standard Version
I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

New Heart English Bible
it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

Webster's Bible Translation
It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

Weymouth New Testament
it has seemed right to me also, after careful investigation of the facts from their commencement, to write for you, most noble Theophilus, a connected account,

World English Bible
it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

Young's Literal Translation
it seemed good also to me, having followed from the first after all things exactly, to write to thee in order, most noble Theophilus,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Dedication to Theophilus
2just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.…

Cross References
Proverbs 22:21
to show you true and reliable words, that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

Acts 1:1
In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach,

Acts 11:4
But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events:

Acts 18:23
After Paul had spent some time in Antioch, he traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Acts 23:26
Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.

Acts 24:3
In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude.

Acts 26:25
But Paul answered, "I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.


Treasury of Scripture

It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus,

seemed.

Acts 15:19,25,28
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: …

1 Corinthians 7:40
But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 16:12
As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.

in.

Luke 1:1
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

Psalm 40:5
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Psalm 50:21
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

most.

Acts 1:1
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Acts 23:26
Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.

Acts 24:3
We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

Jump to Previous
Account Accurately Acquainted Beginning Care Careful Carefully Closely Commencement Connected Consecutive Course Direction Events Excellent Facts First Fitting Followed Good Great Investigated Investigation Noble Observation Order Orderly Origin Past Perfect Right Seemed Theophilus The-Oph'ilus Time Traced Understanding Write Writing
Jump to Next
Account Accurately Acquainted Beginning Care Careful Carefully Closely Commencement Connected Consecutive Course Direction Events Excellent Facts First Fitting Followed Good Great Investigated Investigation Noble Observation Order Orderly Origin Past Perfect Right Seemed Theophilus The-Oph'ilus Time Traced Understanding Write Writing
Luke 1
1. The preface of Luke to his whole gospel.
5. The conception of John the Baptist;
26. and of Jesus.
39. The prophecy of Elisabeth and of Mary, concerning Jesus.
57. The nativity and circumcision of John.
67. The prophecy of Zachariah, both of Jesus,
76. and of John.














(3) Having had perfect understanding of all things.--Better, having traced (or investigated) all things from their source. The verb used is one which implies following the course of events step by step. The adverb which follows exactly answers to what we call the origines of any great movement. It goes further back than the actual beginning of the movement itself.

In order.--The word implies a distinct aim at chronological arrangement, but it does not necessarily follow, where the order in St. Luke varies from that of the other Gospels, that it is therefore the true order. In such matters the writer, who was avowedly a compiler, might well be at some disadvantage as compared with others.

Most excellent Theophilus.--The adjective is the same as that used of Felix by Tertullus (Acts 24:3), and implies at least high social position, if not official rank. The name, which means "Friend of God," might well be taken by a Christian convert at his baptism. Nothing more can be known of the person so addressed beyond the fact that he was probably a Gentile convert who had already been partially instructed in the facts of the Gospel history.

Verse 3. - Having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first; more accurately rendered, having followed up (or, investigated) step by step all things from their source. St. Luke, without depreciating the accounts of the life and work of Jesus then current in the Church, here sets out his reasons for undertaking a fresh compilation. His Gospel would differ from the early Gospels:

(1) By going back much further than they did. It is doubtful if these primitive Gospels began earlier than with the ministry of John and the baptism of Jesus. St. Mark's Gospel - which, perhaps, represents one of the earliest forms of the apostles' preaching and teaching, - does not go further back than those events. St. Luke gave Theophilus, among other early details, a history of the incarnation and the infancy of the Blessed One.

(2) By presenting the whole story in a consecutive form. Hitherto, apparently, "apostolic tradition probably had a more or less fragmentary character; the apostles not relating every time the whole of the facts, but only those which best answered to the circumstances in which they were preaching. This is expressly said of St. Peter, on the testimony of Papias, or of the old presbyter on whom he relied: Πρὸς τὰς χρείας ἐποιε1FC0;ιτο τὰς διδασκαλίας ('He chose each time the facts appropriate to the needs of his hearers'). Important omissions would easily result from this mode of telling the great story" (Godet). Most excellent Theophilus. The term rendered "most excellent" (κράτιστε) denotes that the friend of Luke for whom nominally his Gospel was written was a man of high rank in the Roman world of that day. Nothing is known of his history. He was most likely, from Luke's connection with Antioch, a noble of that great and wealthy city, and may fairly be taken as a representative of that cultured thoughtful class for whom in a measure St. Luke especially wrote. The title κράτιστε, by which the Theophilus is here addressed, we find several times applied to high Roman officials, such as Felix and Festus (Acts 23:26; Acts 24:3; Acts 26:25).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore, having carefully investigated
παρηκολουθηκότι (parēkolouthēkoti)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3877: From para and akoloutheo; to follow near, i.e. attend, trace out, conform to.

everything
πᾶσιν (pasin)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

from the beginning,
ἄνωθεν (anōthen)
Adverb
Strong's 509: From ano; from above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew.

it seemed good
ἔδοξε (edoxe)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1380: A prolonged form of a primary verb, doko dok'-o of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem.

also to me
κἀμοὶ (kamoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2504: To also, I too, but I. From kai and ego; so also the dative case kamoi, and accusative case kame and I, me.

to write
γράψαι (grapsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

an orderly account
καθεξῆς (kathexēs)
Adverb
Strong's 2517: From kata and hexes; thereafter, i.e. Consecutively; as a noun a subsequent person or time.

for you,
σοι (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

most excellent
κράτιστε (kratiste)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular - Superlative
Strong's 2903: Superlative of a derivative of kratos; strongest, i.e. very honorable.

Theophilus,
Θεόφιλε (Theophile)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2321: From theos and philos; friend of God; Theophilus, a Christian.


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NT Gospels: Luke 1:3 It seemed good to me also having (Luke Lu Lk)
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