Being friends

Part one of nine

A story that’s all about you, from someone who was there

Luke’s Gospel has been called “the loveliest book in the world.” Our goal in this series is to gaze on its beauty, to examine some of its jewels, to try to solve some puzzles that intrigue or disturb us, and ultimately to allow ourselves to be transformed by its message.

The Gospel and its sequel, Acts, were written to “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1).

So who is Theophilus?

Some believe he was a lawyer who needed background information to defend Paul at his Roman trial. Some believe he was the author’s patron, supporting Luke financially. Some believe he was a high Roman official who had been converted and needed additional instruction in the faith.

And some think Theophilus was not necessarily an individual person, but stands symbolically for “the readers” (all of them!). I am inclined to this last option.

Theophilus means “friend of God.” By addressing the reader as “God’s friend,” Luke introduces the real theme of the story. Luke presents God as a friendly God. In Jesus, the God of the universe came down to be a friend, to make new friends, to be at the centre of a group of friends.

Luke tells story after story of God’s Son eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners, welcoming prostitutes into His friendship circle, erasing boundaries that keep ethnic “outsiders” at a distance, crossing social boundaries, honouring people who are shamed by others, breaking down stereotypes. Luke’s “friendly God” comes to turn us all into friends of God, and (perhaps more amazing) friends of each other.

But who is Luke?

There are more or less reliable traditions about Luke being Paul’s missionary helper, a doctor (Colossians 4:14), possibly a Gentile. But the author does not tell us these things. He writes anonymously. In fact the only thing he really says about himself is “I was there! I saw it with my very own eyes!”

No, Luke did not see the events of Jesus’ life as an eyewitness. He was not there to see Jesus crucified, meet the risen Jesus or experience Pentecost firsthand. But Luke later saw the effects of Jesus’ life and the power of the gospel. As he tells his story of how Jesus and the gospel began to change the world, he suddenly inserts “I was there when it happened!”

It happens for the first time in Acts 16:10. After speaking of the missionaries as “they,” the pronouns suddenly change to “we.” (“Then we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia.”) It appears that the author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke joined Paul in Troas and travelled with him to Philippi (16:10–17). Later he also travelled with Paul and others to Jerusalem (20:5–21:18) and finally also to Rome (27:1–28:16).

Luke would soon be known among the churches as Paul’s friend, the missionary doctor. Eventually he would be known around the world as a Christian evangelist, historian and theologian. It all began when missionaries travelling through Troas took him along. Most interpreters think the “we passages” in Acts are of little significance. I think they provide fascinating hints about the author and the book we are about to study.

Luke was there when Lydia, a respected upper-class Jewish businesswoman, became a follower of Jesus (Acts 16:13–15). He was there when a demon-possessed Macedonian slave girl was delivered by the power of Jesus (16:16–18). He was there when a brutal Roman prison official bowed the knee to a new Lord (16:25–34). He was there when Paul and Silas met in Lydia’s house with the new believers (16:40) and then left the city. And apparently Luke stayed, since the “we passages” don’t resume until our author leaves Philippi four chapters later (20:5,6).

So Luke was there when the first church in Europe was planted. He might, in fact, have been the primary church planter after the missionaries left.

Luke observed a powerful gospel at work, transforming lives, delivering from demonic powers, doing miracles, breaking down barriers. Luke’s “core group” could hardly have been more diverse – different ages, three ethnicities, three social classes, three kinds of religious background. But now the gospel had turned them into friends: friends of God, friends of each other. “Who would have believed this?” they must have said more than once as they gathered around Lydia’s dining room table. A friendly God and a subversive gospel had broken down huge barriers.

If I were guessing, I’d say that right from the beginning Luke told himself, “Someday I’m going to look into this more closely. What kind of God turns enemies into friends? What kind of gospel breaks down walls like that? What must Jesus have been like if He makes no distinctions between rich and poor, slave and free, Jew and Greek, male and female?”

As we launch into the Gospel, we will see how Luke portrays the friendly God, present in Jesus, breaking down barriers, unleashing the power of the Gospel, subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) telling the reader: “This is about you, Theophilus! God wants to be your friend too. God wants your circle of friends to be a testimony to the power of the gospel.”

Luke was there when it happened. He told us how it all began, and he wants it to happen for us as well. Stay tuned!

Tim Geddert teaches New Testament at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal. (See also the fuller introduction.)

The series continues in the next issue.