REL220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Sergius Paulus, Philo, Luke Records
Document Summary
Any friend of god" is luke"s ideal reader. Evidence from 3rd c. bc onward of theophilus as a common. Title most excellent (luke 1:3) suggests a real, not symbolic person is being addressed (cf. Philo judaeus, whose hebrew name is roughly equivalent to theophilus . An otherwise unknown historical figure named theophilus (majority view) Most excellent = likely someone of social prominence. Being addressed by name suggests luke-acts is dedicated to theophilus, and may also be indicative of his patronage. Likely a gentile perhaps a god-fearer ) who is either a non-christian enquiring about christianity or is a recent convert needing further instruction and encouragement regarding the christian faith. No mention of key historical events after this date (e. g. , nero"s persecution of christians, fall of jerusalem, etc. ) No mention of paul"s death nor of the outcome of his imprisonment in rome. We passages- the author was a contemporary of paul, making a.
