"Word" who "was made flesh" (John 1:14). It seems, however, more
Let us begin Luke's Gospel with an earnest desire to know more ourselves of the truth as it is in Jesus, and with a hearty determination to do what in us lies to spread the knowledge of that truth throughout the world.
Notes on Luke 1:1-4
Luke. Our information about St. Luke is scanty. What we have no reason to doubt is that he was the companion of St. Paul on his travels and that he was a "doctor" (Colossians 4:14). It is generally agreed that his Gospel was written with a special reference to Gentile converts rather than Jews.
1. Many have undertaken. Who these many were, we do not know. St.
Luke's meaning appears to be simply that they wrote without any divine call or inspiration.
2. The word. Some think that this means the Lord Jesus Christ, the "Word" who "was made flesh" (John 1:14). It seems, however, more probable that we are to take it as the written word or the word of the Gospel.
3. Orderly account. We must carefully observe that this expression does not imply that Luke followed the chronological order of the chief events in our Lord's life more than the other evangelists. It rather means that he grouped together and classified in an orderly way the principal facts which he was inspired to record.
Theophilus. We know nothing certain about this person. The prevailing opinion is that he was some Christian Gentile in a high position to whom St. Luke, for reasons unknown to us, was directed to address himself in writing his Gospel. The expression most