Gospels Part 047
Luke’s statement that he wrote “an orderly account” to Theophilus (Luke 1:3), when examined in Greek, indicates that it is in consecutive or chronological order. The Greek word translated “orderly” is kathexeis, which means “one after another.”
Luke begins his Gospel account in an intriguing way:
“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 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, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).
Luke packs a lot of information into these few sentences, so we will spend some time unpacking what he says. Luke’s statement that he wrote “an orderly account” to Theophilus (Luke 1:3), when examined in Greek, indicates that it is in consecutive or chronological order. The Greek word translated “orderly” is kathexeis, which means “one after another,” “successively” or “in order.”
In our earlier lesson on the background of Matthew, we saw that he clearly rearranges his material to focus on sets of Jesus’ teachings rather than a literal ordering of events. For this reason, it appears that Luke provides a more accurate chronological account. Our ebook for studying the Gospels, A Harmony of the Gospels: The Life, Ministry and Teaching of Jesus Christ, follows Luke’s order of events rather than that of the other Gospel writers.
Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke specifically to Theophilus (Luke 1:3), an individual whose name means “one who loves God” or “lover of God.” The use of “most excellent” with the name indicates that Theophilus was an individual who may have been a Roman official, or at least someone of prominent position and wealth. He was possibly Luke’s patron, supporting Luke while he devoted his time and energy to writing the Book of Luke and Acts.
Being a “patron” in Greco-Roman society was common in the first or second centuries B.C. and A.D., where a wealthy individual would support an individual, paying their living expenses, rent, food etc., while they were writing a book. Today we have essentially the same system. It’s called a book or author’s “advance,” where a publisher will pay someone an amount of money to write a book of a certain number of pages by a specific date. This is remarkably similar to the system that’s being described here and was common at that time. Because of this, such dedication to the patron as we see Luke demonstrate here was also customary at that time.
The fact that the Gospel was initially directed to Theophilus does not narrow or limit its purpose. It was written not only to him, but to strengthen the faith of all those who would later read this book.
We should note that Luke was not an eyewitness, but he spoke to those who were eyewitnesses. He states that others had already written down accounts of Christ’s life but does not provide details as to what these were. There were other accounts that were not preserved for us because God did not want them preserved. (Other supposed “gospels” have been found, but they date to many years later and are usually gnostic writings that are not inspired or true and are in fact contrary to true biblical teaching.)
Luke states that he wrote an orderly account based on what he learned of these events. How did he know about them? He obviously talked to people who were eyewitnesses. For example, he includes a lot of details about Mary and the angelic appearances to her and Joseph. He clearly learned from talking with Mary or other members of Jesus’ family, as well as other followers who had been with Jesus during His ministry.
In short, Luke assures us that he has done his thorough research and that his account of the life and teachings of Jesus is trustworthy because it is based on eyewitness accounts. And we further have God’s stamp of approval with it being included in His word, the holy Bible!
If you have not done so yet, be sure to download the free ebook A Harmony of the Gospels: The Life, Ministry and Teaching of Jesus Christ.
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
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Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
