Ever had a book written...
Illustration
Ever had a book written just for you? Or, perhaps dedicated to you by the author? Few of us have had such an experience, but I'll bet it is a real "ego trip." That someone would value your life, or value the influence you had had on their lives, enough to make such a dedication would be very satisfying.
We don't often remember that the Gospel of Luke, along with the book of Acts was written for a certain Theophius. Now no one seems to know who Theophilus was, exactly, but we do know what his name means: "Lover of God." And we can figure out something else that he was an important person in that historical time, because Luke refers to him as "most excellent." That's like calling him "Your Excellency."
Theophilus may not have been a Christian. With a name and title like that, he may have been a Roman official to whom Luke wanted to tell the story of Jesus and the early church, in a friendly way. When Romans thought Christians were unfriendly, they often threw them to the lions. We may hope that Theophilus liked this Gospel and understood it. History does not tell us.
But, Luke didn't write this book personally for Theophilus alone; he wrote it for you and me, also. And the best way for us to understand it, be moved by it, find the source for our lives in it, is to be like Theophilus, a "Lover of God."
We don't often remember that the Gospel of Luke, along with the book of Acts was written for a certain Theophius. Now no one seems to know who Theophilus was, exactly, but we do know what his name means: "Lover of God." And we can figure out something else that he was an important person in that historical time, because Luke refers to him as "most excellent." That's like calling him "Your Excellency."
Theophilus may not have been a Christian. With a name and title like that, he may have been a Roman official to whom Luke wanted to tell the story of Jesus and the early church, in a friendly way. When Romans thought Christians were unfriendly, they often threw them to the lions. We may hope that Theophilus liked this Gospel and understood it. History does not tell us.
But, Luke didn't write this book personally for Theophilus alone; he wrote it for you and me, also. And the best way for us to understand it, be moved by it, find the source for our lives in it, is to be like Theophilus, a "Lover of God."
