Study # 3
August 24, 2003
Lincolnton, N.C.
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Thesis:  A faith based upon tradition is, at least, dangerous and, at most, completely destructive. Introduction:  In our prior studies, we have focused particularly upon Luke's audience of one: Theophilus. After showing you, in some detail, how names are deliberately significant in the Bible, we concluded that Luke identified his reader as a highly prejudicial factor in our understanding of what he wrote. This factor is that the significance of his material is of only real help to those who, like Theophilus, have come to the point in their lives that being a friend of God is a most crucial issue. Now, it seems obvious from Luke's opening words that he had a particularly important concept of friendship: his friend, God, must be trusted. It should be beyond obvious to everyone that friendship that is based upon mistrust is not friendship at all. Any time anyone distrusts what he is being told, friendship is not going to occur. Therefore, it is no surprise to us to read that Luke, who wants Theophilus to continue in the development of his friendship with God, knows for that to happen Theophilus must grow in his confidence in the things he has been told. Thus, he writes, ...it seemed good to me...to write unto thee...that thou mightest know the certainty... Therefore, it is highly interesting to me that in Luke's opening words we run immediately into a difficulty concerning the translation of those words. It is also a side bar issue that this difficulty is precisely applicable to our setting in King James Only country. The issue is this: did Luke write to Theophilus to tell him the details of "...the things most surely believed among us..." as the KJV translates it; or, did Luke write to Theophilus to tell him the details of "...those matters which have been fulfilled among us..." as the NASB translates it? This morning we are going to address this issue of Luke's meaning in these particular words and what a primary application of this meaning is to us.