Introduction To The Book Of Luke Chapter 1:1-4 and this will be a continuous teaching through out the book of Luke. Welcome and stay close to your bible God bless you.
The Book of Luke is one of the four Gospels recording the life and work of our Lord Jesus, is sometimes referred to as the Book written for the Gentiles and, to artisans, physicians and all manner of ordinary men traversing the social strata of life. It has been shown to contain more empirical facts relating to events, places, and time of that period than the other writings. This may be attributed to the fact that Luke does not claim to be a direct witness of the recorded events, hence he had to spend time researching, corroborating and proving the facts he was about to share with this Gentile friend of God, Theophilus.
On account of his diligence to ascertain the veracity or truth of his submissions, he could confidently say, ‘having had perfect understanding’. It is our prayer also that as we are helped of the Lord Holy Spirit to search these scriptures each time we gather, that we will be brought into that attainable light of His presence that grants perfect understanding.
Vs1 – Many had declared before Luke but it did not deter him from ‘taking in hand’ also to declare or recite his understanding of the things spoken.
Lesson – we ought not to be deterred about repeating what has already been declared by others about our Faith or what we have believed of God. Sometimes the enemy wants us to think that a repetition of the same things about the Lord is not needful but the converse is true about the principles the Lord enjoins us to apply so we can be fully persuaded because the more we hear, the more we believe – Phillipians 3:1 ‘Finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe.’
If we bear in mind that Romans 10:17 tells us that ‘Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God’, then we can only increase in Faith the more we hear the word of God. This is the reason the enemy does not want us to hear or speak the Word of God CONTINUALLY and CONSTANTLY so we do not grow in knowledge, faith and grace.
Note the word in the verse ‘MANY’ and let us understand that we are among the many that even today must take in hand to declare the word of God. Let us not be deterred in any way but continue to declare what we have most surely believed.
Again, Romans tells us in Chapter 10:18 that people did not believe until they heard. Hearing itself cannot be activated until there is a declaration or proclamation or taking in hand to declare.
All training that must be effective is repetitive in nature. This is how skill is developed in any endeavour. Let us therefore be encouraged and motivated to continue to declare so we can become skilful in the word of God because what we declare or use or take in hand we are most unlikely to forget.
Vs 2 – The many who had declared or proclaimed in verse 1, had two important qualifications enabling them to so declare.
- They were eyewitnesses. That means they either saw, heard or were present at the happening or occurrence of an event. In this case, what event were they witnesses to? It is the WORD of God
- They were ministers of the same WORD of God. The word translated minister here is a Greek word meaning (to row); an under oarsman, that is subordinate (assistant, sexton, constable); – minister, officer, servant. It comes from a primary root word which means under, to place beneath..
It therefore reveals that these many persons who took in hand to declare the things believed among the early Christians or Disciples as I prefer to call them, were subject or placed beneath and servants of the WORD OF GOD. They were persons who had willingly made themselves servants of the Word. Romans 6:16 – ‘Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness?’. Therefore, to qualify to declare the things we believe, we must have first been in the presence of the WORD, seeing it, hearing it and believing it. Then we must serve the same WORD in obedience to ALL it says, being its servants.
Today, many declare the Word who are not ministers of the Word because we have erroneously believed that to be a minister is to be a preacher. No, to be a minister of the Word is to be a SERVANT OF THE WORD, OBEYING HIM IN ALL THAT HE BIDS US DO. This Word is LIFE so it is a being and not a letter or body of letters and alphabets.
Many shall say in that day did we not cast out devils in your name etc but He will reply depart from me, ye workers of iniquity or ye servants of iniquity who ministered to iniquity rather than the Word. Luke 13:24-28 tells us the persons who were judged to go to outer darkness were persons who had indeed obtained the first part of the qualification for they had been in the presence of the Word eating, drinking and being taught or declaring BUT they had opted not to obtain the second qualification of being ministers or servants of the Word but had chosen rather to work or serve iniquity. This missing second part disqualified them from entering into the rest prepared for them. May we pursue both qualifications with passion so we be not left out of our reward of entering in to His perpetual presence and being like Him.
Vs 3 – Here we see Luke give his qualification or reason for taking up this task of writing or declaring to Theophilus the things he is about to set forth.
He states as a fact that he now has ‘perfect understanding of all things from the very first’. Now some of us will quickly argue in our minds and of course aided by the devil that we do not and cannot have perfect understanding of all things we have believed.
The Greek word translated perfect here is one meaning ‘exactly, circumspectly, diligently and perfect’. It is translated diligently twice, circumspectly once and perfect or perfectly twice in the NT. It connotes the sense of precise diligence and diligence means conscientiousness, determination and perseverance when doing something. What Luke was therefore saying was, having conscientiously determined and persevered to search out, understand and prove these things, I can now declare or write them to you Theophilus. I did not just hear them and then upped and went as it were. I took time to prove all things before deciding them to be certain and true and to be believed, trusted, and relied upon before asking you and others to believe them. I verified and ascertained these facts I am now declaring to be true.
It is this same attitude of diligence (one translation of the word in Mathew 2:8) that the wise men applied when they searched for the child Jesus. They saw the star, followed same, came to Jerusalem several miles away from their land. This diligent search took time and effort, they were not novices who were plunked into a leadership position in Church simply because their societal status or finance. They were persons, who expended effort, paid the price to search enquire diligently into the things they had seen or witnessed in the stars. Also there were the Berean Christians in Acts 17:11-13 who not only willingly heard Paul, but went back themselves to diligently search for the scriptures DAILY and so many of them believed what Paul said to them as indeed true.
This diligent personal search is what gives rise to a confident declaration of the things which we believe. If we do not search for ourselves diligently, we will not only lack the confidence to declare what we believe, but we will be more prone to falling foul to all manner of doctrinal winds that blow through the Church as some presumed new truth or revelation.
We also must diligently search out understanding as Luke did. Understanding here comes from following near or closely, attending to, tracing, following to see or obtain the result. This was what Luke did as we recount that he followed Paul closely, accompanied him on some Missionary journeys, seeing, attending closely, tracing the declarations, the results and documenting them. This was why he could write both books of Luke to the Gentile Theophilus (friend of God), and Acts so authoritatively.
Perfect understanding here has therefore to do with studying to show ourselves approved of God, workmen that need not be ashamed, RIGHTLY dividing the word of truth – 2 Timothy 2:15
Finally, I believe that Luke could confidently declare that he had perfect understanding of all things because he knew that wherever his understanding was lacking or in any area he was otherwise minded, the Spirit of the Lord would reveal the same to him – Phillipians 3:15. Having done our due diligence, become witnesses by being in the presence of the Word and exercising ourselves as servants of same, we then must proceed confidently to declare the things we have believed knowing that the anointing we have received abideth in us and He will lead us into ALL truth. 1 John 2:27 – ‘But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.’
Vs 4 – Our declaration or taking in hand to write or speaking or proclamation or confession of the word we have diligently searched out, understood and believed is what in turn establishes its certainty or veracity. I believe, therefore have I spoken – 2 Corinthians 4:13 – ‘We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written, I believed, therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore speak. See also Psalms 116:10.
And we know that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Again, that by our words we are taken and by our same words we are snared – Proverbs 18:21 and Proverbs 6:2 As we speak often one to another or declare the words of God ministering and serving it, we create an atmosphere of God and He comes in ushered by the spoken and declared Word. When He comes in so activated in such word atmosphere, everything associated with His presence becomes possible and manifest. Fire came down from heaven on Elijah’s sacrifice only after he had commanded the altar be filled with water thoroughly. The fire of His presence will always answer or respond to Word of His presence upon altars of the heart made ready with a willing or submitted servant’s attitude.
Question
Why is it so important to hear, search and understand and obey God’s word for ourselves?
Further study – John 4:28-30, & 39-42. Woman at the well, preaching to her Samaritan village men who believe, but many more do because they heard Jesus for themselves.
1st Kings 13:1-32 – Young prophet received specific words and instructions from the Lord, deceived by an old prophet who claimed he received by an angel of the Lord a contrary word. Tragedy strikes and same old deceiving prophet becomes an oracle of doom to the young one. Kindly move on to Luke chapter 2 and remain bless.
This weekly publication is from Chris and Imah of the THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CHURCH, Notes for today's Study. Please note that due to the difference in time zones presently, that the Study starts at 4.30pm British Standard Time, which is one ahead behind the Nigerian time which will now be 5.30pm every saturday. The Lord bless us as we find time to share fellowship with us. Please do not forget you can ask questions and we welcome your contributions via messages and comments through our "WRITE TO US PAGE HERE ON THIS WEBSITE. Warm Regards Chris and Imah - the ones our Master loves
